Mortal's Purple Sky Cave Heaven

Chapter 499 Dilemma
Du Yu's expression tightened. Although he had the support of the elders of the Holy Island, it was still far from enough to gain the approval of a Mahayana cultivator.

"If this were a thousand years ago, I might have thought the same as most of the elders of the Holy Land, but now, of course, it's different." A smile appeared on Ancestor Ao Xiao's handsome face, quite pleased with himself.

This answer caused a slight change in the expressions of all the elders present at the Integration level, who were all speculating in their hearts about who was more favored by Ancestor Ao Xiao.

Based on Ao Xiao's previous silence, some people quickly guessed that it was Nie Zhaonan.
However, some people don't think it's Nie Zhaonan, because he is only at the early stage of the Integration Realm, and is still far from the Mahayana Realm.

In reality, Patriarch Ao Xiao had never met Nie Zhaonan, so he couldn't possibly approve of him based on rumors. He naturally favored his granddaughter, Yin Yue.

Only a handful of people knew that Yin Yue had awakened the Seven Star Moon Body, so the elders in the hall naturally didn't know.

Mo Jianli glanced at Yin Yue without showing any emotion, then revealed a kind smile.

Who is it!

Du Yu roared inwardly, his expression immediately turning ugly. He gritted his teeth, but naturally he couldn't show his anger in front of the two Mahayana cultivators, so he could only suppress it.

It's no wonder he couldn't remain calm. The human and demon races were just small races barely able to establish themselves in the spirit realm. They didn't have many resources to cultivate Mahayana cultivators. Even if all of them were given to one person, the chances of cultivating a Mahayana cultivator would not be high.

Not to mention that now there are other people competing with him for resources.

Seeing Du Yu's unpleasant expression, Yin Yue's mood immediately improved, and she continued slowly:
“If Fellow Daoist Nie returns to his clan, we need not worry. This would only prove that he is confident in his ability to protect himself and does not need to rely on our human and demon races at all.”

The ugly woman, still relentless in her attacks on Nie Zhaonan, said gravely:

"Isn't Fairy a bit too confident in Fellow Daoist Nie? He's just an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Even if he can fight the Black Owl King with the help of the Xuan Tian Treasure, what does that amount to compared to the crisis to come? Among Mahayana cultivators, the Black Owl King is at the very bottom. He wouldn't dare to provoke Senior Mo and Senior Ao Xiao at all."

"If he really returns to his clan, we will be facing the Mahayana cultivators from the Floating Clan, the Sea King Clan, and the Horned Clan—clans whose reputations resound throughout the entire Spirit Realm. Moreover, they will certainly be among the most powerful members of these clans, perhaps even ranking among the top ten in the entire Spirit Realm. Even Senior Ao Xiao, with his mid-Mahayana cultivation, would be powerless against such beings."

Upon hearing this, the others also felt a chill; it was not impossible, and the possibility was extremely high.

"Silver Moon Girl, you know how to say everything. This way, the fellow Daoists will naturally agree with your point of view more." Mo Jianli's heart also pounded. He couldn't even handle ordinary Mahayana cultivators, let alone a powerhouse ranked in the top ten in the entire Spirit Realm.

Those people are so powerful that they would have a high chance of winning even against a powerful true spirit.

Yinyue hesitated, unsure of what to do.

She would never reveal the existence of the Purple Cloud Cave Heaven, even if it meant her death.

Besides the Purple Cloud Cave Heaven and the already exposed Xuan Tian Spirit-Slaying Sword, Nie Zhaonan's only reliance was the terrifying number of mature Gold-Devouring Insects.

However, to withstand a Mahayana powerhouse who ranks among the top in the entire Spirit Realm, at least hundreds of thousands of Gold-Eating Insects would need to be released.

She knew perfectly well that Nie Zhaonan possessed such a large number of Gold-Eating Insects.

But if so many mature Gold-Devouring Insects were released to fight, the temptation for those Mahayana powerhouses would be no less than that of the Xuan Tian Spirit-Slaying Sword, and perhaps even greater.

The appearance of too many mature Gold-Eating Insects is even more troublesome than the appearance of the Xuan Tian Spirit-Slaying Sword.

Firstly, at that level, who wouldn't know the formidable reputation of the mature Gold-Devouring Insect, an ancient and ferocious insect? In fact, many powerful figures in the Spirit Realm cultivate this insect, though in small numbers. Who wouldn't want to obtain such a vast number of Gold-Devouring Insects?

Secondly, while mature Gold-Devouring Insects are indeed powerful, they are not without their drawbacks. Controlling these insects in battle consumes spiritual energy, a fact that even Mahayana cultivators with their vast knowledge would surely be aware of. If Nie Zhaonan were to actually use hundreds of thousands of mature Gold-Devouring Insects in battle, wouldn't that imply that he possesses an astonishing insect-controlling technique? This would only attract even more covetous eyes.
This is also why Nie Zhaonan did not use the mature form of the Gold-Eating Insect to fight the Black Owl King, even though he expended great supernatural powers and magic to activate the Xuan Tian Zhan Ling Sword.

If a large number of Gold-Eating Insects are released to completely annihilate the Black Owl King, it would be fine if the news didn't leak out. However, if it does leak out, it will be even more troublesome than revealing the Xuan Tian Spirit-Slaying Sword.

Fortunately, Nie Zhaonan had this in mind; otherwise, if he had actually used the Gold-Eating Insects to kill the Black Owl King, the Black Owl King would have held out long enough for another Mahayana cultivator from the Yaksha clan to arrive.
Just as Yin Yue was in a dilemma and didn't know what to do, a buzzing sound suddenly came from her body. She immediately took out a communication token from her sleeve with a surprised expression.

