"Hiss!"
Zhou Shengqian was so shocked that he yanked out a short beard.
"Ye Nantian? The young master of the Ye family, one of the three great clans of the Central Domain? My child, you aren't playing tricks on your father, are you?"
He held his breath. But when Zhou Lili silently nodded, his steps faltered. A Golden Core Zhēnrén nearly stumbled to the ground.
Fortunately, Zhou Lili knew her father too well and quickly reached out to steady him.
Xiao Rong's eyes flashed with confusion. "Sect master Zhou, what's the matter with you?"
Yao Ranran's gaze shifted toward the Zhou father and daughter. "Sect master Zhou must have realized that a great battle is about to break out. No wonder he was so shocked."
"Boss, are you saying we'll have to join the chaos outside too?"
Xiao Rong did not understand the significance of the Ye family from the Central Domain. He only assumed Yao Ranran was talking about the turmoil in the Eastern Wilderness.
As his words fell, the room went quiet.
Yao Ranran quietly looked down at the scene outside the great array and nodded slightly. "Gu Ling Mountain is the most suitable place for my cultivation. This territory absolutely cannot be given away."
Xiao Rong's eyes lit up. "Boss, why don't we take this chance to make ourselves the rulers of the Eastern Wilderness!"
Ever since he had heard Jiang Shengxiang mention the Wuxiang Sect, Xiao Rong learned how exalted its position in the Central Domain was, standing above all else. From that moment, a seed of ambition had been planted in his heart.
He too wanted Gu Ling Mountain to become the mightiest place in the Eastern Wilderness.
Yao Ranran looked at Xiao Rong. His tiny fists were clenched, and in those clear yet foolish eyes burned a fierce seriousness.
"…"
She chose to remain silent.
"Rong-yé's idea isn't bad," Nie Rong suddenly spoke, "but the chaos in the Eastern Wilderness isn't as simple as it looks."
Everyone turned to him curiously.
"What are you trying to say this time, Nie the swindler?" Xiao Rong frowned deeply.
Nie Rong could only shake his head helplessly. "The rebellion of the Piao Miao Sect was premeditated. I suspect that aside from the tempting offers from the Demon Sect, there are other powerful forces pushing from behind the scenes."
Yao Ranran was startled.
She had never considered such a possibility. Perhaps she should ask Lu Ziqian about it tonight.
Xiao Rong glared at Nie Rong suspiciously. "Rong-yé doesn't believe a word you say!"
"Xiao Rong, there's one thing I forgot to tell you," Tang Xiangyin spoke gently. "Nie Rong truly is an elder of the Wuxiang Sect. He only dropped from the Nascent Soul stage to Golden Core because of an injury."
Xiao Rong's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide. "He's not a fraud?"
Tang Xiangyin and Zhou Lili nodded in unison.
Zhou Shengqian's breathing grew ragged. "Li Li, take your father back quickly. Too many shocking things at once—I can't hold on!"
Xiao Rong did not care about Wuxiang Sect's elder identity, but Zhou Shengqian, as a small sect master, understood it all too well. His chest heaved violently, so Zhou Lili hurriedly took him away.
"Ah, father, there are still so many things I haven't had the chance to tell you…"
Watching the Zhou father and daughter leave, Yao Ranran turned her smiling eyes toward Tang Xiangyin.
"Xiang Yin, you seem to be doing quite well on Gu Ling Mountain these days."
A sudden chill ran down Tang Xiangyin's spine. "Why did Fairy Yao's smile look so strange?"
"It's… fine, I suppose…"
She stepped back nervously, but it was too late. The Nine Lotus Ring appeared, looping around Tang Xiangyin and the watching phoenix, dragging both of them into the room.
"As for the great battle, that can wait. Let me first deal with what's right in front of me."
Standing at the doorway, Yao Ranran pulled the door shut with a bright smile.
Nie Rong and the others were left stunned, staring blankly as she closed the door.
"Why did the Fairy take them away? What is she planning?" Meng Xiangxiang muttered.
Nie Rong shook his head. If she had only grabbed the fat chicken, he could have understood. But why take Tang Xiangyin too? That, he could not fathom.
Xiao Rong gazed at the closed door, a faint sense creeping over him that Tang Xiangyin was not as ordinary as she seemed.
The sun dipped westward, the dusk tinged with intoxicated light.
On the mist-wreathed Gu Ling Mountain, a violet dragon soared into the sky. Violet qi stretched endlessly, spiritual energy flooding across the peaks.
Tang Xiangyin's cheeks were flushed red. Clutching her collar, she rushed out of Yao Ranran's room.
The door swung open again, and a weakened fat chicken staggered, smacking into the doorframe before tumbling out.
Outside the temple, Nie Rong and the others sipped their tea, staring in stunned silence at the scene.
"Miss Tang, what… what happened to you?"
Nie Rong's expression was peculiar. Could it be that his master liked women?
Xiao Rong frowned and jumped off the stone bench, scooping up the phoenix. "Boss, is Xiao Tang really a ghost cultivator?"
He might be simple, but he wasn't stupid.
Even the bathwater Tang Xiangyin used carried unique effects. That wasn't something a ghost cultivator could do.
Yao Ranran's brows arched slightly in surprise. "Xiao Rong, have you been having headaches lately?"
Xiao Rong nodded honestly, wide-eyed. "Boss, how did you know?"
Yao Ranran gave him a knowing look, rubbed his head, and said, "Because headaches are a sign of growing a brain. Xiao Rong, you're growing up."
"…" Xiao Rong paused. Something about that didn't sound quite right. Was she… complimenting him?
Nie Rong and Meng Xiangxiang perked up their ears. If Tang Xiangyin wasn't a ghost cultivator, then what was she?
Yao Ranran's gaze brushed over the two of them. She had no intention of revealing Tang Xiangyin's true identity here.
"Xiao Rong, come with me. Let's take the supreme spiritual vein to Lone Star Peak. Gu Ling Mountain is not the right place for it."
Xiao Rong looked at the violet dragon and grinned. "Alright!"
Together, they left the temple with the dragon.
Nie Rong and Meng Xiangxiang obediently retracted their eavesdropping ears.
What a pity. They still hadn't learned what was special about Miss Tang.
They both sighed at the same time, glancing at each other in surprise.
Because of Gu Ling Mountain's restrictive mist, flying was forbidden. The violet dragon could soar within the mountain but would not leave its bounds.
With Xiao Rong's help, the massive dragon was guided to Lone Star Peak.
"Little dragon, from today, this is your home."
Yao Ranran gently patted its body. A resonant dragon's roar split the heavens. The violet dragon leaned affectionately against her before diving straight into the earth's meridians.
"Wow! Supreme spiritual veins are so amazing. Boss, can I ride it to the sky someday?"
Xiao Rong's eyes sparkled with childlike anticipation.
Yao Ranran chuckled and nodded. "As long as you don't bully it or force it to call you Rong-yé, you can ride the dragon into the skies."
"Wow! Boss, you're incredible! This dragon is so mighty. I'll never bully it!"
Xiao Rong leapt with joy, as happy and innocent as a mortal child.
Yao Ranran's lips curved faintly. Yet as she looked at his cultivation, doubt surfaced again. This child's talent was about the same as Zhou Lili's, and his practice was even lazier. So why had he already formed his Golden Core? Wasn't it too fast?
While Xiao Rong celebrated, she quietly pulled out the Ancient Appraisal Mirror and aimed it at him again.
Target: Banyan Spirit
Aptitude: Unknown
Cultivation: Early Golden Core
Abilities: Green Stem Bind, Power of Nature, Piercing Sword.
Evaluation: Perhaps some treasure has turned this waste into an even greater waste… Just kidding. It might have awakened the power of an ancient bloodline.