Liu Wanshi was truly worried that Ye Xingchen would run to the livestock pen again. Not only did she lock it in advance, but she also had the foresight to ask Elder Zhen to set up various array formations.
Now there should be no problem, right?
The little girl underestimated Pei Aniu’s determination when drunk to separate from his bed!
After the banquet ended, he staggered over, discovered he couldn’t enter, and directly destroyed the array formation.
When Li Qingyang rushed over after hearing the news, he found Junior Brother Ye had been blown gray and dusty, yet was lying inside sleeping comfortably. Various livestock huddled trembling in the corner.
Mama!
Why has this human come again!
“Sigh.”
Li Qingyang hoisted up the dead-drunk Ye Xingchen and shook his head: “Can’t you drink a little less?”
Jun Changxiao found this matter quite puzzling when he learned of it.
Why did this kid always like going to the livestock pen whenever he got drunk?
It wasn’t until he asked Hui’er that he understood—Pei Aniu had been born poor and spent years herding cattle and sheep, so he had special feelings for livestock and pens.
The next day.
Ye Xingchen sat expressionlessly in the courtyard.
Though his head was splitting from yesterday’s drinking, it couldn’t compare to the pain in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to look up and shout to the heavens: Why is this happening!
…
“Sect Master.”
In the great hall, Young Master Yuan skillfully worked his abacus: “Yesterday’s gift money, converted to artificial spirit stones, totaled five million six hundred thousand.”
“Not bad, not bad.”
Jun Changxiao smiled.
After giving Taixuan Sacred Sect minerals worth ten million taels, receiving this much in gift money made it quite a profitable venture.
With seventy-eight thousand disciples, I’m going to prosper!
Young Master Yuan added: “Preparing the engagement ceremony and banquet cost five million taels.”
“No matter.”
Compared to over five million spirit stones, five million silver taels were simply insignificant.
After the engagement ceremony ended, Xia Shuiyun returned to Taixuan Sacred Sect with her parents, also gaining a new identity: the fiancée of the Eternal Sect’s Third Disciple.
With the Eternal Sect’s current prestige in the martial world and Jun Changxiao’s extremely protective personality, once this identity was revealed, it would definitely be more impressive than being a Taixuan Sacred Sect inner disciple.
“Shuiyun!”
Before leaving, Su Xiaomo escorted her to the foot of the mountain, reluctantly holding her small hand: “The Sect Master agreed to let you stay. Why did you refuse?”
“I’m still a Taixuan Sacred Sect disciple. How could I stay at the Eternal Sect?”
With her parents present, being held by the hand by this fellow made Xia Shuiyun’s face turn completely red.
Su Xiaomo wasn’t embarrassed at all and said: “You’re my woman. Sooner or later you’ll marry over. Why not join the Eternal Sect early?”
“Moreover.”
He said seriously: “Here, you can improve your martial cultivation realm faster.”
“I have an ice-type constitution. Cultivating at Taixuan Sacred Sect is most suitable. After… after I marry you, we can discuss it then.” Xia Shuiyun turned away with a flushed face and left.
Though the Eternal Sect indeed had various martial arts resources, in terms of ice-type attribute cultivation, it couldn’t compare to Taixuan Sacred Sect at all. After all, they had focused on this since their establishment.
Hadn’t Lu Qianqian, back in the day, decided to temporarily leave the sect and go train in the freezing Northeast Luzhou precisely to better improve her strength?
“Alright then.”
Su Xiaomo waved farewell: “Shuiyun, I’ll visit you at Taixuan Sacred Sect every few days!”
Though his words sounded nice, after seeing Xia Shuiyun off, he immediately entered the Training Tower, Spacetime Secret Realm, and Life-Death Secret Realm to begin cyclical cultivation.
In terms of realm, he hadn’t fallen too far behind Li Qingyang and Xiao Zuiji, but in various tempering aspects, there was clearly a gap. So romantic matters would be set aside first—he had to catch up as quickly as possible.
…
The grudge between the Eternal Sect and Taixuan Sacred Sect essentially came to an end after Su Xiaomo and Xia Shuiyun’s engagement. Without escalating to fighting to the death, it was rather perfect.
“Hall Master Li.”
Jun Changxiao came to the Fine Rain Hall: “Determine Fang Lingyu’s location for this Seat as quickly as possible.”
Lu Qianqian hadn’t killed that woman, merely crippling both her hands and cultivation, but he had to eliminate the threat at its root, preventing the villain from rising again and bringing potential crisis to himself and the sect.
“Understood.”
