Up on Yaoyue Peak.
Carrying Hua Ziwei and Fang Baiyu, the green peacock flapped its massive wings and slowly descended from the sky.
Before Jiang Runyue could say anything, Fang Baiyu leaped down, hurried to Jiang Runyue’s side, wrapped an arm around her, and cheerfully introduced the two: "Junior Sister Ziwei, this is my little junior sister, Guanghan. Isn't she just like a fairy child walking out of a painting, just as I told you?"
Dressed in a gorgeous purple robe and barefoot, Hua Ziwei floated down from the peacock's back. She quickly hurried over to Jiang Runyue and Fang Baiyu, completely ignoring her own precious disciple.
"Hehe, I used to think Senior Brother Yuchan and Senior Brother Lieque were already matchless in appearance, but I never expected Junior Sister Guanghan to look even more stunning dressed as a man!"
In Hua Ziwei’s slender phoenix eyes flickered a light that could only be described as desire.
She looked Jiang Runyue up and down without the slightest concealment, as if admiring a precious work of art.
Unaccustomed to such a gaze, Jiang Runyue furrowed her brows slightly, though she still maintained a polite smile.
Sensing Jiang Runyue's discomfort, Fang Baiyu gently patted her shoulder to reassure her.
Then, turning to Hua Ziwei, Fang Baiyu said with a smile: "Junior Sister Ziwei, if you keep staring at my little junior sister like that, you're going to scare her."
Coming to her senses, Hua Ziwei offered an apologetic smile: "My apologies, Junior Sister Guanghan. You are simply too breathtaking, I couldn't help myself and looked a bit too long."
Jiang Runyue: "……"
Does this woman have some kind of weird fetish?
Wait, no!
Doesn't that sound an awful lot like me?
At this thought, Jiang Runyue, who had just been feeling somewhat uneasy, instantly relaxed considerably.
Since everyone here was a weirdo, that practically made everyone normal!
"No, wait, I have to keep myself pure for Senior Sister! No matter how pretty other women are, it's a no-go. I am a person of unwavering devotion; how could I ever be seduced by mere beauty?"
Muttering quietly to herself, Jiang Runyue put away the Jingshen Spear and allowed herself to be pulled along by Hua Ziwei and Fang Baiyu toward the main hall not far away.
Poor, transparent Meng Zisu was once again ignored by the trio and had no choice but to make a wry face as she led her master's green peacock away toward the Spirit Beast Enclosure.
Inside Yaoyue Palace.
The three of them walked one after another into a side hall—Fang Baiyu’s temporary residence, while Jiang Runyue’s room was right next door.
Once they were seated, maidservants stepped forward to serve fragrant tea.
"Junior Sister Guanghan doesn't have a sweetheart yet, does she?"
Holding a fine tea cup carved from white jade and taking a small sip, Hua Ziwei asked softly.
Jiang Runyue shook her head, her expression resolute: "From a young age, I have vowed to dedicate myself to the Great Dao. Affairs of the heart are not for me!"
Despite her words, her inner monologue was running along a completely different track: "Senior Sister, oh Senior Sister, I’ve kept my promise to you this whole time. Today I turned down yet another pretty young lady—you'd better reward me properly later on!"
Fang Baiyu: "……"
Hua Ziwei: "……"
Seeing someone put on such a lofty, righteous front, Hua Ziwei was left utterly speechless.
Fang Baiyu rolled her eyes at Jiang Runyue and praised: "Junior Sister has such lofty ambitions! No wonder you managed to form your Primordial Spirit before the age of forty. I’ve lived in vain for over three hundred years and still don't have your steadfastness of Dao Heart!"
With that, Hua Ziwei had no choice but to change the subject: "Does Junior Sister Guanghan have a flying sword? I happen to have a spare one here of rather decent quality. If you happen to need—"
Jiang Runyue hurriedly interrupted: "No need, no need! When I was taken in as a disciple, Master already bestowed an immortal sword upon me. I wouldn't want to trouble Senior Sister Ziwei!"
With that, she even summoned the Yulong Immortal Sword, which darted swiftly around the grand hall like a joyful little fish, radiating a brilliant glow as bright as moonlight.
Hua Ziwei: "……"
Well, well, as expected of the closing-door disciple of an Earth Immortal bigwig; even she didn't possess such a top-tier flying sword.
Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing that the moment their master-disciple relationship was confirmed, True Monarch Ruiying had bestowed an entire set of Dharma Treasures upon her, covering offense, defense, flight, barrier-breaking, and storage.
