Upon hearing Shui Lianyue's words, the already quiet atmosphere became even more bizarrely still, as if the entire world had been pressed on the pause button.
Ye Xiangli's expression was frozen in a daze, but as she looked at Shui Lianyue before her, her panicked heart completely settled, and her pulse quickened slightly.
At this moment, the three brothers of the Ye Family were filled with profound regret. Looking at the stunned Ye Xiangli, their eyes were consumed with envy and jealousy.
Especially Ye Fengxu, whose hatred and envy threatened to swallow him whole.
Ye Xiangli had become a disciple of Yinxian Gate, and furthermore, the junior sister of the Innately Sacred Being Shui Lianyue. These two pieces of news had utterly pulverized everyone's composure.
Compared to the shock of the others, the Elders of Qianshan had collapsed completely.
As Foundation Establishment cultivators, their bodies should have been free of impurities, yet they could feel a warm dampness—the true nature of which only they themselves knew.
To speak of the gap between them and Yinxian Gate was like comparing the tiniest speck of dust to a towering, heaven-reaching tree.
Seeing that Ye Xiangli's brain was temporarily overloaded, Shui Lianyue gave her a moment to reboot and turned her gaze toward the Elders of Qianshan.
The Elders of Qianshan wanted to beg for mercy, but they found they could not even speak. Shui Lianyue merely glanced at them, and that single look made the two elders tremble like chaff in the wind. Shui Lianyue frowned slightly.
In the original novel, the original owner had slaughtered them both, but she would not do that.
A long sword appeared in her palm, and with a single stroke, she executed Qianjing. This made Qiandan even more terrified; accustomed to lording over others, they were all the more terrified of death befalling them.
Without striking again, she withdrew her sword and looked toward the three brothers of the Ye Family.
"I am taking Ye Xiangli with me. From this day forward, she has no further relation to the Ye Family. Do you agree?"
Her final gaze was fixed on Ye Xiangli, who gently nodded. That household no longer held anything worth lingering for.
"Very well, come with me."
Shui Lianyue took Ye Xiangli away. She intended to change Ye Xiangli into a new set of clothes before preparing to return to Yinxian Gate. As for Qiandan and the Ye Family, she would let them tear at each other like dogs.
After Shui Lianyue left with Ye Xiangli, everyone present finally let out a breath. The sense of oppression Shui Lianyue had given them was simply too overwhelming.
The three brothers of the Ye Family panicked and fled toward the Ye Family estate, while the onlookers shook their heads as they watched their departing backs.
What a pity. The Ye Family had completely missed their chance to latch onto Yinxian Gate as a patron. Among the onlookers, some felt regret while others gloated; had the Ye Family not pushed matters to such absolute extremes, there might have still been room for redemption, but now all hope was truly gone.
As for the Elders of Qianshan, one could only say their luck was terrible. Who could have foreseen that Ye Xiangli would suddenly transform into the junior sister of Shui Lianyue? Qianjing had no choice but to die in grievance.
Though he could not afford to provoke Shui Lianyue, Qiandan was still capable of venting his fury on the Ye Family.
Shui Lianyue's parting words were naturally meant to inform him that the Ye Family was no longer connected to Ye Xiangli; no matter what happened to the Ye Family, she would not intervene.
As for why she left him alive, she must have intended for Ye Xiangli to slay him with her own hands. Qiandan was at least smart enough to figure that much out. In any case, living one more day was a day gained.
Besides, Ye Xiangli possessed a ruined physique; even if she managed to cultivate, it would be a wonder if she could break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment within a century.
Meanwhile, Shui Lianyue held Ye Xiangli by the hand. At this moment, Ye Xiangli felt as though she were living in a dream; everything that had happened felt completely surreal. She had actually become a disciple of Yinxian Gate.
Looking at the hand she and Shui Lianyue shared, her heart pounded violently, feeling as though it might leap out of her chest.
