You absolutely mustn't let him take advantage of you.

Not long ago.

Zhongling Domain, Yongli City.

It was dark now, but the streets were still crowded with pedestrians, and the lights were bright.

A tavern on a street corner was bustling with noise; the Main Hall was nearly full, with guests gathered in small groups around tables, clinking glasses and chatting loudly as usual.

In the heat of drinking, someone drunkenly set down their wine cup and said loudly:

"A big piece of news came out of the Liyuan Holy Land outside the city these past few days. Have you all heard?"

"Big news?" A curious person at the same table immediately perked up, asking with wine-scented breath:

"Brother Yuan, I heard your brother is an Outer Sect Disciple in the Liyuan Holy Land and is well-informed. Quickly tell us what big news happened there so we can broaden our horizons."

Two other companions at the table nodded in agreement:

"Stop keeping us in suspense, hurry up and tell us!"

Hearing this, the guests at nearby tables also turned their gazes over, showing interested expressions.

The man from before chuckled and said in a proud tone:

"The Liyuan Holy Land's Jade Maiden Sword Immortal, Qin Lingxue, not only has terrifying and extraordinary talent in the Dao of the sword, being hailed as a rare sword genius in a thousand years, but her appearance is also world-toppling and rare in the world, not at all inferior to the Linglong Saintess, who is known as the number one beauty of the Righteous Path."

Just as he said this, it immediately drew a chorus of boos:

"Tch, I thought it was some big piece of news. Who doesn't know what you're saying?"

"I think you've had too much to drink, talking all this nonsense."

Everyone shook their heads with strong mockery, but the speaker wasn't angry. He acted mysteriously and said:

"Do you know that such a top-tier favored daughter of heaven has a childhood sweetheart fiancé?"

"Moreover, two days ago, that fiancé suddenly went to the Liyuan Holy Land and even wrote a Letter of Divorce, requesting to break the engagement with Qin Lingxue!"

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out in the hall, and everyone around showed looks of shock.

"There's actually such a thing?!"

"No way, what confidence does he have to actually dare to break the engagement with Fairy Qin?"

"If I had a fiancée like Fairy Qin, I'd probably wake up laughing from my dreams. I'd be willing even if I lived fifty years less. Is that guy's head kicked by a donkey?"

Everyone talked at once, all in a state of disbelief.

Seeing himself become the focus of the room, the man surnamed Yuan became even more excited. He tilted his neck and downed the wine in his cup, saying with spittle flying:

"My brother said that the kid is just an ordinary person from a small Family. In terms of Aptitude, he's a waste with a Pseudo Spiritual Root. Realizing he wasn't worthy of Fairy Qin, he took the initiative to propose breaking the engagement to protect himself."

"So that's how it is. That kid has some self-awareness."

Several guests nodded with looks of realization.

"That right. It seems this boy also understands the principle that 'possessing a treasure is a crime.' If he didn't take the initiative to withdraw, just the group of pursuers behind Fairy Qin would be enough to tear a waste like him into ten thousand pieces."

"Compared to one's life, everything else is negligible!"

The man surnamed Yuan also smiled:

"It's said that the higher-ups of the Liyuan Holy Land were very satisfied with the kid's act of breaking the engagement. The Holy Land's Sword Revered Master personally made the call, allowing him to enter the Sword Abyss once."

"The Liyuan Holy Land's Sword Abyss hides countless swords. According to the rules, anyone who enters the Sword Abyss, if a Flying Sword inside takes the initiative to recognize them as its Revered Master, regardless of that person's identity, they can unconditionally take that Flying Sword away, and no one is allowed to stop them..."

Just then, a heavenly female voice suddenly rang out in the room:

"What is the name of the person you're talking about?"

As the voice sounded, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw an exquisite woman in a purple dress sitting at a table not far away. Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she looked indifferently at the man surnamed Yuan.

Just by sitting there, the woman achieved a perfect Fusion with the surrounding environment.

Until she spoke, from beginning to end, no one could sense her existence.

Seeing this, everyone looked at each other, seeing extreme fear and wariness in each other's eyes.

Such a dazzling beauty was sitting at the next table, yet they were completely unaware. If she had suddenly attacked, they wouldn't even know how they died!

Most of those present were Loose Cultivators who lived on the edge every day. Their alertness was naturally higher than ordinary people, but now they had all become blind, showing how powerful the woman's methods were.

The man surnamed Yuan was clearly startled as well. His drunkenness had long since vanished. He hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a forced smile:

"Senior, that person's name seems to be Qi... oh right, Qi Yuan. His name is Qi Yuan, the same name as the new Dao Child of the Taixuan Holy Land!"

Qi Yuan?

Could it be that he came too?

Ji Chan'er's brows furrowed slightly, her beautiful eyes flashing with suspicion.

After finding that grave in Azure Cloud Town last time, the clues to the Qi Family extermination case were cut off. To continue investigating, she could only start with Qin Lingxue.

She suspected the murderer was one of the pursuers around Qin Lingxue who, unable to find Qi Yuan's tracks, killed the Qi Family members to vent their anger.

Although coming to the Liyuan Holy Land's territory would be dangerous, she had recently successfully purchased a Nine-Refinement Illusionary Spirit Pill from the Pill Saint Sect. Her Thousand Illusions Heavenly Demon Body had reached Major Achievement, and with her strength surging, she was confident she could retreat safely even when facing the Sword Cultivators of the Liyuan Holy Land.

Relying on the unpredictable and ever-changing abilities of the Thousand Illusions Heavenly Demon Body, as long as she didn't recklessly enter the core area of the Liyuan Holy Land, she believed that even if she was no match for the mingshuang sword in Qin Lingxue's hand, she could still escape safely.

As a True Disciple of the Demonic Sect, Ji Chan'er had always acted aggressively and boldly. Since she had decided to clear up the case, she naturally wouldn't be scared off by this bit of risk.

The most important thing right now was to first find out if the Qi Yuan in the Liyuan Holy Land was real or fake... Thinking of this, Ji Chan'er's figure gradually became illusory, turning into a trail of condensation like ice mist and drifting away... Meanwhile.

The Main Hall of the Linglong Holy Land.

The Linglong Holy Land Sect Master of the Holy Land Shao Xuanji sat on her large throne with a face full of frost, saying in an indignant tone:

"What kind of bewitching soup did that kid Qi Yuan give Ancestor Fei Huang to make the Ancestor shield him like this? She even wants a man to be a Supreme Guest Elder with the power to command the Holy Land Disciples at will. This is simply preposterous!"

The Linglong Saintess Xiao Yueni stood below with her mind elsewhere, her slender fingers almost tearing the corner of her skirt. Hearing her Revered Master's words, she couldn't help but lightly bite her red lip and said with great conflict:

"Ancestor Fei Huang even personally said she wanted me to be Fellow Daoist Qi's woman. As a Holy Land Disciple, how can I not obey the Ancestor's decree? But, but this is too embarrassing!"

"Revered Master, what do you think I should do? Do I really have to..."

"Absurd!"

Hearing this, Shao Xuanji's face became even more grim, and she said in a heavy voice:

"This matter is truly too strange. Ancestor Fei Huang has always been highly respected and selfless. Everyone in our Linglong Holy Land looks up to her as a deity or a high mountain."

"I suspect that brat is playing some trick, using some means to deceive Ancestor Fei Huang. Otherwise, with the Ancestor's character and wisdom, how could she make such a muddled decision?"

A look of sorrow appeared on Xiao Yueni's jade-like face. "Revered Master, are you saying I should disobey the order?"

"Yueni."

Shao Xuanji was silent for a long time before finally sighing and shaking her head, saying weakly:

"No, Ancestor Fei Huang has shown great kindness in rebuilding the Holy Land. As Juniors, we absolutely cannot defy her orders for our own selfish reasons. Otherwise, how can we face our over one hundred thousand fellow Disciples?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yueni's face turned red, and her voice was as thin as a mosquito's:

"Do you mean... you want me to submit to him?"

Shao Xuanji raised her hand to rub her temples, then let out a long sigh:

"Until the Ancestor's decision changes, I'm afraid you really will have to suffer for a while."

Saying this, her expression turned solemn, and she said in a grave tone:

"Disciple, this matter is of great importance and concerns the very Foundation of our Linglong Holy Land. You must take the opportunity while getting close to him to find out exactly what happened to Ancestor Fei Huang."

"Of course, it's just acting. You must not let him take advantage of you."

"Your cultivation is at the Nascent Soul Peak, while he is only at the Nascent Soul Mid-stage. As long as you respond cautiously, that brat shouldn't be able to get his way..."