Li Luoqiu ordered the external intelligence network to begin a widespread search.
After Yu Linyun took over as Acting Sect Master, Fang Lingyu and Elder Qu quietly left, then vanished without a trace.
“Sect Master.”
Several days later, Li Luoqiu came to report: “Fang Lingyu seems to have vanished into thin air. I’ve searched all nine major regions but haven’t found her.”
“This is getting troublesome.”
Jun Changxiao’s brows furrowed, then he inquired: “Any news on the investigation into the Soul Clan?”
“No.” Li Luoqiu said.
Jun Changxiao said: “This race is skilled at hiding. When investigating, you must be meticulous and thorough. Any suspicious situation must be carefully examined.”
“Mm.”
“Have Elder Jiang look for Fang Lingyu.”
“Elder Jiang left after the engagement ceremony ended.”
“Looking for his sister again?”
“Correct.”
As his understanding of the Primordial Spirit Body deepened, Jiang Xie’s spiritual sense could spread over a wider range. So whenever sect affairs weren’t busy, he’d often go out searching for barrier formations, though he repeatedly found nothing.
“Though the Nine Regions are vast, the sect’s intelligence network is already well-established.”
Jun Changxiao stroked his chin: “If someone is still alive but can’t be found, perhaps they’ve gone to the three overseas regions.”
Li Luoqiu agreed: “I think so too.”
Jun Changxiao said: “When Elder Jiang returns, I’ll take him to the East Sea Yu Region to try our luck.”
“To think this much about disciples and elders—in this world, probably only the Sect Master would do so.” Li Luoqiu smiled.
Jun Changxiao said: “They’re all the treasures of this Seat’s heart. They must all be cherished.”
…
In a damp, dark cave.
Elder Qu sat cross-legged with a pale complexion. No matter how she circulated her cultivation method, she couldn’t communicate with the spiritual energy in her dantian.
This woman’s Martial Saint level cultivation remained, but having been kicked by Jun Changxiao until her meridians shattered, she was now no different from a cripple.
Of course.
If she had powerful heavenly materials and earthly treasures, there was still the possibility of restoring her meridians.
In contrast, Fang Lingyu beside her not only had her hand tendons severed but her spiritual core within her dantian had also shattered. She had completely lost the possibility of cultivating martial arts.
“Detestable!”
Elder Qu roared unwillingly: “If we’d known Lu Qianqian would join the Eternal Sect, we should have killed her after expelling her!”
“Master.”
Fang Lingyu opened her eyes weakly: “What we say now is too late.”
Her hatred was no less than Elder Qu’s. After all, she had secretly sabotaged Lu Qianqian out of jealousy for her constitution and cultivation, but in the end, she was still firmly suppressed by her!
“Sigh.”
Elder Qu shook her head: “Disciple, what should we do?”
“Master.” Fang Lingyu came over to support her: “Give your cultivation to your disciple. Your disciple will help you take revenge.”
“Give you my cultivation?”
Elder Qu’s eyes flashed with astonishment.
“Slap!”
Just then, Fang Lingyu’s scarred right hand pressed against her forehead. Her weak pupils flashed with a trace of green light, like a demon awakening from hell!
“You… what are you doing!”
“Ahhhhh—”
Screams echoed through the cave as a vast and eerie attribute howled forth!
After everything dissipated, Fang Lingyu stood in place, gently raising her hand to feel her gradually recovering meridians and spiritual core. She said ecstatically: “It really works! It really works!”
“Little girl.”
Suddenly, a sinister voice rang in her ear: “Now do you believe?”
Fang Lingyu calmed down: “I can now devour everything to improve my cultivation?”
“That’s right.”
The sinister voice said: “But the premise is that you must go to the Northern Desert Region. There’s a method there that can make you even stronger!”
“Northern Desert Region?”
After brief consideration, Fang Lingyu hurriedly set off.
As for Elder Qu, she had already turned into a dried corpse lying in the cave. From her blurred, twisted expression, she must have suffered greatly before death.
After crippling Lu Qianqian’s cultivation, this old woman was fortunate enough to live. Yet she ended up dying at the hands of the disciple she had personally raised, even contributing a lifetime of accumulated realm and cultivation. It was truly tragic.
…
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
Not long after Fang Lingyu left, several members of the Fine Rain Hall descended before the cave. Upon entering, they discovered the corpse.
Under orders, they had to thoroughly investigate any suspicious situations, so they didn’t dare be careless. While transmitting the news back, they also brought the corpse back to the Eternal Sect.
After examination, Jun Changxiao’s eyes turned cold: “The Soul Clan again!”
—