Miss Fairy, Please Hear Me Out

There were only two possibilities why the Beguiling Divine Sakura had failed to release the soul intent fluctuation that belonged to the source of the illusion.

First, the Beguiling Divine Sakura was not the source of this illusion, contrary to what Tian Yan and Xu Yuan had assumed. Second, the sapling planted on the back mountain of the Dome Palace was not the real thing at all.

At first, Xu Yuan thought it was the former. But after confirming it again and again with his soul intent, he changed his mind. Because of the cherry blossom shaped mark between his brows, there was probably no one in this illusion more familiar with the Beguiling Divine Sakura’s aura than him.

That sapling only looked similar. At its core, it was not a Beguiling Divine Sakura at all. It did possess some of the Beguiling Divine Sakura’s effects, but it lacked that divine essence.

Who had tampered with it? Tian Rui? Shen Weixiu? No. With their cultivation, there was no way the two of them could have reached such a forbidden area.

The countless formations and restrictions he had passed through on the way to the forbidden grounds behind the Dome Palace flashed through Xu Yuan’s mind.

So, there was a mole inside the Splendorbloom Sect? The Second Elder’s faction? Did the Second Elder’s faction have the soul key needed to enter that kind of forbidden ground? Or had someone within the Sect Master’s own faction betrayed them?

Xu Yuan’s eyes flickered. The Yang Restoration Art in his body circulated to its limit as he shot toward the residence at top speed.

The place where Xu Yuan and Tian Yan lived was very far from Splendorbloom’s main peak. Even at full speed, it would still take half an hour.

Forty five minutes passed in a flash.

Then the fiery-red streak of light that was Xu Yuan suddenly faltered and came to a stop in midair.

Looking ahead, Xu Yuan saw a figure slowly rising from the distant mountain forest.

It was Tian Rui, the current Saint of the Heavenwatch Pavilion.

In the bleak autumn wind, two figures stood facing each other across the forested mountains.

Now that the Beguiling Divine Sakura had already been swapped out, no matter which mole had done it, the only ones who stood to benefit were Tian Rui and Shen Weixiu.

If they had already obtained the Beguiling Divine Sakura, then why was Tian Rui still appearing before him?

The Saint of the Heavenwatch Pavilion looked at Xu Yuan. His voice drifted over, calm and utterly unruffled. “Stay here. Don’t move.”

The moment his words fell, Xu Yuan keenly sensed an invisible barrier rising around them, covering several thousand feet in every direction.

Tian Rui had come to stop him.

And Xu Yuan’s current destination was that little residence. That made Tian Rui’s purpose obvious at a glance.

Tian Rui did not want him to go reinforce Tian Yan.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan suddenly felt many things snap into place. Why, when the next generation of those in power had such a good relationship with Jing He and Wang Yuchu, would the Splendorbloom Sect still choose to blood sacrifice two geniuses with limitless futures?

It was because Tang Jiuqing and the others had no choice. Wang Yuchu’s constitution was special to the Beguiling Divine Sakura. Otherwise, after Tian Rui and Shen Weixiu obtained the Beguiling Divine Sakura, they would never have chosen to take the risk of kidnapping Tian Yan.

As that thought crossed his mind, Xu Yuan looked at the Saint of the Heavenwatch Pavilion opposite him, and a faint trace of amusement entered his eyes. Kidnap Tian Yan...?

Judging by Tian Rui’s tone, his purpose seemed to be only to stop Xu Yuan. In that case, the one responsible for handling Tian Yan should be that white-robed, squinty-eyed fellow.

Mhm. Good luck, squinty-eyed Dao Palace Chief. With that thought, Xu Yuan asked aloud, “So I just have to not move?”

Tian Rui was clearly stunned for a moment when he heard this. Then he nodded. “Mhm.”

Xu Yuan nodded as well, then began slowly retreating.

Given Tian Yan’s mastery of the Heaven Deriving Art, the range of her Heaven mantras were roughly around a thousand feet. Tian Rui should be a little worse.

