Chapter 253: Mu Zhi’an: I’m Getting Married After the Ascension Ceremony! p2 |
Ye Qian had received the Jade Empress’s inheritance, Bai Ruoxi was the scabbard left behind by the Sword Palace Master, and Wei Mengrou was even more mysterious.
Although no one knew her true constitution, her monstrous cultivation speed and strength made her the strongest among them.
There were also the Lan sisters. Her senior sister was cold and aloof, with a strong sense of pride. She probably wouldn’t participate in the Ascension Ceremony.
But Lan Feiying… She didn’t know much about this alluring woman, but she had recently heard that her strength had increased significantly, shocking the elders of the main peaks.
Even Huang Manting had encountered numerous fortunate encounters and possessed unpredictable strength.
Do I really have to ask Brother Mu for the ninth life’s Spiritual Energy…?
Ye Lingxuan rested her chin on her hand, her delicate feet dangling in the air, her usually calm face filled with hesitation.
She took out a small, exquisitely crafted box.
If Mu Zhi’an were present, he would probably exclaim, “Isn’t that a ring box?”
The Reincarnated Empress had taken the Holy Lightning Rock to be crafted into rings not long ago, and this box was meant to store them.
“After the rings are finished, I’ll go to the Garden of Heavenly Harmony and give him one…?” Ye Lingxuan murmured.
But even if she gave him the ring, how would she bring up the topic…?
“Brother Mu, I need the ninth life’s Spiritual Energy, so…”
Ye Lingxuan covered her face with her hands.
No, that’s impossible!
Just imagining the scene made her blush furiously.
“Sister…?”
Suddenly, she heard a sweet voice behind her. She turned around and saw Ye Qian standing there, her hands behind her back, her eyes filled with concern.
“Why are you so distracted, Sister? Is something bothering you?” Ye Qian asked gently.
It was unusual for her usually calm and elegant sister to be blushing and looking so worried.
Ye Lingxuan quickly composed herself, maintaining her older sister’s graceful demeanor. She shook her head and smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about the Ascension Ceremony.”
However, upon hearing the words ‘Ascension Ceremony’, a flicker of panic appeared in Ye Qian’s eyes. She instinctively covered her storage ring and smiled. “Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in the Ascension Ceremony, Sister? Why are you…”
She looked at Ye Lingxuan intently.
Ye Lingxuan immediately noticed something amiss about her sister, who had grown up with her. She scrutinized her carefully.
“Could it be… you also received that letter?” she suddenly asked.
Ye Qian froze, her gaze meeting her sister’s.
“You too, Sister…?”
A paper crane appeared in each of their hands.
…
Two Polarities Peak.
Lan Mulian sat in the pavilion, seemingly lost in thought.
Opposite her, Lan Feiying, her alluring figure highlighted by a black cheongsam, played with her teacup in her hand. She looked at her cold and elegant sister and smiled seductively. “Is something bothering you, Sister?”
“Could it be… because of this?” Lan Feiying took out a paper crane from her storage ring and placed it on the table.
Lan Mulian’s eyes narrowed slightly. She looked up at her sister with a strange expression. “You received it too…?”
Lan Feiying rested her chin on her hand, her long legs crossed, her smooth and fair skin accentuated by the cheongsam and high-heeled sandals she wore. She smiled. “I received it while I was in seclusion today. It seems you also know about this, Sister?”
Lan Mulian rubbed her forehead. “Master sent it.”
“Master…? The Sect Master of the Two Polarities Sect?” Lan Feiying looked at her sister, surprised. “What is she planning…?”
Lan Mulian shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”
“There are things even you don’t know, Sister?” Lan Feiying chuckled.
Lan Mulian remained silent.
The most talented and beautiful woman in the sect could usually understand most things, including the thoughts of the other cultivators, even Mu Zhi’an’s thoughts about her.
But she couldn’t understand her master’s intentions.
Is she trying to force me to participate in the Ascension Ceremony?
It wasn’t like her master to coerce others.
But she couldn’t think of any other reason for her master to suddenly add a ‘prize’ for a select few girls.
“Are you planning to participate, Sister?” Lan Feiying changed the subject.
“If you’re not, I’ll bring your junior brother back for you,” she said playfully.
Lan Mulian glared at her. “Don’t joke around. He’s just my junior brother.”