Later on, at the master-induction ceremony, Jiang Runyue had received gifts from her three martial uncles as well, leaving her with a personal fortune that now surpassed that of most Primordial Spirit Cultivators who had practiced for centuries.
"Haha, Junior Sister, that flying sword of yours looks like an absolute antique. Let me show you my Ziwei Tiandu!"
With a light chuckle, Hua Ziwei parted her lips and spat out a dazzling beam of purple splendor. Growing to about three inches in the wind, it rapidly gave chase to Jiang Runyue’s Yulong Immortal Sword.
Jiang Runyue stared in astonishment. That glowing, brilliant ball of purple light—was that supposed to be a flying sword?
It was clearly a cluster of blooming crape myrtle flowers!
"Senior Sister Ziwei, are you sure this is a flying sword?"
She asked with a mixture of doubt and disbelief: "Whose flying sword gets forged into something that looks like this?"
"Hahahahaha! If I say it's a flying sword, then it's a flying sword. Who dares say it isn't?"
With that, Hua Ziwei abruptly executed a sword incantation, and the Crape Myrtle Blossom Sword began to transform. The branch laden with clusters of crape myrtle suddenly morphed into tens of thousands of tiny flying swords.
Then, these dense swarms of microscopic flying swords rapidly reaggregated, turning into a three-foot-long purple immortal sword with two ancient seal script characters carved onto its hilt.
*Tiandu!*
"How about it, Little Junior Sister? Do you believe me now?"
Hua Ziwei laughed triumphantly. "This flying sword of mine can not only transform into a vibrant branch of crape myrtle flowers, but it can also condense into the incomparably sharp Tiandu Flying Sword."
Jiang Runyue praised admiringly: "Senior Sister Ziwei is truly formidable. This flying sword is certainly full of character!"
Hua Ziwei smiled. "That's just one of its transformations. There are even more wondrous tricks waiting!"
With that, she executed her unique sword incantation once again, causing the Ziwei Tiandu Sword to continuously shift its form in mid-air.
Jiang Runyue watched with her jaw dropped, her admiration for this Ziwei Senior Sister growing deeper by the minute.
"This is the Ziwei Tiandu Sword: scattering into crape myrtle, gathering into Tiandu. What does Junior Sister Guanghan think?"
Jiang Runyue said solemnly: "Such ingenious craftsmanship is far harder to guard against than ordinary flying swords. Senior Sister Ziwei is truly a genius; this junior sister is full of shame by comparison!"
"Junior Sister Guanghan… you… hahaha~"
Fang Baiyu laughed so hard she rocked back and forth. "Such a devious, insidious flying sword could only be designed by a venomous-hearted woman like her. You and I could wrack our brains out and never come up with such a flashy gadget!"
Hua Ziwei gave a faint smile. "That Crimson Blood Empyrean of yours isn't much better than my Ziwei Tiandu. Aren't your mother-and-child swords just as insidious and vicious?"
Jiang Runyue listened from the side, utterly dumbfounded.
Goodness gracious, are these really righteous immortal maidens?
Are these really core disciples of the Daoist Sect's number one teachings?
Turns out every single one of you is a legendary schemer!
At this moment, Jiang Runyue was completely speechless. Hastily recalling her Yulong Immortal Sword, she looked at Fang Baiyu and asked: "Eldest Senior Sister, is Senior Brother Yuchan's flying sword just like yours?"
Hua Ziwei shook her head and said with a warm smile: "Senior Brother Cui is upright, gentle, and refined, with a somewhat rigid personality. Naturally, he wouldn't be as fickle-minded as the two of us!"
"That's right. Senior Brother Yuchan mainly cultivates the Taiyin Spirit Refining method and is well-versed in our sect's ultimate art, the Taiyin Blade Qi. As a result, he hasn't cultivated a flying sword; his usual Dharma Treasure is a precious saber!"
"A saber? Swords are agile and light, while sabers are domineering. A saber doesn't really seem to fit Senior Brother Yuchan's temperament!"
Squinting her almond-shaped eyes, Jiang Runyue muttered to herself: "Could it be that he's hiding a trick up his sleeve as well?"
"Haha, that's not out of the question. After all, they're all old fellows who have lived for several centuries; who doesn't practice a secret ultimate technique in private?"
With a soft chuckle, Hua Ziwei reached out her right hand to catch the Ziwei Tiandu as it reverted to its floral branch form.