But when he saw Xu Yuan stepping back, a faint divine gleam flashed through Tian Rui’s pale golden eyes. He raised one hand toward Xu Yuan and said in a low voice, “Don’t move.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Yuan immediately stopped retreating and called out, “Very well. Since the Saint has put it that way, I shall not move.”

“What?” Dressed entirely in black, Tian Rui heard those words, and deep confusion appeared in his pale golden eyes. “You’re not going to attack?”

Xu Yuan nodded very seriously. “The Saint is an honored guest of my Splendorbloom Sect. Though I do not understand your request, I can still satisfy this much.”

Tian Rui fell silent. Was his hostility not obvious enough? This was practically an open declaration of war, so why was this Jing He acting so calm? Did the man not even wonder why he had stopped him here? Was something wrong with Jing He’s brain?

Tian Rui felt there had to be a trick, but after repeatedly confirming that the other party had no means of sending a voice transmission, and seeing that Jing He had not even drawn his sword, he temporarily gave up on making another move.

Once Shen Weixiu captured Tian Yan and brought her here, even if this strange Jing He did have some trick up his sleeve, he would never be able to withstand a single exchange against the two of them together.

And so, the two figures simply stood there quietly in midair.

Time passed, second by second.

After waiting for about half an hour, a hint of confusion gradually surfaced in Tian Rui’s calm, pale golden eyes.

At that moment, he finally sensed that something was wrong.

Tian Yan had only recently broken through to the third rank, so why was Shen Weixiu taking this long? Including the time before Jing He had arrived, a full hour had already passed.

As he thought this, Tian Rui glanced sideways at the man called Jing He across from him. His tone carried a trace of gravity. “Jing He, what do you know?”

“Know what?” Xu Yuan looked utterly confused. After a brief pause, he even took the initiative to ask, “Saint, may I ask how much longer we need to wait here?”

Tian Rui narrowed his long eyes slightly, stared at Xu Yuan, and said, “At most, another hour. At least, fifteen minutes.”

Xu Yuan nodded when he heard this, then suddenly broke into a grin.

Seeing that smile, Tian Rui frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

Xu Yuan ignored him. He raised a finger to his lips. “Shh.”

As he spoke, Xu Yuan pointed behind Tian Rui, toward the direction of his little residence.

Tian Rui turned back with a frown, and his pupils contracted slightly.

At the edge of the sky, amid sudden flashes of lightning, two figures were racing wildly toward them.

One was fleeing in front. One was chasing from behind.

The one in front was the Grand Purity Dao Palace chief disciple who had once strolled about as if taking a leisurely walk while cutting down Senior Brother Li and Bai Fan. Rings of lightning arcs coiled around him.

The one behind him was a barefoot girl in pale-red palace robes.

The instant they entered Xu Yuan and Tian Rui’s line of sight, a thunderous voice transmission exploded from the horizon, no longer carrying even a trace of that earlier lazy, carefree ease.

“T-Tian Rui! Something’s wrong with this woman! Hurry up and help me!”

At the sight of this bizarre scene, Tian Rui’s pale golden pupils shrank sharply.

And in the next instant, the Saint of the Heavenwatch Pavilion suddenly sensed Jing He silently appearing behind him. Without the slightest hesitation, he shouted, “Divine Shield!”

The Heaven mantra fell.

A violet-golden film of light instantly appeared around him.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan’s brow lifted slightly, surprise flashing through his eyes. So the Shield mantra actually has an advanced form. That woman Tian Yan has been hiding quite a few tricks.

As that thought crossed his mind, his blade swung out.

Blood Ink Jade, Waltz.

A sheet of ink swept through the air, and the aura of death instantly seeped into every inch of Tian Rui

The jade sword Thousand Thorns, wrapped in blood-colored ink, sliced straight through Tian Rui’s Divine Shield as easily as cutting tofu.