Under Yan Zhichuan’s urging, the Heavenly Dao System still spent a billion points of energy to dig into Zhan Yujie’s fated destiny.
“Luofu Immortal City, Jade Dragon Canyon—right, she even obtained a Diamond Flawless Fruit here.” With new and old destinies intersecting, even as the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao’s will, the Heavenly Dao System could only see blurred fate lines.
Knowing full well what kind of person Yan Zhichuan was, the Heavenly Dao System explained without waiting for her to ask: “This is an extremely rare wondrous fruit, born without roots. It can elevate a cultivator’s aptitude, but as it’s named ‘Flawless,’ it naturally alters the cultivator’s temperament as well.”
“Wash my senior sister’s soul clean?” Yan Zhichuan was astonished. “Then she really shouldn’t have fallen to the demonic path, right?”
Heavenly Dao System: “No, ‘flawless’ means pure—either purely Buddha or purely demon.”
Yan Zhichuan sighed in admiration: “…What an extreme fruit.”
Too caught up chatting with the Heavenly Dao System, Yan Zhichuan didn’t notice Zhan Yujie had stopped. She bumped her head straight into Zhan Yujie’s back, sending the other woman staggering forward.
Yan Zhichuan froze, then quickly lowered her head in apology, repeatedly saying sorry to Zhan Yujie.
Zhan Yujie endured the pain with a smile: “It’s fine.”
Yan Zhichuan breathed a sigh of relief.
But doesn’t Senior Sister have any fault here? Who told her to stop so suddenly? she muttered inwardly.
Heavenly Dao System sneered with disdain: “If you’ve got the guts, say it to her face.”
Yan Zhichuan faced her own cowardice head-on and grinned sheepishly: “I don’t have the guts.”
In the time it took to chatter a few sentences, Zhan Yujie and Yan Zhichuan reached the depths of the cavern.
Treasure pearls glowed with halos, and fireflies swarmed the cave like countless points of eerie green starlight twinkling.
Yan Zhichuan poked out from behind Zhan Yujie, looked up at the cavern ceiling that let in not a sliver of daylight, then glanced at Zhu Feng slumped crookedly against the cave wall. She exclaimed from the bottom of her heart: “Fellow Daoist, did you cultivate Lion’s Roar?” How could she hear that? Did they install some amplifying artifact outside?
Zhu Feng had been inwardly delighted at Zhan Yujie’s arrival and was forcing down her disgust to put on an alluring pose, gazing with amorous affection. She hadn’t noticed anyone behind Zhan Yujie. When Yan Zhichuan popped out, she jolted in fright. After hearing what Yan Zhichuan said clearly, she completely broke character, her face turning an even ghastlier green in the firefly glow.
Zhan Yujie eyed Zhu Feng and raised a brow: “And you are, Fellow Daoist?”
Yan Zhichuan blurted out: “I know her. She’s from Miracle Hand Sect.”
Zhu Feng’s heart clenched.
What the hell is going on here?
Why isn’t Zhan Yujie alone? Who’s this person with her? And how does she know I’m from Miracle Hand Sect?
“Does Junior Sister know her?” Zhan Yujie turned to ask Yan Zhichuan.
Yan Zhichuan lied through her teeth with wide eyes: “I figured it out with a pinch of my fingers.”
Zhan Yujie didn’t buy it.
She guessed Yan Zhichuan must have heard about it while gossiping with fellow disciples from Medicine Peak.
Yan Zhichuan had a talent for medicine and got along with the sisters from Medicine Peak. And Medicine Peak viewed Miracle Hand Sect as a rival, so they weren’t unfamiliar with its healers.
“Why are you here, Fellow Daoist?” Zhan Yujie asked.
“I sensed the Yuan Qi here was dense and knew a Blessed Land had formed, so I came to investigate. Who would’ve thought this Blessed Land suppresses spells? Looks like the treasures inside aren’t meant for me.” Zhu Feng shook her head with a wry smile, her words half-true, half-false. She tilted her head back, her lashes fluttering lightly. “You arrived just in time, Fellow Daoist. There’s a Diamond Flawless Fruit in this cavern. I’m willing to guide you to it.”
While Zhan Yujie spoke with Zhu Feng, Yan Zhichuan was muttering inwardly, asking the Heavenly Dao System what to do.
Liu Yanqing hadn’t shown up, so they couldn’t catch her in the act. If she claimed this woman was involved with Liu Yanqing, would Zhan Yujie even believe her?
“Xiao Tian, these people stop Senior Sister from staying pure. And after eating the Flawless Fruit, she’ll swing to one extreme or the other. If I eat the Diamond Flawless Fruit instead, won’t that stop Senior Sister from falling to demonhood?” Yan Zhichuan’s eyes lit up, convinced she’d come up with a brilliant idea.
She hadn’t even seen the Diamond Flawless Fruit yet, but she was already hungry for it.
What does that mean? It means the Diamond Flawless Fruit was made for me!
