It turns out, they are the protagonists 192

There are now two characters named Ye Qian: Ye Lingxuan’s sister (叶芊- yèqiān) and “the master’s adopted son” (叶乾 YèQián).

Although they share the “similar” name for english readers, they are pronounced differently in Chinese. To distinguish between them, I will rename the new character (叶乾 YèQián) to Ye Cian.

Chapter 192: Mu Zhi’an, the Chaos Body!

After leaving the Celestial Immortal Hall, Mu Zhi’an was about to ask someone for directions to the Rebirth Pool when a sweet voice called out to him.

“Brother Mu!” When no one else was around, the Holy Maiden of the Forbidden Zone had no problem calling him “Brother.”

However, if Ye Qian or others were present, she reverted to a more formal address.

He turned to see Ye Lingxuan approaching, her beauty radiant in her youthfulness.

“Lingxuan, what are you doing here?” he asked, glancing at the Celestial Immortal Hall.

She had just emerged from there… had she spoken with her father?

“I was visiting my mother. It’s been a while,” she replied with a smile.

Seemingly not wanting to dwell on that topic, she changed the subject. “So what did Father say? Did he agree?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

She didn’t want him to know that she had spoken with her father beforehand.

It wasn’t about selfless sacrifice or anything like that. She was simply worried about his pride.

“Yes, he agreed,” he replied, smiling at her.

He took her hand in his. “He agreed to our marriage, Lingxuan. You’re mine now.”

“He never said that!” she protested, glaring at him playfully.

He hadn’t even mentioned marriage to her father.

“How do you know he didn’t?” he retorted.

She was speechless, unsure how to respond.

“He really did say it,” he insisted, his voice serious.

“You’re lying,” she pouted. “You wouldn’t dare ask Father for my hand in marriage.”

“Of course not. What if he beat me up?” he chuckled.

He studied her delicate features, admiring her profile, her small, upturned nose, her rosy lips, and the curve of her bosom beneath her dress.

“He wouldn’t hurt you. He has no reason to,” she said.

“I stole his precious daughter and asked for her hand in marriage. Of course, he would beat me up!”

He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, do you know where the Rebirth Pool is?”

“Of course. I’ll take you,” she replied with a smile.

“Sister Wei is probably there as well.”

She was about to lead him out of the hall when he stopped, pulling her into his arms.

Before she could react, he wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice a soft whisper in her ear. “Thank you, Lingxuan. It must have been difficult convincing your father.”

She looked up, about to ask what he meant, but his gentle gaze and his words melted her heart, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of shyness and affection.

“You knew…?” she whispered.

No matter how hard she tried to maintain her composure, in his arms, she was like a helpless rabbit, her heart filled with a mixture of panic and sweetness.

“I know everything you’ve done for me, Lingxuan,” he said, his voice sincere.

Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she averted her gaze, unable to withstand his intense stare.

The sharks outside the pond are getting more aggressive. It’s nice to be the “fish” sometimes… He thought, admiring her flushed cheeks.

The guards by the door stared at them, their hands twitching as they fought the urge to attack.

This was infuriating.

Not only had he stolen their young mistress, but he was also shamelessly flirting with her in front of them… if not for the inappropriate setting, they would have challenged him to a duel.

“Let’s go to the Rebirth Pool,” he said softly.

She nodded, her voice barely a whisper.

Boom!

A deafening roar echoed from the north, and they turned to look.

“Is someone else undergoing the Rebirth Pool’s trial?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Is that where the Rebirth Pool is?” he asked, summoning his black sword. “Let’s go check it out.”

She nodded, pointing towards a path.

All the young disciples of the Forbidden Zone should have already undergone the trial and received their benefits… why was someone else undergoing it now?

…

Within the Forbidden Zone, almost every talented disciple had consumed Rebirth Water.

However, it wasn’t gifted by the elders. They had to obtain it themselves by passing the Rebirth Pool’s trial.

And the trial tested one’s physique.

Those who received the pool’s “approval” received more Rebirth Water, and the benefits they gained were also greater.

Zhou Cang, after consuming the Rebirth Water, had gained a “Fifth-Rank” physique enhancement, tripling his spiritual energy absorption rate.

Zhou Hao also possessed a Fifth-Rank physique, and Ye Lingxuan, after passing the trial, had achieved the maximum “Tenth-Rank.”

As a result, she was the first to receive the pool’s full approval, allowing her to bathe in it daily, cultivating a “Sacred Heavenly Body” that surpassed even previous Holy Maidens.

The disciples of the Forbidden Zone all possessed strong physiques, but only she had achieved the “Tenth-Rank.”

