Within a closed room, Ye Yu slowly opened his eyes.

After absorbing and refining the surrounding Spiritual Energy, he could feel his strength increasing.

This was thanks to the cultivation technique his master had given him.

Watching his strength grow steadily should have been a joyous experience, but a burning anger still lingered within him, preventing him from meditating peacefully.

He was so frustrated that he almost coughed up blood.

“Are you still thinking about that first-grade Artifact Spirit Mu Zhi’an received?”

The old man within him sensed Ye Yu’s anger and guessed the reason.

A first-grade Artifact Spirit, given to Mu Zhi’an by his own ancestor… It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Ye Yu’s eyes burned with hatred as he slammed his fist against the bed frame.

“If I could have entered that gate, I could have passed the trial too. But she didn’t even give me a chance.”

Thinking about what had happened earlier, he felt a surge of frustration.

He gritted his teeth, got out of bed, and went to the courtyard to cultivate.

However, as soon as he stepped outside, he saw a fiery red figure disappearing into the distance.

“Why is Ancestor leaving so late…?” Ye Yu murmured, his eyes filled with surprise.

Ye Qingxin had ascended to the Immortal Realm long ago. She shouldn’t have many friends in the Nine Realms. Why would she leave at this hour…?

A bad feeling crept into his heart.

As he considered the possibilities, his face darkened with anger and resentment.

“Master, can you track her?” he asked.

With the old man’s power, he could at least temporarily reach the Nascent Soul Realm, but whether he could track a Dao Integration expert was uncertain.

“She’s not concealing her aura. It shouldn’t be difficult to find her,” the old man replied calmly.

“However, she’s a Dao Integration expert. Have you considered the consequences of following her?”

“I’m just worried she might be deceived. I’m not following her,” Ye Yu said quickly.

Ye Qingxin’s actions today had disappointed him. Seeing her leave so late at night made him uneasy.

She had let Mu Zhi’an pass the trial and even given him a first-grade Artifact Spirit… He was her descendant, yet she had given all the benefits to Mu Zhi’an.

The thought of Ye Qingxin meeting with his enemy, perhaps even being intimate with him…

Ye Yu’s blood boiled.

“Have you considered that perhaps Mu Zhi’an passed the trial because he found a way to open the gate, not because your ancestor helped him?” the old man said, trying to reason with him.

“Even so, he shouldn’t have passed. That Artifact Spirit shouldn’t be his! You don’t understand!”

Ye Yu’s anger was now directed at his master.

Although he owed his current achievements to him, today’s events had infuriated him, and the fact that his master was defending Mu Zhi’an only made it worse.

The old man within his ring sighed. “You need to be calm. I thought you had learned to control your emotions and face adversity with a clear mind.”

“But it seems you’re still not calm enough when it comes to Mu Zhi’an.”

“Your ancestor was trying to help you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have intervened earlier. But some unexpected things happened. Think about it, if Mu Zhi’an hadn’t passed the trial, who would give a first-grade Artifact Spirit to a stranger?”

“Its value is comparable to a Dao Integration ancestral artifact.”

Ye Yu calmed down, his anger subsiding.

“So I was too impulsive…”

Then, he remembered Ye Qingxin’s interest in Mu Zhi’an, and a wave of helplessness and resentment washed over him.

Even if she had tried to help him earlier, she was still interested in Mu Zhi’an… If they were truly meeting tonight…

Wouldn’t that mean he was watching his ancestor walk into a trap?

“Master, please take control of my body. I need to see where she went,” Ye Yu said decisively.

If his ancestor discovered him, he would simply say he was worried about her.

…

The pavilion above the Pilgrimage Palace was a magnificent structure, a hundred meters above the ground.

Due to the recent incident with the Primordial Demon Emperor, the area was deserted.

Ye Qingxin, transformed into a red streak of light, appeared in the pavilion.

She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her dress clinging to her alluring figure as the wind blew.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned her head slightly and saw a young man in a black robe approaching. Her red eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You have a match tomorrow. Shouldn’t you be cultivating instead of coming here?”

Ye Yu bowed respectfully. “You left so late at night, Ancestor. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you,” he said.

Ye Qingxin was stunned for a moment.

Then, her eyes turned cold, and she simply replied with a noncommittal “mm-hmm”. “I’m fine. But since you’re worried, you can meditate here for a while.”

She wasn’t foolish. She could see through his pretense.

He didn’t trust her and had let the old man within him take control of his body to follow her.

However, it was understandable. After all, there was a deep grudge between Mu Zhi’an and Ye Yu, and she had even given Mu Zhi’an a first-grade Artifact Spirit. It was natural for her descendant to be worried.

She would let him stay here for a while.

…

Mu Zhi’an closed his eyes, and sensing that Ye Lingxuan and the others were gone, he got out of bed and went to the courtyard.

He formed a hand seal and waved his hand.

A dark gold sword, like a swimming fish, appeared beneath his feet.

The Heaven-Asking Lock, a first-grade Artifact Spirit from the Heavenly Court, nurtured by Ye Qingxin for a thousand years before regaining its former glory.

“This thing is strange. I haven’t even refined it, yet I can use its power… And it seems to have a bit of a… yandere side.”

Mu Zhi’an stepped onto the sword, muttering to himself.

Logically, he shouldn’t be able to use it before refining it, yet it obeyed his commands as soon as he infused his Spiritual Energy into it.

And after sensing his enemy’s hostility, it had even tried to attack without his permission.

