Chapter 90: Unity is Strength! Ready, Sing! p1

The Third Prince, Ning Long, was born to the esteemed Consort Chen of the Great Qian Dynasty. A cultivator at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, he had, like Mu Zhi’an in the past, been obsessed with beautiful women. The palace maids would scatter at his approach.

However, blessed with a handsome face and his royal status, he had enjoyed numerous intimate relationships over the years. There were even rumors within the palace that he had special connections with some of the Emperor’s consorts.

He had once aspired to become the Crown Prince, but he had lost to his more talented Second Brother. This left him in an awkward position. Above him was the Crown Prince, an insurmountable obstacle, while below him were his younger brothers, all mediocre in talent and achievements.

He was stuck, unable to ascend or descend.

After years of self-pity, he had left the capital, seeking to enhance his reputation, to compensate for his past indulgences.

But upon entering the Trial Forest, he had encountered these captivating sisters, and his heart had been stirred.

Gongsun Cheng, having learned the truth from the attendants, glared at the Third Prince, his voice filled with anger. “Your Highness, that was Mu Zhi’an from the Mu family! I’m the real Gongsun Cheng!”

He hadn’t expected to encounter such a situation before even getting a chance to confront Mu Zhi’an.

The prince, fearing that Mu Zhi’an would escape with the sisters, had acted decisively, preventing him from explaining.

He was furious, but he suppressed his anger, respecting the prince’s status.

The Third Prince’s expression darkened. “That Mu family brat dared to deceive me?”

“He’s a tyrant in Tianxuan City. He stole Ye Yu’s fiancée, took his sisters, and does whatever he pleases,” Gongsun Cheng said, his voice filled with resentment. “He’s even schemed against my family twice. I’m here to seek revenge.”

“Mu Zhi’an!” The prince’s voice rose in anger. He turned to his attendants. “They can’t be far. Two of you, guard the exit. The rest, come with me. We’ll find them.”

He looked at Gongsun Cheng. “Since you’re here for revenge, join me. Once we catch him, you can do whatever you want with him.”

While the elders and peak lords wouldn’t allow murder during the entrance exams, some suffering was acceptable.

He despised Mu Zhi’an, but his true goal was the sisters.

He wants me as his subordinate? Gongsun Cheng bowed. “I’ll have to decline, Your Highness. My friends and I are free spirits. We don’t like taking orders.”

Cultivation families weren’t afraid of the imperial court. And here, at the Two Polarities Sect, even the Emperor himself would simply be a disciple.

He wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t become someone’s subordinate.

The Third Prince glared at him, then nodded. “Very well. We’ll search separately.”

…

Meanwhile, Ye Yu, having slipped away during the chaos, was also searching for Mu Zhi’an.

A fire raged within him. He had cultivated tirelessly for this moment, to prove himself!

And Mu Zhi’an had taken his cousins right in front of him, like a cunning fox, refusing to face him directly.

He was strong enough now to fight even a cultivator at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment!

He had to find them before the exams ended!

He looked at the other candidates, his determination hardening.

…

While the Third Prince and Ye Yu searched, in a cold, dark cave, a fire crackled, illuminating the night.

To keep the sisters warm, Mu Zhi’an sat between them, his cloak draped over them, sharing his warmth.

He glanced at Ye Qian, her youthful beauty captivating. She sat huddled against the wall, her white legs exposed, her hair framing her delicate face, her lips slightly parted, her eyes reflecting the firelight.

A slight adjustment of his gaze would reveal… more mature scenery.

Indeed, large and white, surpassing her sister’s.

She shifted closer to him, her eyelashes fluttering, whether from cold or fear, he couldn’t tell.

A warm hand reached out, taking hers, and her shoulder trembled.

She blushed as he looked at her, glancing at her sister, who seemed lost in thought, oblivious to their interaction.

She quickly looked away, pretending indifference.

He then looked at Ye Lingxuan, her elegance and grace captivating. Her profile was exquisite, her lips delicate and pink, her nose straight, her features possessing a… foreign beauty… that was alluring.

She seemed to sense his gaze, and her eyes flickered as she met his. “Is something the matter, Young Master Mu?”

Why does she keep switching between “Young Master Mu” and “Brother Mu”? Can’t she just call me “Brother”… He held Ye Qian’s hand, smiling. “Are you still cold?”

Ye Lingxuan smiled. “No.”

They were Foundation Establishment cultivators. They could circulate their spiritual energy to ward off the cold. The outside environment had little effect on them.

She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, noticing his gaze upon her, a blush rising on her cheeks. She looked away.

After a moment, as if giving up on pretending, she looked at him, her voice soft. “What technique did you use to bring us here?”

Ye Qian also looked at him, her curiosity evident.

She had read many books at the Ye Manor. She knew some techniques could allow cultivators to teleport, but taking two people along… she had never heard of such a thing.

“No technique can do that, but there’s another way,” he replied, deliberately keeping them in suspense.

Ye Lingxuan sat up straighter, her posture attentive.

“I entered the Trial Forest earlier than the others, riding on a cloud with Senior Sister. And I soon discovered a formation”

He explained his encounter with the formation core.

Ye Lingxuan stared at him, her eyes widening with surprise, but she quickly masked her emotions.

Ye Qian’s eyes sparkled with admiration and awe. “So you can control the Trial Forest’s formation, Brother Mu?”

“I can, but not completely,” he replied.

There were multiple formations within the forest. He had only encountered the outermost layer.

And even that one… it would take months to fully comprehend. He could only mimic its patterns for now, using it in a limited way.

And each activation consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.

With his current cultivation, he could only teleport them to nearby hiding places.

Sending them directly to the summit, even with their combined spiritual energy, it would be impossible.

“This trial… it’s not very fair,” he said suddenly.

Why would they allow candidates to enter the forest in groups, then leave them unsupervised?

If everyone followed Gongsun Cheng and the Third Prince’s example, recruiting allies, wouldn’t those who were alone be bullied?

“I heard from Elder Wei that Boundless Sea Peak’s peak lord is the most mysterious of the nine,” Ye Lingxuan said softly.

“Most disciples have never seen him. And the trial… it’s always been like this.”

“So this peak’s trial is the most difficult?” Mu Zhi’an asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not sure, but Boundless Sea Peak has fewer disciples than the other peaks.”

“It’s truly difficult. To climb from the foot of the mountain to the summit, can Foundation Establishment cultivators even do that?” Ye Qian asked, her voice filled with worry.

The trial was already difficult, and now they had to deal with the Third Prince, Gongsun Cheng, and Ye Yu. She shuddered, her anxiety growing.

Mu Zhi’an placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly. “Get some sleep. I’ll send you to the summit tomorrow.”

They both looked up at him.

“How?” Ye Lingxuan asked, her eyes filled with doubt.

She didn’t need to participate. She had chosen to join the exams because she was worried about her sister.

“Even if you can control the formation, it’s impossible to send all three of us to the summit,” she continued.

“Let’s make a bet,” he said, his smile widening.

“What kind of bet?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“If I send you to the summit tomorrow, you’ll play a game of Truth or Dare with me.”

She blinked. “What’s… Truth or Dare?”

He chuckled. “It’s just a game.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Alright.”

“But how are you going to do it?” she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

“I can send myself to the summit. And if you two share the burden of the formation’s energy consumption, we can all reach the summit together,” he explained.

“But the Third Prince and Gongsun Cheng are still searching for us. Activating the formation will alert them,” she said, her brow furrowing.

And they would surely try to stop them.

“Have you heard this saying?” he asked, looking at her.

“What saying?”

“Unity is strength,” he replied, grinning.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay