“You betrayed Sir back then too. Even if Sir returns and spares you, Lu Xuan won’t. We need to cooperate!”
Tianye mused, “Very well. The Bronze Ancient Palace is about to emerge, and this Star Sea will shatter its endless tranquility.”
Liu Ruyan’s lips curved subtly. “This era… it belongs to me.”
Tianye chuckled softly. “No, it belongs to me.”
Liu Ruyan continued, “Next, I’ll be striving for the Ancient Ancestor Realm. I’ll be taking the Dragon Vein’s power from here. You don’t mind, do you?”
Tianye’s smile turned predatory. “Take the Dragon Vein? You, a mere avatar of Ancient Ancestor Mei? With your current strength, crushing you would be child’s play.”
Tianye’s eyes glinted with a dangerous light. After countless eons immersed in cultivation, he hadn’t touched a woman in ages. And before him stood Ancient Ancestor Mei, an Innate Ancient Ancestor from the primordial era, reborn in this age as the captivating Liu Ruyan. Truth be told, when he first arrived at this encampment, his mind had been set on a simple plan: defile and kill Liu Ruyan, then defile and kill her again. After all, she was a ‘bitch’ in his eyes. But upon his arrival, he discovered Liu Ruyan was far from simple. She was Ancient Ancestor Mei.
At that moment, Liu Ruyan met Tianye’s gaze. “What do you want?”
“You know perfectly well,” Tianye replied, his eyes raking over Liu Ruyan’s body, his gaze utterly undisguised. It was, undeniably, a flawless form.
The next instant, Liu Ruyan sighed silently. “Men are all the same, aren’t they?”
Tianye glanced at Yun Zeng, who stood nearby. “You, out.”
Yun Zeng stumbled out, standing just outside the room, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek.
Shhh. Inside the room, a shimmering light bloomed around Liu Ruyan, and her long gown slowly slipped away. First, her pale, elegant neck, then the rising swell of her breasts, followed by her smooth, flat abdomen, and finally, her slender, jade-like legs...
Tianye licked his lips. “A night with Ancient Ancestor Mei, in exchange for a Dragon Vein. Mei, you’re getting the better deal.”
He pulled Liu Ruyan into his arms, carrying her to the bed, and lowered his head.
A soft moan escaped Liu Ruyan’s throat. “You’re mistaken. I am not Mei. I am Liu Ruyan.”
Mei belonged to Sir. Liu Ruyan could belong to the world. This was her only choice.
...
The next day, Liu Ruyan’s thoughts stirred, and she pushed Tianye away, a long gown materializing around her. Her Primordial Yin Body remained intact.
Crack! The illusion shattered abruptly.
Tianye scowled, clearly displeased. “So, I traded a Dragon Vein for a night with a phantom.”
Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and scoffed. “You should count yourself lucky. That was your only chance. From this moment on, Liu Ruyan will cease to exist.”
Tianye’s thoughts shifted, and a dragon robe clad his body. He said blandly, “That Dragon Vein should help you reach the Nine-star Myriad Phase Realm. Coupled with the Ancient Ancestor power within you, returning to the Ancient Ancestor Realm won’t be an issue. Who would have thought that the Dragon Vein Yun Zeng discovered, cultivated for years with Ju Shou’s help, would ultimately become your stepping stone?”
Liu Ruyan replied indifferently, “Destiny, it seems, has its own course.”
Creak. Soon after, the door opened. Tianye looked at Yun Zeng, then back at Liu Ruyan. “Yun Zeng, I’m taking him. For Yun Zeng to fall to Ancient Ancestor Mei wasn’t foolish, but for him to continue following you is.”
Liu Ruyan did not object.
Boom! Tianye ascended into the sky with Yun Zeng, hovering above the multitude of powerful cultivators below. “From this moment on, this territory belongs to Liu Ruyan. You will follow Liu Ruyan! The marriage between Yun Zeng and Liu Ruyan is hereby annulled!”
A stunned silence fell over the crowd, though a flicker of understanding passed through their eyes. After all, Tianye and Liu Ruyan had spent the night together in that room. What transpired was likely... intimate. They dared not speculate openly. But now, Shenwu Emperor Tianye had publicly legitimized Liu Ruyan, no longer asserting her as his subordinate. From this day forward, Liu Ruyan was no longer the “maiden” who could be bought for a night with a few precious treasures!
Tianye swept his sleeve, and a terrifying, peerless power surged into the Dragon Vein, manifesting as a river of divine light that spanned the starry sky, enveloping the entire Dragon Vein. Ancient Ancestor-level seals flickered within it. Tianye flicked his finger, and a key, imbued with the Dragon Vein’s essence, floated before Liu Ruyan. She accepted the key. Without another word, Tianye departed, traversing the starry sky with Yun Zeng.
Watching Tianye and Yun Zeng disappear into the distance, Liu Ruyan murmured, “Sir, everything I do is to await your return.”
Moments later, Liu Ruyan returned to the room, casually setting up endless seals and restrictions before activating the key.
Boom! Terrifying power from the Dragon Vein tore through the void, transforming into a coiling dragon that surged into Liu Ruyan’s body. Her aura swelled relentlessly! Simultaneously, the Ancient Ancestor seals within her began to unravel!
...
In the Tai Chu Realm, Grand Dao Sect, Lu Xuan continued his leisurely days.
Chen Changsheng hadn’t left; he remained on Azure Mystery Peak, diligently refining the Bronze Ancient Palace. Xiao Yin and Xiao Mo were also cultivating. For the past few days, Xiao Yin had been handling the cooking.
From the thatched hut, smoke curled lazily upwards. Xiao Yin emerged, carrying steaming dishes, and called out softly, “Lu Xuan, dinner’s ready!”
Lu Xuan stepped out and, along with Chen Changsheng and the two girls, gathered around the stone table to eat.
Xiao Yin asked, “Chen Changsheng, have you found out anything about my sister’s recent movements?”
Chen Changsheng replied, “She’s made all the preparations. She’s just waiting for the right moment to open the Fox Fortune Holy Land.”
Xiao Yin tugged on Lu Xuan’s sleeve. “Lu Xuan, you have to help my sister!”
Lu Xuan merely responded with a non-committal, “Oh.”
Xiao Yin’s face flushed. “I… I can do anything for you, even if it means…” She trailed off, her words unspoken.
Xiao Mo’s cheeks also turned crimson. “I… I can too…”
Lu Xuan’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Oh? Is that so?”
...
Beyond the Second Star Ring, on a hidden star, numerous Supreme Fox Clan powerhouses had gathered. Ah Li, clad in a flowing pink gown, exuded an alluring aura. Over this period, with the combined power infused by her clan’s elders, she had already stepped into the One-star Myriad Phase Realm. In her true form, she had condensed six tails! Moreover, her bloodline power had fully awakened, reaching an ancestral state.
Before Ah Li, an ancient jade tablet floated. She gazed towards the darkest reaches of the starry sky and murmured, “Elders, it is time to activate our clan’s key and open our Fox Fortune Holy Land.”
Just then, a woman’s voice resonated within everyone’s minds. “Open it. I will guard your rear.”
Hearing that voice, everyone froze. It was the voice of their Ancient Ancestor Tamamo-no-Mae! Thump! Thump! All the cultivators immediately dropped to their knees, their bodies trembling. “Ancient Ancestor, you… you’re still alive…”
Tamamo-no-Mae’s voice echoed again. “I still have the strength to fight.”
As her voice faded, Ah Li’s eyes blazed with determination. Her jade-like hands wove through a series of spirit seals, directly activating a supreme secret art. Before her, the ancient jade tablet began to emit an endless divine radiance. “Open the Fox Fortune Holy Land now!”
...