For cultivators, the only way to expand their Vessel was to increase their cultivation level. No one could forcefully expand it.

However, the Dao Heart Pill could change the size of one’s Vessel… Although it sounded amazing, very few people could actually benefit from it.

Except for those with a certain constitution.

The Innate Celestial Furnace.

Although this constitution was incredibly rare, Yao Meng happened to know someone who possessed it…

A faint smile played on her lips as a look of anticipation flickered in her eyes.

She was already looking forward to seeing the Primordial Witch’s reaction when she entered Mu Zhi’an’s Innate Celestial Furnace.

The next day, Southern Bank.

Dark clouds drifted across the sky, but they couldn’t diminish the Two Polarities Sect’s sacred aura.

Many elders and peak masters had gathered before the Ascension Stage.

However, the three seats in the center remained empty.

The Jade Empress’s declaration yesterday had spread throughout the sect.

And Mu Zhi’an had a match early this morning. The elders and representatives from the various Holy Lands and sects knew this.

They expected the Jade Empress to be present.

The other two seats were reserved for Luo Tan, the Empress of Yu State, and Ye Qingxin, the visitor from the Heavenly Court.

As expected, shortly after the elder presiding over the matches arrived, a slender figure in a green dress appeared on the Ascension Stage.

“The Jade Empress!”

Someone in the crowd exclaimed in a low voice, recognizing her.

Her ethereal beauty, even without any deliberate display, instantly drew everyone’s attention.

“You’re here early today, Jade Empress. It seems you’re quite concerned about your Dao Companion’s match,” a melodious voice suddenly said.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the speaker.

It was a woman in a black and red dress, like a witch emerging from flames, her seductive red eyes sparkling like rubies, her aura radiating authority.

Ye Qingxin!

Seeing the two of them, the cultivators on and off the stage felt a sense of unease.

There was a deep grudge between Ye Yu and Mu Zhi’an, and Ye Qingxin, as a Ye family ancestor, had tried to help her descendant yesterday, even offering a first-grade Artifact Spirit to Mu Zhi’an… If these two Dao Integration experts clashed, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, Yao Meng, as if forgetting yesterday’s events, simply chuckled. “I’m not particularly concerned. I just happened to be passing by,” she said calmly, her tone as casual as if she were chatting with an old friend.

She looked towards Mu Zhi’an, who had just arrived.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Mu Zhi’an looked at her and smiled politely, then nodded respectfully towards Ye Qingxin.

If they didn’t know his true nature, they would think he was a well-behaved young man… Ye Qingxin glanced at him coldly, then looked away.

Why does she seem so displeased with me? Shouldn’t the Ye Yu incident have pushed her to my side…? Mu Zhi’an wondered.

Bai Ruoxi glanced at the seemingly holy and benevolent fairy, then turned to Mu Zhi’an and said softly, “Let’s go sit down and wait, Mu Lang. It seems the matches will be determined randomly today.”

There were twenty participants today, and after today’s matches, only ten would remain.

Although there hadn’t been a draw yesterday, the elder had used a special technique to randomly select opponents.

They would be using a similar method today.

Mu Zhi’an followed Bai Ruoxi to a nearby pavilion and sat down. A few other cultivators were already there, while others were gathered in another pavilion not far away.

Ye Qingxin looked at them, then, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes, she asked, “Before choosing young friend Mu as your Dao Companion, did you know he already had one, Jade Empress?”

Her voice, amplified by a special technique, reached only Yao Meng’s ears.

If voice transmission was like a private message, then Ye Qingxin had created a ‘group chat’.

Yao Meng smiled faintly as she looked at Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi, who had just taken his arm after noticing her gaze. Her green eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Of course, I knew.”

Her voice was soft and gentle. “He’s an exceptional man. If he didn’t have a few Dao Companions, I would be disappointed.”

To outsiders, it sounded like she was saying, ‘An exceptional man naturally attracts many women’. However, if Bai Ruoxi and the others heard this, they would understand its true meaning.

How can I cuckold others if he doesn’t have any Dao Companions… That was the implication.

Then, she continued casually, “Although he’s only been cultivating for less than a decade, he’s much more mature than most of those self-proclaimed geniuses.”

She looked at Ye Qingxin with a smile.

Her words struck a nerve.

The ‘self-proclaimed geniuses’ included her descendant, Ye Yu.

Remembering Ye Yu’s outburst last night, and comparing him to Mu Zhi’an, Ye Qingxin couldn’t help but frown slightly.

At that moment, she saw a young man in a black robe approaching the Ascension Stage.

“Look, Ye Yu is here…”

“I heard he had a conflict with Mu Zhi’an in Tianxuan City. And yesterday, the Ye family ancestor even tried to arrange a duel between them, but something happened.”

“Ye Yu’s cultivation was crippled in the past, yet he managed to recover. It will be interesting if he encounters Mu Zhi’an this time…”

Many cultivators looked over, whispering amongst themselves.

The focus of their discussion was Ye Yu.

Some believed that his talent was exceptional, and having overcome adversity, his strength shouldn’t be underestimated.

Hearing their praise for her descendant, Ye Qingxin would normally be pleased.

However, her expression remained unchanged.

Ye Yu also heard their whispers, but his demeanor was calm and composed.

For him, this was only natural. After all, he was blessed with great luck and possessed extraordinary talent.

He looked up at Ye Qingxin and transmitted his voice, “I apologize for my disrespect last night, Ancestor. I was influenced by Mu Zhi’an’s schemes…”

After discussing with his master last night, he had calmed down and realized how foolish he had been.

How could Ye Qingxin side with Mu Zhi’an…?

However, he couldn’t help his feelings for her.