There were two others with “Eighth-Rank” physiques: Ye Qing, the girl in the blue dress, and Ye Cian, the master’s adopted son.

He followed Lingxuan’s directions, flying through an ancient forest shrouded in mist, and arrived at a lush, green mountain.

At the foot of the mountain was a pool, a faint fragrance emanating from its waters.

Dozens of disciples, clad in luxurious attire, were gathered around the pool.

He and Lingxuan exchanged glances, then dismounted from his sword, approaching the crowd.

A wave of gasps and exclamations erupted.

“What kind of physique does this Wei Mengrou possess? This is incredible!”

“It’s a shame she doesn’t have the bloodline of the Forbidden Zone. She might have been the second to receive the Rebirth Pool’s full inheritance and maximize her potential,” another disciple remarked, his voice filled with regret.

The first to receive the pool’s full inheritance was, of course, Ye Lingxuan.

Wei Mengrou possessed an extraordinary physique, but without the bloodline of the Forbidden Zone, the pool couldn’t fully activate its potential. It was a shame.

The Rebirth Pool wasn’t exclusive to the Forbidden Zone’s disciples. Outsiders could also consume the Rebirth Water, but only those with the bloodline could fully utilize its power.

He pushed through the crowd and saw Wei Mengrou, her yellow dress shimmering with a golden light, standing at the center of the pool, her expression a mixture of confusion and discomfort.

She wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

Ye Qing, who had been walking with her, had suggested trying the Rebirth Pool’s trial, and she hadn’t refused.

After casually undergoing the trial, the pool’s water had surged around her, and the disciples had erupted in exclamations… she still didn’t understand what had happened.

However, she could sense that her physique had become much stronger.

She noticed a familiar gaze and turned to see Mu Zhi’an.

Their eyes met, and she flew towards him.

Her actions drew the attention of the disciples, and they turned to stare at them.

“Young Mistress, why are you here?” a disciple asked, surprised.

“Heh, it’s obvious, isn’t it? She brought Mu Zhi’an here.”

Their gazes shifted to Mu Zhi’an.

They were naturally curious about their young mistress’s Dao Companion.

“Daoist Mu, why don’t you try the Rebirth Pool’s trial? Let us see your physique,” a disciple suggested.

“Yes, I trust the young mistress’s judgment, but I’d like to see it for myself. Besides, the pool can enhance one’s physique significantly.”

“What do you say, Daoist Mu?”

They urged him to participate.

The disciples of the Forbidden Zone weren’t inherently malicious, and neither were the elders. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed Wei Mengrou to undergo the trial.

Without the elders’ approval, the disciples couldn’t even approach the pool.

Two elders stood nearby, observing the scene.

One was a beautiful woman, perhaps in her thirties, her figure still alluring, her lips full and inviting.

The other was an elderly man, his gaze cloudy and unfocused, his presence subtle.

Neither of them spoke.

They, like the disciples, were curious about Mu Zhi’an, especially after Ling Long’s intervention.

They wanted to see what qualities he possessed that had earned her favor.

He glanced at them, then at Ye Lingxuan.

“Brother Mu, if you don’t want to do this, we can come back later when no one’s around…” she transmitted her voice, her eyes filled with concern.

She didn’t want him to feel pressured.

“It’s fine,” he replied with a smile. “Since we’re here, I might as well impress them. Otherwise, they’ll think you have bad taste.”

Since they were so eager to see his physique, he would show them.

And he was curious about the trial himself.

He reassured her, then glanced at Wei Mengrou, transmitting his voice. “ You came to me this time in broad daylight and got me into a lot of trouble. Mengrou. You owe me a… stocking show… as compensation.”

She rolled her eyes, ignoring him.

He had been destined to be discovered the moment he entered the Forbidden Zone.

She had simply accelerated the process.

However, she still hadn’t tried on the stockings he had given her.

What did stockings made of Nirvana Silk feel like…?

As she pondered this question, he flew towards the center of the Rebirth Pool on his black sword.

All eyes were on him.

What kind of physique did this man who had stolen their Holy Maiden’s heart possess? They were filled with anticipation.

He was also curious.

With his numerous physique enhancements, what judgment would the Rebirth Pool offer?

As he reached the center of the pool, a wisp of white smoke emerged, swirling around him.

He closed his eyes, channeling his spiritual energy into the smoke.

Silence.

The Rebirth Pool seemed to be… pondering.

The disciples watched patiently, but after a while, they began to fidget.

Could it be that he has no special physique?

As the thought crossed their minds, the usually calm pool suddenly trembled!