323: Is there really nothing between the two of you?

A full moon hung high, casting its brilliant silver glow upon the land, covering a sea of flowers.

This was a mountain range composed of countless petals, with every peak adorned by vibrant, beautiful flowers.

From a distance, it looked like a vast ocean of blossoms.

The moonlight, draped over it like a veil, shimmered as the gentle breeze stirred the flower sea, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene.

However.

On a platform halfway up a mountain, a figure gazed at this beautiful spectacle, her eyes devoid of any ripple of emotion.

She wore a white dress, her long, dark hair cascading like a waterfall down her back, reaching her slender waist and accentuating the curve of her hips.

Her exquisite face held a detached expression, like a Fairy descended to the mortal realm, untouched by joy or sorrow.

Simply by standing there, she overshadowed the entire mountain scenery.

If one were to describe her in four words, only "peerless in grace" would suffice.

In the stillness, faint footsteps could be heard.

“Yanran, you’re here?”

The woman did not turn around, her thin lips parting slightly.

“Teacher.”

Nalan Yanran gazed at the figure before her, a hint of enchantment flickering in her eyes.

With the passage of time, her teacher’s aura had become like a fine wine buried deep underground, growing more intoxicating and irresistible.

Yun Yun turned around, looking at the Disciple who had followed her out of the Yunlan Sect. “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why didn’t you listen?”

“Teacher, there’s still a chance, we still have hope.”

Nalan Yanran gently shook her head, unable to abandon her teacher and live on alone.

“Hope? If only I had a little more time, if I could refine a bit more of the Dou Qi left by Old Woman Hua, I might have a chance against Hua Jin and Lord Yaohua Xie alone.”

Yun Yun’s lips pursed slightly, a hint of bitterness in her expression.

Sometimes, she couldn’t help but wonder if her fate was meant to end on Yunlan Mountain.

Her teacher, Yun Shan, had died at Xiao Yan’s hands. After coming to the Flower Sect, she had initially wanted to be an ordinary Elder, to grow stronger, and then return to Yunlan Mountain to rebuild the Yunlan Sect.

Unexpectedly, she had inexplicably encountered an old woman with crippled legs, whom she had carefully nursed, only for the old woman to bestow all her Dou Qi upon her.

Yun Yun’s heart was solely devoted to the Yunlan Sect; she harbored no covetous desires for the position of Flower Sect’s Sect Master.

But now, Hua Jin, the acting Sect Master of the Flower Sect, was relentlessly pressuring her, demanding that she hand over the Dou Qi within her body.

However, the Dou Qi was already Sealed within her body; handing it over was no different from surrendering her own life.

“Yanran, be obedient. While there’s still time, after you leave the Flower Sect, go directly back to the Northwest Region and join the Cultivation Alliance. With a Dou Sheng overseeing it, I believe Hua Jin wouldn’t dare to pursue you to the death.”

Yun Yun now lived with clarity, with no attachments, save for the Disciple before her, the only one she couldn’t bear to leave behind.

“I won’t go.”

Nalan Yanran shook her head resolutely. “Teacher, trust me, I’ve already sent for help.”

She stepped forward and clasped Yun Yun’s hand, squeezing it gently, attempting to encourage her.

“Help? From whom?”

Yun Yun’s beautiful eyes widened slightly in confusion.

“Lin Xiu.”

Nalan Yanran’s small mouth parted, uttering two words.

“Him? How did you contact him? You haven’t even left the Flower Sect.”

Yun Yun was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, she quickly added, “Tell him not to come. This matter isn’t as simple as you think. It’s not just Hua Jin targeting me; they even have designs on the Flower Sect, and the Tianming Sect is also stirring. Don’t drag him into this.”

From their past interactions, Yun Yun had a rather good impression of Lin Xiu and didn’t want him to get involved in her affairs.

“There’s no other way. He only gave me a Jade Slip and told me to crush it if you encountered any problems, Teacher.”

Nalan Yanran showed a hint of helplessness, then secretly observed Yun Yun.

She noticed an unnatural flicker in her teacher’s eyes when she spoke.