Although she was his ancestor, he had secretly considered her… his, someone no one else could touch. Seeing Mu Zhi’an’s bold actions last night had made him lose control.

But now that he had calmed down, he realized his ancestor had acted for the sake of the Ye family. With her status, she wouldn’t lie.

“It’s fine. Focus on your matches,” Ye Qingxin replied through voice transmission.

Hearing her response, Ye Yu finally relaxed.

However, he didn’t realize that last night’s incident had created a rift between them, a rift that couldn’t be easily repaired…

Just like his fading luck, it couldn’t be easily recovered.

Because that luck was now being devoured by Mu Zhi’an.

He was in a great mood.

His luck stat was almost at 90.

Once it reached 90, he would officially become a person of great fortune, the golden luck providing him with various benefits…

And it was all thanks to Ye Yu, the Child of Destiny… Mu Zhi’an thought, a faint smile curving his lips.

At that moment, he felt Ye Yu’s gaze upon him.

Then, Ye Yu’s voice echoed in his mind, “You better pray we don’t meet in today’s matches, Mu Zhi’an.”

If they met, he would show his ancestor his true talent and prove how wrong she was about him!

Mu Zhi’an ignored his threat and turned to Bai Ruoxi, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers caressing her smooth cheek.

“What are you doing?” Bai Ruoxi glared at him playfully, her voice filled with a shy warmth.

“There’s a… thread on your face from last night,” Mu Zhi’an replied with a smile.

Even now, seeing this scene made Ye Yu’s blood boil.

This beauty from Tianxuan City was supposed to be his fiancée. He should be the one by her side!

He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with hatred.

Mu Zhi’an, sensing the Jade Empress’s presence, decided not to push his luck, although she was currently chatting with Luo Tan, who had just arrived. He didn’t want to provoke her.

As for Ye Yu’s provocation?

Who would care about a loser’s empty threats?

There were many ways to defeat him. A direct confrontation was the least elegant method.

Soon, Ye Lingxuan, Ye Qian, and the others arrived at the Ascension Stage, and an elder stood up, holding a golden orb.

“This is the Spirit Calculating Orb. All participants in the Ascension Ceremony should have a temporary sect token,” he announced, his voice amplified by Spiritual Energy, reaching everyone nearby.

“I’ll infuse my Spiritual Energy into it.”

“Then, the name of your opponent will appear on the back of your token.”

“Today’s matches will determine the top ten.”

The cultivators took out their tokens.

The elder infused his Spiritual Energy into the orb, and it glowed faintly, emitting a white light. Names began to appear on the blank backs of the tokens.

Mu Zhi’an also looked at his token.

Then, his eyes twinkled with amusement.

…Ye Yu.

At the same time, Ye Yu looked up abruptly, his gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Finally… You can’t run away this time!

Surrender?

If he surrendered in front of everyone, especially Ruoxi and the Jade Empress, he would never be able to hold his head up high again!

Ye Yu gripped his token, feeling a surge of power within him. He was almost at the fourth-grade Core Formation Realm, and with his trump cards, and the old man’s power, what chance did Mu Zhi’an have against him?!

Rumble!

The ground trembled slightly as several platforms rose from the ground.

And in the center of each platform was a circular gate, slowly rotating.

Celestial Realms!

Entering the platform would transport them to the arena, and then, everyone could watch their matches through the mirrors.

As the participants flew towards their designated platforms, ten ice mirrors appeared on the Ascension Stage.

“Mu Zhi’an and Ye Yu are facing each other!”

Someone saw their figures within one of the mirrors, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

Mu Zhi’an and Ye Yu, finally facing each other!

This was a match everyone was looking forward to.

One had the backing of a Ye family ancestor, the other was the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion. This would be interesting.

Within the Celestial Realm, red runes flickered faintly behind Ye Yu as he looked up at Mu Zhi’an, his eyes filled with a chilling intensity.

“Mu Zhi’an! Today, I’ll repay you a hundredfold for stealing my Heavenly Dao Energy and deceiving my sisters!”

On the Ascension Stage, the peak masters’ eyes flickered with surprise.

Although they had been optimistic about Ye Yu’s potential, having witnessed him defeat a Holy Land’s prodigy despite being three grades lower, they hadn’t expected him to be hiding his true strength until now.

“Those runes behind him are incredible. I’ve only sensed such power from first-grade techniques.”

“Although he’s at the third-grade Core Formation Realm, even an eighth-grade cultivator wouldn’t be able to defeat him easily… If it weren’t for his past injuries, he would be at a much higher level now.”

“Mu Zhi’an has met his match.”

These cultivators from the Primordial Clans and Holy Lands were perceptive. They could sense the immense power radiating from Ye Yu.

If Mu Zhi’an lost in this situation, although the Jade Empress had said she didn’t care about his cultivation level, it would still be a blow to his pride.

Of course, they didn’t know that he didn’t mind being a kept man.

As for his match with Ye Yu…

If this were back in Tianxuan City, he might not be able to win.

But now…

Mu Zhi’an calmly observed Ye Yu, his eyes seemingly unfazed by the flickering black runes and the surging Spiritual Energy around him.

His casual demeanor infuriated Ye Yu.

“Have you considered the consequences of losing, Mu Zhi’an?”

He tried to use words to pressure him.

Mu Zhi’an pondered for a moment, then chuckled. “If I lose… I’ll just ask Ruoxi or the Jade Empress to comfort me.”

“Actually, Lingxuan and Qian’er are also good choices… And your ancestor is also a great beauty. Hmm…”

His words, transmitted directly into Ye Yu’s mind, made his face darken with each name mentioned.

“You despicable scoundrel! Not only did you deceive Ruoxi and manipulate my sisters, but you’re even targeting my ancestor?! Do you really think she’ll fall for your tricks?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay