Chapter 97: Someone Actually Wants to Keep Me, the Fish Pond Owner? p1 |
Two Polarities Peak.
A woman in a luxurious black robe sat gracefully in a pavilion on the back mountain, her figure tall and mature, her long hair cascading down her back, tied with a simple white ribbon. Her legs were crossed, revealing the smooth curves beneath her skirt, her fingers delicately holding a chess piece.
Her ample bosom strained against the fabric of her robe, her shoulders and neck elegantly proportioned, a faint smile playing on her lips. A stranger, unaware of her identity, would simply see a beautiful woman, their heart filled with admiration, not fear.
But those who knew her wouldn’t even dare to look at her directly.
She was Shang Yanfei, the sect master of the Two Polarities Sect, one of the few Dao Integration cultivators in the world.
And sitting across from her, playing chess, was her disciple, Lan Mulian, who had just returned from Tianxuan City.
“Something troubling you?” Shang Yanfei asked casually, glancing at her disciple.
“The entrance exams should be over. Did something happen in Tianxuan City?” she added, her voice laced with amusement as she studied the chessboard.
Lan Mulian snapped out of her thoughts, smiling faintly. “Nothing, Master. I was just… thinking about something.”
“It was pink.”
She looked at her master. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Shang Yanfei chuckled, tapping the table with her finger. “Focus on the game.”
“You don’t know either?” Lan Mulian asked, surprised.
Shang Yanfei studied her disciple’s captivating beauty, a smile playing on her lips. “Why are you so interested in this young cultivator?”
“Is your troubled mood related to him?”
Lan Mulian glanced at her master, then looked away. “…Let’s continue the game.”
After a few moves, she asked, “There’s an opening ceremony for the new disciples at the Pilgrimage Palace in seven days, followed by the inner disciple selections. Will you be attending, Master?”
Shang Yanfei placed a black stone on the board, then looked at her disciple, smiling. “I don’t involve myself in the sect’s affairs anymore, but I’ll attend the opening ceremony.”
She glanced at the board, her brow furrowing slightly.
I’m losing…
She moved one of her stones to a more advantageous position, then said casually, “Your turn.”
Lan Mulian focused on the game, her brow furrowed as she considered her next move.
Shang Yanfei suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on a spot in the distance.
Lan Mulian, sensing her master’s reaction, followed her gaze.
It was the direction of the library…?
She frowned, then noticed auspicious clouds gathering in the sky, their colors vibrant, their forms beautiful.
Auspicious clouds.
They were rare, even within the sect.
The entire sky was filled with them, their radiance illuminating the heavens.
A realization dawned on her, and she murmured, “Ling Long has emerged?”
Which disciple’s destiny had attracted it?
Ye Yu? Bai Ruoxi? Or Ye Lingxuan?
They all possessed great destiny, capable of attracting the spirit dragon.
But for some reason, she thought of someone else.
Could it be him? The image of a certain troublesome young man flashed in her mind.
…
At the library, three cultivators sat on the top floor, sipping tea and discussing the Dao.
Yan Ruyu, the master of the library, held a delicate teacup, her fingers tracing its intricate patterns.
She wore a loose black robe, her figure concealed, her hair flowing freely. She smiled gently, but her golden eyes held a hint of power…
“The trials on the nine peaks are over, Brothers. The disciple selections are in a few days. Have you found any promising candidates?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over them.
Her two “brothers” were Ning Yuan, the peak lord of Dream Drunken Peak, and Xiang Yan, the peak lord of Pure Yang Peak.
Ning Yuan chuckled, stroking his beard. “There are always talented candidates, but most are too arrogant. They need to be tempered before they can become true cultivators. I’ll observe them for a few days before making my decision.”
“Talent is abundant, but the path of cultivation is long and arduous. Even geniuses can fall if they lack the right temperament…” Xiang Yan said, lighting a cigarette.
Yan Ruyu looked at him, her voice soft. “Brother Xiang…”
He sighed, tossing the cigarette out the window. It turned to dust, disappearing into the air.
He was different from other cultivators, interested in the mortal world. He often disguised himself and wandered through towns and cities, particularly fascinated by cigarettes…
But this was the library. And his junior sister, she disliked men who smelled…
“How were the candidates at Boundless Sea Peak? Did two or three pass?” Ning Yuan asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Boundless Sea Peak was unique. Its entrance exams were notorious.
For various reasons…
So the number of successful candidates was always low. This year should be no different.
But Yan Ruyu smiled. “Most of them passed.”
She remembered the young cultivator who had deciphered a part of the Trial Forest’s formation.
He was only at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, but Junior Sister Lan seemed interested in him. It was unusual.
Her two brothers looked at her, surprised, but she simply smiled, offering no explanation.
She suddenly heard a commotion outside.
She looked out the window and saw a massive dragon emerging from the clouds, its form serpentine, with a pair of antlers on its head, its head rising above the cliff.
Ning Yuan and Xiang Yan also looked out the window, exchanging a surprised glance.
“Ling Long has appeared? On the day of the exams? Could it be attracted by one of the candidates?” Ning Yuan asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
“Ling Long represents destiny. It favors imperial aura… but it might also be drawn to those with great destiny” Xiang Yan murmured. “Could there be someone special among the candidates?”
But even so, it didn’t explain why Ling Long had appeared.
Individuals with great destiny were rare.
But Ling Long, an ancient dragon that had existed since before the sect’s founding, had encountered countless individuals with great destiny. It wasn’t that rare.
“It’s coming up!” someone shouted from below.
The silver dragon emerged from the mist, soaring into the air, its form both terrifying and beautiful, its massive tail sending ripples through the clouds, transforming them into auspicious clouds, their colors vibrant.
It hovered in the air, its bright, intelligent eyes surveying the disciples below.
They all stared at it, their gazes filled with awe and desire.
Even the senior disciples looked at it with a hint of expectation.
It was said that receiving Ling Long’s favor would grant one… immense destiny.
And great destiny meant a smooth path of cultivation, filled with opportunities and miracles.
It was no wonder they were all so hopeful.
The dragon yawned, its massive jaws opening wide.
Its golden eyes swept over the crowd, then fixed on a spot in the distance.
“It’s looking at us,” Bai Ruoxi whispered, her voice a mental message.
It’s definitely looking at me… He felt a wave of pressure, his instincts screaming.
“Aaa?” a voice echoed in his mind, clear and melodious.
He looked up, meeting the dragon’s gaze, a spark of interest in its eyes.
It’s talking to me?
But what did it mean?
“It’s coming towards us!” Wei Mengrou whispered, stepping forward to shield him.
The other disciples also noticed, their gazes following the dragon.
“Where is it going? I’ve been here for years, and I’ve never seen it act so excited.”
“Could it be attracted by someone with great destiny?”
“It’s the Bai family’s young mistress, the best of her generation from Tianxuan City,” a candidate from Tianxuan City said, recognizing Bai Ruoxi.
They all looked at her, their gazes drawn to her beauty.