The heavens are too generous.
Heavenly Dao System: “?”
Yan Zhichuan happily made up her mind, then looked up and saw Zhan Yujie stepping toward Zhu Feng.
Her heart chilled, her expression changing drastically. Without thinking, she lunged at Zhan Yujie and yanked her back with force.
Zhan Yujie stumbled.
Yan Zhichuan stared incredulously at her own hands.
Did I just… become super strong?
As the daughter of the Heavenly Dao, I’m truly invincible.
“Junior Sister Yan, what are you doing?” Zhan Yujie smoothed the wrinkles on her clothes and asked patiently.
“I have questions for her.” Yan Zhichuan put on a serious face. She turned to Zhu Feng, mimicking Zhan Yujie’s icy demeanor. “Fellow Daoist Zhu, aren’t you a healer from Miracle Hand Sect? Can’t you treat yourself if you can’t stand?”
Zhu Feng was utterly shocked.
She hasn’t even asked my name—how does she know my surname is Zhu?
Feeling extremely guilty under Yan Zhichuan’s scrutinizing gaze, sweat beaded in her palms.
Lowering her head to avoid Yan Zhichuan’s eyes, she said: “A doctor doesn’t treat themselves.”
Yan Zhichuan sneered: “You’re lying.”
That’s just to fool laypeople. For cultivators, it makes no sense. A doctor doesn’t treat themselves? We’re all cultivators—the first thing you learn is ‘inner sight.’ How could she not know her own injuries? Healer characters in stories always carry all sorts of pill bottles when out and about, and they don’t stuff everything into a Qiankun Pouch. It’s not some terminal illness—how could Zhu Feng possibly be unable to heal herself?
“My pills ran out earlier and I haven’t restocked. With spell suppression here, I can’t use pill formulas or refine them on the spot.” Zhu Feng’s face paled as she scrambled for excuses. As she spoke, she realized it was just a minor sprain needing a hand to get up—not life-threatening. But the words were out; she could only grit her teeth and keep bullshitting.
Yan Zhichuan drawled: “Oh, you’re really unlucky then.”
“Yes.” Zhu Feng looked pitiable, on the verge of tears.
Yan Zhichuan suddenly asked: “Aren’t you curious about where Senior Sister and I are from? You invite us to get the treasure—aren’t you afraid we’re bad people? You didn’t set up any traps over there, did you?”
Like, people suddenly popping out of the walls?
At that moment, Yan Zhichuan was like a vigilant little deer.
Zhu Feng itched to beat the chatty Yan Zhichuan to death.
She opened her mouth, gritted her teeth: “Who in the world doesn’t know the name of Nine Abyss’s Zhan Yujie?”
“And me?” Yan Zhichuan looked at Zhu Feng expectantly.
Zhu Feng: “…”
Who the hell are you?
Yan Zhichuan pouted. One day, I’ll make the whole world drop their jaws.
She kept chattering: “There are two people here, but you’re only focused on my senior sister—oh, I get it now!”
Zhan Yujie rubbed her brow, desperately wishing Yan Zhichuan would shut up.
“Junior Sister Yan.”
Yan Zhichuan turned: “Senior Sister, don’t interrupt me. That’s rude.”
A vein throbbed on Zhan Yujie’s forehead. She jabbed her sword into the ground—thud thud—the sound echoing.
Damn this Yan Zhichuan. Who’s the rude one here?
Zhu Feng was also getting agitated. Thinking of Liu Yanqing hiding in the shadows, she suppressed her boiling rage and forced out a melodious, warbling voice: “Fellow Daoist, don’t misunderstand. I—”
Yan Zhichuan cut her off, delivering her verdict: “No need to explain. You’re clearly up to no good with my senior sister! Give it up—she has someone in her heart. Being the third wheel isn’t good, and you two have no future.”
Pfft! Zhu Feng spat blood from sheer fury.
Zhan Yujie watched the still-relishing Yan Zhichuan with a blank expression.
The hard stone she’d jabbed cracked into five pieces under her sword sheath.
She was wrong.
Wu Jiang’s evaluation was spot on.
This junior sister of hers was truly insane!
“Sorry, Fellow Daoist Zhu. My junior sister has something wrong with her brain.” Zhan Yujie played the gossip for once, staring at Zhu Feng as she apologized.
“I’m not Zhu Feng.” Zhu Feng babbled deliriously, still struggling.
Zhan Yujie must be doing this on purpose! No wonder—with Liu Yanqing’s meager cultivation, how could she outplay Zhan Yujie? I shouldn’t have listened to that idiot’s bad idea and set up this lame trap.
Liu Yanqing’s cultivation lags behind her peers for a reason—her brain isn’t all there. I must’ve been possessed to believe her nonsense.
For the moment, Yan Zhichuan forgot to grill Zhu Feng. She stared at Zhan Yujie in shock, her eyes slowly filling with grievance and accusation.
Who am I doing all this for?!