“Teacher, tell me honestly, was there really nothing between the two of you? Especially during the time I was in secluded cultivation and hadn’t come out.”

Nalan Yanran suddenly leaned her face close to Yun Yun’s. In the moonlight, two equally stunning faces came together, their shadows on the ground overlapping slightly.

“How could that be?”

Yun Yun extended a Jade finger, pressing it against her Disciple’s forehead, gently pushing her away. “You must have misheard. How could Lin Xiu say such a thing?”

“Impossible, I remember it very clearly.”

Nalan Yanran asserted with great certainty, which made Yun Yun a little flustered.

For a moment, she lost all interest in admiring the scenery from the mountainside and hurried back to her Immortal Cave.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the appointment proposed by Hua Jin, the acting Sect Master of the Flower Sect.

On this day, deep within the sea of flowers, in the center where buildings stood, crowds gathered around a plaza.

Numerous beautiful women stood together.

Their gazes occasionally swept towards the center of the plaza, where a man and a woman stood.

The woman wore a brocade robe, with a radiant aura, though her somewhat thin lips conveyed a hint of harshness.

The man, on the other hand, had a lazy demeanor, holding a paper fan, with a blood-red mark between his eyebrows, adding a touch of malevolence to his already effeminate face.

The two were acting Sect Master Hua Jin and her partner, Lord Yaohua Xie, respectively.

“What is Yun Yun dawdling for? Time is almost up, why hasn’t she shown up yet?”

Hua Jin’s gaze swept around, her eyes revealing a strong sense of urgency.

Beside her, Lord Yaohua Xie gently fanned himself with his paper fan. “Don’t be impatient. After today, not only will her Dou Qi be yours, but the Flower Sect will also completely belong to you. That ‘acting’ title can finally be officially removed today.”

The reassurance seemed to have an effect, and the urgency in Hua Jin’s eyes subsided slightly.

She inquired, “My Yao Lang, has everything been confirmed? I don’t want any more surprises.”

“Don’t worry, as soon as I give the signal, the people from the Tianming Sect will arrive. I heard Liu Cang say that this time, to ensure foolproof success, he even invited their Sect’s Old Ancestor.”

Lord Yaohua Xie’s lips curved slightly upwards as he spoke.

Clearly, he was very satisfied with the results of all his efforts during this period.

Especially when he felt Hua Jin’s adoring gaze, the smugness in his heart grew even stronger.

“You truly are my good Yao Lang. Once we take over the Flower Sect, we too can become famous throughout the continent.”

Hua Jin also smiled.

She had been in the Flower Sect for many years, including over a decade with Hua Yu, yet these old hags stubbornly refused to hand over the position of Sect Master to her.

They called her the acting Sect Master, but it was just a thankless task.

Once they took over the Flower Sect today, the first thing she would do was settle accounts with those old hags!

Hua Jin’s eyes flickered.

At this moment, a long, melodious bell chimed from deep within the Flower Sect. It was faint at first, then slowly grew clearer as it spread, echoing in everyone’s ears.

“Yun Yun! The hour has come, it’s time to show yourself!”

As the bell slowly faded, Hua Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and an impatient voice came from her mouth.

Around the plaza, the chatter quickly diminished, gradually becoming silent.

Everyone’s gaze searched in all directions.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound drifted from afar.

All eyes simultaneously looked, only to see a white figure gliding lightly through the Void Realm.

When she landed on the plaza, countless gazes were captivated by the woman’s beauty and aura, revealing a hint of enchantment.

Even Lord Yaohua Xie, upon seeing Yun Yun appear, slowed the fanning motion of his hand slightly, only resuming it when a dissatisfied snort sounded beside him.

Hua Jin clenched her hands tightly, a deep flash of jealousy in her eyes as she looked at the figure. “I thought you wouldn’t dare to show up today!”

“Sect Master, I have no desire for the position of Sect Master, so why must you be so aggressive?”

Looking at the overbearing Hua Jin, Yun Yun sighed softly, repeating the words she had said many times before, in front of everyone.