Lan Feiying smiled seductively, her gaze fixed on Lan Mulian’s beautiful face, seeing through her pretense but not saying anything.
If her sister also participated in the Ascension Ceremony, the outcome would be a foregone conclusion.
The Southern Wilderness and the Western Regions probably assumed that the geniuses from different realms were of similar strength, or perhaps even believed that their own geniuses were stronger…
However, they probably didn’t expect that a seemingly insignificant young cultivator would completely change the nature of the Ascension Ceremony.
…
Two days passed quickly.
During these two days, more young cultivators from all over the Nine Realms arrived at the Two Polarities Sect. Besides the scions of the Primordial Clans, there were also some exceptionally talented rogue cultivators.
That afternoon, Mu Zhi’an received another piece of news in the Garden of Heavenly Harmony.
The Great Qian Dynasty’s Princess Royal had arrived!
Princess Yongning had previously visited the Two Polarities Sect in a private capacity, asking Yan Ruyu about poetry. This time, she represented the Great Qian Dynasty.
Although the dynasty seemed to be declining, even the Primordial Clans didn’t dare to underestimate it.
The reason was the ‘power of the masses’ it possessed, the collective will of the common people.
This power wasn’t just an abstract concept; it could manifest as a tangible force.
The combined power of a dynasty’s populace, if used properly, could unleash an attack comparable to a Dao Integration cultivator.
And the current Imperial Advisor’s strength was unfathomable. Some speculated that he might be the only Earthly Immortal in the world who had comprehended a trace of Dao Rhyme.
Snowflakes fell outside, covering the ground in a blanket of white. Occasionally, a spirit crane would fly through the snowy sky.
Then, in the next instant, its fate would be sealed as a dragon snatched it by the scruff of its neck, carrying it towards the Garden of Heavenly Harmony amidst the “Aaa” of a certain foodie’s song…
Mu Zhi’an sat in the pavilion, sipping hot tea, his demeanor exuding the aura of a noble young master.
He seemed to be admiring the snowy scenery, but in reality, he was pondering his next move.
He was undoubtedly the strongest ‘combatant’ in the Ascension Ceremony.
Disregarding cultivation levels, he could suppress the girls around him without even using his Spiritual Energy.
He had even suppressed a Dao Integration cultivator before and given her a good ‘spanking’.
But if the girls took the ‘winner takes the Innate Celestial Furnace’ seriously and competed with all their might, he would be in trouble…
However, it wasn’t entirely hopeless.
In terms of pure strength, Mu Zhi’an was on par with, or even stronger than, the so-called geniuses from the Primordial Clans.
After all, he possessed the Chaos Body. Although he rarely fought, he had never lost a battle against someone at the same level.
The Ascension Ceremony had invited talented cultivators from all over the Nine Realms, but the true contenders for first place were limited to a few individuals.
Besides the monk from the Western Regions and the geniuses from the other two realms, most of the participants were people Mu Zhi’an knew.
In other words, as long as he eliminated those three, the remaining competitors would be familiar faces.
It would be much easier to manipulate the situation then.
His top priority now was to increase his strength as much as possible.
As for the method… he would have to consult Yan Ruyu again.
Besides that, he was also curious about the characters he had seen in the murals within the Sword Palace and the characters in the mirror within the Forbidden Zone. He wanted to know which dynasty they belonged to.
Yan Ruyu was erudite and well-read, a knowledgeable teacher… Perhaps she could decipher the ancient characters.
Seeing that Mu Zhi’an was about to leave, Wei Mengrou, who had been silently standing in the corner, said coldly, “The Ascension Ceremony is approaching. Aren’t you going to cultivate instead of going out?”
“I have some matters to attend to before I cultivate,” Mu Zhi’an replied with a smile.
Wei Mengrou raised an eyebrow, teasing him, “Is there anything more important than your safety after the Ascension Ceremony? Or have you already decided who you want to marry?”
Mu Zhi’an shook his head seriously. “The outcome of the Ascension Ceremony is important, but your matters are even more important, Mengrou.”
If he doesn’t want to tell the truth, fine… Wei Mengrou glanced at him and ignored him.
Mu Zhi’an smiled but didn’t say anything.
Sometimes, telling the truth only made people doubt you even more.