Ye Liyuan was tidying up the tea set with her head lowered when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She quickly put down the teacup in her hand and turned around.
"Ah Han, you're back!"
Hearing his Dao Companion's voice, Pei Yuhang imdiately concealed his exhaustion and revealed a gentle smile.
"I'm back, Liyuan."
Ye Liyuan noticed a bit of dust on Pei Yuhang's forehead. Her beautiful eyes furrowed slightly, and she picked up a damp towel, walked over to him, and began to wipe his face.
"Ah Han, how did your face get so dirty?"
"Um… I must have gotten a little dusty by accident."
Pei Yuhang answered evasively.
In truth, he looked a bit disheveled because he and Shang Miaoyan had just gotten truly angry with each other and ended up fighting for real.
The duel made Pei Yuhang realize that Shang Miaoyan's strength was on par with his own. She was clearly also infinitely close to breaking through the barrier to the Void Refining Realm.
This put imnse pressure on Pei Yuhang.
Shang Miaoyan was already much harder to deal with than that little girl, Ji Xichan. If she stepped into the Void Refining Realm before he did, not only would she continue to have the upper hand over him, but Qianqian's deterrent power would also be greatly diminished.
Things would beco even more troubleso then.
Ye Liyuan, however, was oblivious to Pei Yuhang's thoughts. After patiently wiping the dust from his face, she asked softly,
"Ah Han, are you done talking with Sister Miaoyan?"
"We're done."
"Oh, then where is Sister Miaoyan?"
Ye Liyuan poked her head out and peered into the courtyard through the window, but she didn't see that charming, graceful figure.
Pei Yuhang was displeased to see his Dao Companion show such concern for that wicked woman, Shang Miaoyan. He pulled Ye Liyuan into his arms, vigorously ruffled her hair, and gave a perfunctory reply,
"Sothing ca up at the Yin Yang Sacred Land, so she went back."
"I see. It really isn't easy being a Saintess, with big and small matters constantly cropping up."
Ye Liyuan sighed, lanting Shang Miaoyan's difficulties as she lay in Pei Yuhang's embrace.
"…"
Pei Yuhang was frustrated, but of course, he couldn't bla Liyuan. 'This is all that detestable Shang Miaoyan's fault.'
'I wonder what despicable tricks that woman used to win so much of Liyuan's trust!'
The frustrated Pei Yuhang let out a soft sigh and decided not to dwell on it. He simply held his fragrant, soft Dao Companion, enjoying a mont of peace and bliss.
Just then, Ye Liyuan suddenly lifted her small face, her clear eyes glinting with a determined light.
"Ah Han, I can break through to the Golden Core realm now."
Her slender fingers gripped Pei Yuhang's sleeve, her knuckles turning white from the force. "I'm ready to face the Celestial Tribulation."
Pei Yuhang was slightly taken aback. He looked down and t her earnest gaze.
In a daze, he seed to once again see the high-spirited young woman from all those years ago. It was her confidence and cheerfulness that had attracted him back when he still hadn't stepped out from under Shang Miaoyan's shadow.
"Ah Han, can I? Don't worry. After you left, I practiced in simulations countless tis. This ti, I will personally slay my Heart Demon with my sword!"
Ye Liyuan spoke again, but Pei Yuhang pondered for a mont without imdiately agreeing.
He took a golden orb that emitted a strange fragrance from his Jiezhi Storage Ring.
"What's this?"
Ye Liyuan's eyes widened with curiosity.
"This is a Mirage Dragon Core, the greatest prize from my trip to the Northern Desert.
I think we can use this with the Illusion-Breaking Mirror to create a more perfect Illusion Realm, allowing you, Liyuan, to face a more realistic Celestial Tribulation within it.
Only when I am certain there are no problems will I dare let you take the risk, Liyuan."
…
…
In the Saintess Hall of the Yin Yang Sacred Land's Special Envoy's Office, the candlelight was dim, stretching Shang Miaoyan's solitary figure long and thin.
She was leaning against a Profound Jade Carved Flower Chair, her long, slender fingers slightly curled, their knuckles white from the pressure.
The sword gash across her palm was still oozing tiny beads of blood, looking particularly jarring against her pale skin.
"Holy Daughter, shall I fetch you so Spirit Ointnt from dicine King Valley?"
Jiu stepped out slowly from the shadows behind a pillar, her raven-feather-like lashes lowered, not daring to look directly at the dark, unreadable expression on Shang Miaoyan's face.
But in just a fleeting glance, Jiu still noticed a few dark red spots on Shang Miaoyan's moon-white, wide sleeves, like scattered plum petals on snow.
Shang Miaoyan suddenly let out a soft laugh. Her pale lips trembled, the sound laced with a hint of self-mockery.
She slowly turned her palm over, letting the candlelight illuminate the wound with even greater clarity.
"Jiu, do you know who left this wound on my palm?"
Jiu's body trembled, but she ultimately had the sense not to say anything more.
With such pure Sword Qi, and considering today was the day Pei Yuhang returned to the sect, how could Jiu not know who had left the sword wound on Shang Miaoyan?
But this was clearly not sothing a re guard like her could comnt on.
"He actually dared to draw his sword on …"
"HUUUFF…"
Shang Miaoyan slowly closed her eyes, her red lips parting as she exhaled a long breath.
In that instant, all the candles in the hall dimd as if suppressed by an invisible force. Amidst the shifting light and shadows, her figure appeared even more solitary.
Just then, Fan Ya entered the hall and said softly,
"Holy Daughter, an envoy from the Jade Pool Sacred Land just ca to say…"
"That Lin Qianyan wants to see , is that it?"
Shang Miaoyan interjected coldly. Her five fingers slowly curled into a fist, and from the hideous sword gash in her palm, an alluring blood lotus suddenly blood.
As its petals unfurled, the wound healed at a visible rate, leaving only a faint red mark behind.
"Yes, Holy Daughter. Lin… The Jade Pool Saintess wishes to arrange a eting with you."
"I will not see her."
Shang Miaoyan said, her gaze calm. She gently caressed her healed palm, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes.
'That country woman, Lin Qianyan, must have learned from Xiaohan that I'm only a hair's breadth away from the Void Refining Realm. She wants to take advantage of the fact that I haven't broken through yet to co and suppress .'
'Does she think I won't see through her petty little tricks?'
Shang Miaoyan recalled the drastic change in Pei Yuhang's temperant after his return from the Northern Desert, his intense resistance toward her… and took a deep breath.
'Of course, I won't let her off so easily. The way Xiaohan is now, it's all because that country woman Lin Qianyan was instigating things behind the scenes! I knew she was up to no good coming to the Dao Sect!'
She slowly rose to her feet. Her wide sleeves fell, and her fingertips gently brushed past a Jade Cup on the table. The tea inside the cup instantly froze into ice.
"I will settle this score with her—after I break through to the Void Refining realm!"
At that mont, Shang Miaoyan wiped the look of dejection from her face, once again revealing the sharp edge of a One Sect Saintess.
"Send out the order! I am entering seclusion to break through to the Void Refining realm in one month! No one is to disturb during this ti!
After I break through, I will settle my accounts with Lin Qianyan!"
Fan Ya and Jiu exchanged a look, bowed in unison, and said together,
"Yes, Holy Daughter!"
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