She was the junior sister of the Innately Sacred Being Shui Lianyue. Thinking of the words Shui Lianyue had just spoken to her and recalling all her past hardships, a wave of bitter sorrow welled up in her heart."Let me take you to change your clothes first, and then I'll take you back to Yinxian Gate to see Master. He said he met Junior Sister three years ago—do you still remember that?"
Luochen claimed he had conversed with Ye Xiangli three years ago. Shui Lianyue felt this might not be entirely reliable, but she asked about it anyway, knowing that appropriate conversation could help foster a bond between senior and junior sisters.
"Three years ago?"
Ye Xiangli calmed her mind and began searching her memory for events from three years ago. It was a fair while back, and her recollection of it was actually rather hazy.
"Yes, an elderly man. He should have had a large ox with him."
Hearing mention of an old man and an ox, Ye Xiangli remembered. It seemed there *had* been an old man who stared at her on the street for a long time back then, nodding and shaking his head while muttering things she couldn't understand.
Ye Xiangli had been quite frightened at the time, so she hurried back to the Ye Family. As she was leaving, she seemed to hear the old man say he would come in three years to take her as his apprentice.After recounting what had happened at the time to Shui Lianyue, and upon hearing Ye Xiangli's description, Shui Lianyue was certain that person was none other than her master, Luochen.
"Um... Senior Sister, I am born with a defective constitution. Why would Master take me as a disciple?"
The young girl looked up, her curious eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge, yet her gaze also harbored a deep-seated fear.
The fear of being abandoned once again.
"It's simply because they were blind and let a precious pearl gather dust. Junior Sister, remember this: your physique is immensely powerful; it merely requires certain conditions to awaken, which Master will naturally tell you once we return to Huanxian Peak.
And as for me... I will never abandon you."
Ever since she transmigrated, Shui Lianyue's emotions had grown rather detached.
However, she remained extremely sensitive to the emotional shifts of others and instantly perceived the anxiety hidden within Ye Xiangli's heart. To set her mind at ease, Shui Lianyue chose to speak the words aloud.Perhaps sensing Shui Lianyue's gentleness, Ye Xiangli felt her nervous and frightened mood ease somewhat. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly as she gave a gentle nod.
"Mn..."
Little did she know, however, that Shui Lianyue's gentleness at this moment was a limited-time offer. In the days to come, Ye Xiangli would look back and find her present self so terribly naive.
After taking Ye Xiangli to buy some clothes, nothing out of the ordinary happened along the way. With everything prepared, Shui Lianyue made ready to bring her back to Huanxian Peak.
Amidst the clouds and mist, Ye Xiangli clutched the hem of Shui Lianyue's robe with a nervous expression. As for wrapping her arms around Shui Lianyue's waist, she still did not dare.
The flying sword was steady, but Ye Xiangli ultimately chose to close her eyes, not daring to look down.
Shui Lianyue's speed was very fast. In roughly half a day, they arrived at the nearest immortal cultivation nation. The cities here featured teleportation arrays, and this nation likewise belonged under the jurisdiction of Yinxian Gate.
There was still one month left before the start of the Immortal Seeking Assembly.
In the original story, Ye Xiangli did participate in the Immortal Seeking Assembly; it could be considered one of her minor trials in the early stages.
"This is Duchen State, an immortal cultivation nation under Yinxian Gate. The ruler of this state is a Nascent Soul cultivator. Within the territories of Yinxian Gate, there are roughly tens of thousands of nations like this."
Duchen State was merely an immortal cultivation nation close to the mortal realms, separated from Yinxian Gate by tens of thousands of other nations. It could only be called a remote and insignificant minor country, but to Ye Xiangli, who had always lived in the mortal world, it was already a colossal entity.
"It's amazing..."
"You will become even more amazing in the future."
This was only natural.
Shui Lianyue herself was unsure whether she could survive the mortal tribulation described in the original story. Being an Innately Sacred Being—sometimes having too grand a reputation was not necessarily a good thing.