Although magical artifacts possessed spirits, he had only just obtained this sword. It shouldn’t be so attached to him.

He would take this opportunity to ask the Ye family ancestor about it…

Mu Zhi’an left the courtyard on his sword, heading towards the pavilion above the Pilgrimage Palace.

Soon, he saw the pavilion in the distance.

And a woman stood before it.

She wore a beautiful black and red dress, her ample bosom faintly visible beneath the fabric as the wind blew.

Ye Qingxin’s long hair cascaded down her back, held in place by a simple hairpin. Her hands were clasped behind her, her red eyes, like rubies, sparkling, her lips full and seductive, her beauty breathtaking.

This woman’s assets are truly impressive, rivaling even Ruoxi’s… Mu Zhi’an recalled the way they had jiggled as she descended the steps earlier, admiring her figure.

It’s a shame Yao Meng’s declaration has put Ruoxi and the others in ‘yandere mode’. Otherwise, I could visit Ruoxi tonight and… enjoy myself…

Mu Zhi’an sighed inwardly with regret as he arrived at the pavilion.

Seeing Ye Yu there, he was stunned.

He actually followed me…?

Ye Qingxin seemed to have said something to him, as he didn’t speak, simply glaring at Mu Zhi’an from the shadows.

Mu Zhi’an ignored him and bowed respectfully towards the Dao Integration expert. “Senior, you summoned me so late at night. Is there something you need?”

Ye Qingxin looked at him meaningfully and chuckled. “We’re both intelligent people, young friend Mu. You should know why I’m here.”

Earlier, on the southern bank, Mu Zhi’an had contacted her through voice transmission, mentioning the Heavenly Court. And he also had questions about the Heaven-Asking Lock. They were essentially making a deal.

Mu Zhi’an thought for a moment. “I’m still a bit confused… Could it be… because of that matter?”

He used a vague term, one only they could understand.

Ye Yu, hearing his words, frowned and sneered. “Stop pretending, Mu Zhi’an. You asked Ancestor to come here for your own benefit, didn’t you?”

Mu Zhi’an ignored him.

He feigned a troubled expression. “Senior, Ye Yu’s gaze is quite scary. I’m afraid he might attack me.”

“And… perhaps it’s best if outsiders don’t know about that matter,” he added tentatively.

Ye Yu froze, his expression darkening.

Outsiders…?

How could he be an outsider?! He was a descendant of the Ye family!

Mu Zhi’an transmitted his voice, “The more people who know about the Heavenly Court’s secrets, the more dangerous it becomes, Senior. I’m sure you understand.”

He took a couple of steps forward and, under Ye Yu’s incredulous gaze, took Ye Qingxin’s hand.

Even Ye Qingxin was surprised. Her face turned cold, and she was about to scold this disrespectful young man when she suddenly sensed an incredibly dense Spiritual Energy emanating from his body…

This is… the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy?

Ye Qingxin’s eyes flickered with surprise and uncertainty.

Even the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy wasn’t this potent… Why did it feel so… different?

Dao Integration meant merging with one of the three Dao: Heaven, Earth, or Human. After achieving Dao Integration, one became an unparalleled expert.

However, it was said that there were two realms beyond Dao Integration.

Transcendence and Immortality.

After Transcendence, one could achieve Immortality.

Legend had it that the Master of the Heavenly Court was a Transcendence expert.

As for the Immortal Realm… only the first cultivator, who had existed since the primordial chaos, had reached that level.

The Heavenly Dao Energy scattered throughout the Nine Realms was her legacy.

Reaching Transcendence from Dao Integration was almost impossible.

It wasn’t something one could achieve through cultivation alone. It required fate.

And Ye Qingxin’s true purpose for searching for the Heavenly Court’s Master was to break through to the Transcendence Realm.

Although ascending to the Heavenly Court granted immortality, she still desired to transcend.

The difference in strength between Dao Integration and Transcendence wasn’t significant, but there was one crucial difference.

After Transcendence, one no longer needed to worry about their lifespan, even outside the Heavenly Court. However, Dao Integration cultivators needed an Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb every twenty thousand years to extend their lives.

And now… Ye Qingxin saw a glimmer of hope in Mu Zhi’an!

His Vessel was filled with the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy, and as his cultivation level increased, this energy would become even denser than the Heavenly Court’s!

But why? Could it be related to his cultivation technique?

Ye Qingxin, seemingly forgetting that Mu Zhi’an was still holding her hand, looked at him with curiosity, her Spiritual Sense scanning his body.

Then, her eyes widened in surprise.

…The Innate Celestial Furnace?!

And it had been enhanced multiple times… Although it wasn’t very useful for Dao Integration cultivators now, if he reached Soul Transformation, the Spiritual Energy within his Innate Celestial Furnace could even benefit Dao Integration experts…

“I’ve already shown you my sincerity, Senior. Only a few people know about this secret,” Mu Zhi’an said, releasing her hand and smiling gently.

Seeing that she didn’t seem displeased by his touch, Ye Yu’s expression changed, a bad feeling creeping into his heart. “Ancestor, this man is cunning and deceitful. Don’t trust him!” he said quickly.

Ye Qingxin snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Mu Zhi’an meaningfully.

She sighed inwardly, then turned to Ye Yu and said gently, “You can leave now, Ye Yu. I have some matters to discuss with young friend Mu.”

Ye Yu froze, his mind reeling.

His world seemed to crumble around him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay