By the Chi Zhi Tree, the battle of spells raged on.
Nie Rong's eyes had been temporarily blinded, leaving him surrounded by enemies.
Deep in the fissure beneath the earth, the violet mist grew ever thicker. With each level that Yu Zhenyan descended, her heart pounded with excitement.
On the surface she had not managed to see clearly what lay hidden underground, but here the heavier the violet mist, the more supreme-grade spirit stones there would be. Her pulse quickened. Halfway through the chase, she turned aside, prying at loose rocks on the cavern wall. A dazzling glow burst forth, supreme-grade spirit stones glittering before her eyes.
At that moment, she had no mind to pursue Meng Xiangxiang further.
Taking advantage of Ye Nantian still entangled with Nie Rong above, Yu Zhenyan swiftly gathered the spirit stones, concealing them within her protective jade talisman.
Meng Xiangxiang, fleeing further inside, realized no one was chasing him. Yet he dared not slow down, pushing himself deeper until faintly, he heard the roar of a dragon.
Violet mist surged, purple smoke coiled. Ahead he glimpsed Zhou Lili, frozen in shock.
A dragon, more than thirty feet long, violet-scaled and sinuous, soared above a sea of molten magma. Its tail lashed upward, whipping up surges of fiery waves.
Meng Xiangxiang was struck dumb. Beneath the earth was a whole other world.
But… where was Fairy Yao Ranran?
"Could it be… that she was eaten by this purple dragon?!"
It was not unreasonable for him to think so. A violet dragon was the embodiment of a supreme spiritual vein. Once it awakened intelligence, it would grow proud and unyielding, never easily submitting to mortals.
And since Yao Ranran had fallen silent since entering, he could not help fearing the worst.
"Fairy Ranran!"
Just as dread filled his chest, Zhou Lili suddenly cried out to the dragon.
Meng Xiangxiang lifted his eyes. The massive dragon's shadow swept across him. Compared to it, he was but an ant. Even the dragon's breath almost blew him away.
The dragon circled once in the sky above, then lowered its head before them.
Standing upon its brow, Yao Ranran smiled. "As a mount, this dragon is simply perfect."
Zhou Lili stood stupefied. How wealthy did one have to be, to use a supreme spiritual vein as a riding beast?
Such a thing was beyond imagining, for no one in this world had ever dared.
Meng Xiangxiang shut his gaping mouth. Traveling with Fairy Ranran these past days had shattered his understanding of the world. This Fairy's strength surely belonged to a realm beyond the Spirit World itself.
"Come on up. We're leaving."
Yao Ranran beamed at the two of them.
With the supreme spiritual vein subdued, her mood was radiant.
Zhou Lili and Meng Xiangxiang leapt onto the dragon's back.
Meng Xiangxiang quickly added, "Fairy Sister, another woman followed me down here!"
"The vein is already in my grasp. If she wants to descend, let her," Yao Ranran replied without concern.
Meng Xiangxiang frowned. "But when she came down, she was prying at the supreme spirit stones nurtured here!"
Yao Ranran's face hardened. "And who dares court death?"
Meng Xiangxiang: "…" He had been about to say she was also chasing him. Seeing the Fairy's reaction, he realized it no longer mattered.
Zhou Lili explained, "Fairy Ranran, you know her. She's Yu Weifeng's daughter, Yu Zhenyan!"
Yao Ranran's brows twitched. "Yu Zhenyan? She and I have been at odds from the very beginning."
Back at Yan Fortress she had already disliked her. More importantly, Yu Zhenyan's mother Xing Rui had ordered the murder of her body's original mother.
Even if Yao Ranran was not truly Yao Yanliu's daughter, she was living in her body. A debt of blood could not be ignored.
"Little Dragon, go! Lock onto Yu Zhenyan, and reclaim the spirit stones she stole!"
With her command, the violet dragon reared its head and shot forth, instantly appearing behind Yu Zhenyan.
As Zhou Lili and Meng Xiangxiang marveled at its immense size, the spirit stones in Yu Zhenyan's hands slipped to the ground.
"A supreme spiritual vein!" Yu Zhenyan's eyes blazed with greed. The exposed stones in the walls instantly dimmed before its brilliance.
Nothing could rival the allure of this dragon.
"Yu Zhenyan. Long time no see."
Yao Ranran descended lightly onto the dragon's head, lowering it so Yu Zhenyan could see her.
"Yao Ranran? What are you doing here?!"
Yu Zhenyan stiffened in shock, and in an instant recalled Nie Rong above.
Nie Rong had already taken Yao Ranran as his master. If he was here, she should have guessed Yao Ranran would be too.
"By the rules of the cultivation world, since we discovered this place first, the supreme spirit stones belong to us. You have no right to touch them."
Yao Ranran's tone was calm, urging her to leave.
If vengeance was to be had, it was her mother Xing Rui who ought to die, not Yu Zhenyan.
Yet with the supreme vein before her eyes, Yu Zhenyan would be a fool to walk away.
"Yao Ranran, did your mother never tell you there's another rule in the cultivation world?"
Yao Ranran gave her a sidelong glance. "And what rule is that?"
Yu Zhenyan lifted her chin proudly. "That whoever has the bigger fist, takes everything the other possesses!"
Zhou Lili and Meng Xiangxiang gaped.
They had never seen anyone so eager to die, volunteering all her treasures to her enemy.
"Grand Celestial Derivation Art!"
Yu Zhenyan sneered at their expressions, basking in their fear.
"Yao Ranran, a bastard child remains a bastard child. The Grand Celestial Derivation Art is a top-grade heaven-tier technique passed down in the Yu family for tens of thousands of years. For you to die beneath it, consider yourself honored!"
"The Grand Celestial Derivation Art? That's an attack art that can kill across realms!"
Zhou Lili, well-versed in the affairs of Baibao Pavilion, had heard of it.
Cultivation arts were divided into heaven, earth, mystic, and yellow, each tier with upper, middle, and lower grades.
A heaven-tier top-grade art was among the very pinnacle.
And the Grand Celestial Derivation Art was designed solely for slaughter. Even if wielded by a low-ranked cultivator, a single layer of its power could cut down an opponent one realm higher.
If the user could unleash its full nine layers, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could contend with a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn. With enough speed, not even a Nascent Soul master could withstand its killing edge.
Swish!
But Yao Ranran's gaze remained calm and serene.
Before Yu Zhenyan could even finish forming her stance, Yao Ranran shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bow.
Winds howled, magma churned, heavenly numbers converged beneath Yu Zhenyan's feet. A pale white glow flashed across her eyes, and illusions of lotus petals drifted in the air.
Yet Yao Ranran was already behind her.
Yu Zhenyan's eyes flew wide. Her hands reflexively went to her neck. Nine fine cuts split open, blood spilling, crimson against falling phantom lotus petals.
She had seen death.
"You…"
Terrified, Yu Zhenyan realized the storage ring on her finger, the protective jade talisman at her chest, and the storage pendant at her waist were all gone.
Yao Ranran held her spatial treasures in hand, blinking playfully. "My fist is bigger than yours. Isn't it only fair I take all your treasures?"
Yu Zhenyan's eyes bulged in horror, her trembling finger pointing at her. "You…"
How had she been stripped of everything in such a short instant? Unless… could it be that Yao Ranran had joined the Thieves' Gate?
===
Handbook Update!
My third guide, "The Webnovel Handbook: A Guide to Slang, Tropes, and Inside Jokes" has passed vetting and is now available on my profile!
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Add it to your library so you don't miss updates! Happy reading! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