This token was the one she used to communicate with the Silver Fairy.

Upon hearing that Nie Zhaonan had caused such a commotion and was still missing when she left the pass, she immediately asked Fairy Silverlight to look after her sisters to prevent anyone from having any bad intentions.

She didn't know why Fairy Silverlight was sending this message at this time, but she had no other choice, so she simply released a wisp of her divine sense to browse its contents.

Everyone was stunned when they saw this.

However, since Yin Yue was the granddaughter of Ao Xiao, no one was tactless enough to urge her on anything.

A moment later, a look of surprise appeared on Yinyue's beautiful face.

"Elder Yin Guang has brought more good news. Even if the ten strongest experts from the Spirit Realm come in person, we don't need to worry about anything." Yin Yue suppressed her excitement and explained to the others.

After saying this, she moved her lips slightly a few times, transmitting her voice secretly.

Ancestor Ao Xiao and Mo Jianli's ears twitched slightly as they heard every word of her voice transmission. They both shuddered in unison, then relaxed completely.

"Well, you really don't need to discuss this matter any further. Let's conclude this council meeting here," Ancestor Ao Xiao said decisively, then calmly walked towards the quiet room behind the main hall.

Mo Jianli naturally walked alongside him, with Yin Yue quietly following behind. "This junior respectfully sees off the senior!" Only then did everyone in the hall react, rising to their feet and bowing in farewell.

Watching the three figures depart, the Nascent Soul stage elders present looked at each other, their eyes meeting with curiosity and deep doubt.

What astonishing news could have averted the crisis so suddenly?

"Could it be that the Xuan Tian Zhan Ling Sword has fallen into the hands of other powerful figures and is no longer related to our two races?"

"Alas, that's probably it. Although neither of our races has gained any benefit, it's the best solution."

"What a pity, Fellow Daoist Nie. Why couldn't he have taken the Xuan Tian Zhan Ling Sword with him and escaped? With his talent, he might have had a chance to fully master this treasure in the future."

After the three elders, including Ao Xiao, left, the people in the hall immediately began to discuss among themselves. After each saying a few words, the gathering ended with the announcement of the white-haired elder.

With their own thoughts, the group of people left the main hall and went to their respective residences.

At the same time, the three of them, including Ao Xiao, arrived at the quiet room behind the main hall, took their seats, and discussed the news they had just learned.

"Tell me, Fellow Daoist Nie, which True Spirit has you become a disciple of?" Ancestor Ao Xiao glanced at Yin Yue and spoke calmly.

“She is a true dragon named ‘Yue Li,’ and she seems to hold a very high position in the true dragon realm,” Yin Yue said softly.

Upon hearing this, Mo Jianli couldn't help but speak up, her tone full of surprise:
"It was her! No wonder she appeared outside our two clans' territories before; she was actually Fellow Daoist Nie's master!"

"Senior Mo knows her?" Yin Yue asked, looking up with some surprise.

"I met her once with your grandfather. It's truly a great opportunity that Fellow Daoist Nie was able to become her disciple, and it's no wonder he possesses such extraordinary strength," Mo Jianli said with a smile.

"Although Fellow Daoist Yue Li's cultivation level is somewhat lacking, only at the early stage of the Integration Realm, her strength is no weaker than that of Old Ghost Mo. Moreover, she has the backing of the entire True Dragon Clan. Since Fellow Daoist Nie is her disciple, I believe no one would be so tactless as to disrespect her." Ancestor Ao Xiao nodded slightly, revealing a satisfied expression.

"Is she that amazing?" Upon hearing this, Yin Yue's jade-like face became somewhat puzzled.

Ancestor Ao Xiao said with some emotion;
“True Dragons are among the top beings in the world of True Spirits, not to mention that she is the most outstanding member of the True Dragon Clan. Her strength is naturally incomparable to that of ordinary Integration Cultivators. The fact that Fellow Daoist Nie is valued by her shows that Fellow Daoist Nie has exceptional talent.”

"However, Silver Moon, you don't need to belittle yourself. After your ordeal in the lower realm, you unexpectedly awakened the Seven Star Moon Body, which can be considered a blessing in disguise. With your original aptitude, you would probably have reached the Void Refinement Realm before reaching your limit. Now, with the Seven Star Moon Body, if you get some more opportunities, there is still a good chance that you will advance to the Mahayana Realm. My aptitude wasn't particularly heaven-defying back then either, but after awakening the Seven Star Moon Body like you, I reached my current level."

Upon hearing this, Yin Yue shook her head, her face turning deathly pale. In the end, she sighed and said nothing.

“I know you have indeed suffered in the lower realm. But now that you have advanced to the Integration Realm, I naturally no longer need to have the same reservations as before. I was never too willing to support an outsider like Tian Kui to take the position of Wolf King. Now that you have taken the position of Wolf King back for me,” said Ancestor Ao Xiao without hesitation.

"Granddaughter has no interest in the Wolf King's throne, which has disappointed her grandfather." Yin Yue's small mouth opened slightly, and after a long while, she murmured.

“Silver Moon Girl, what Brother Ao said is not wrong. Besides, it wasn’t Brother Ao who had malicious intentions first, but Tai Kui who poisoned you first. Why should you still care about the little bit of affection we had before?” Mo Jianli also spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

Given his friendship with Ao Xiao over the past tens of thousands of years, he naturally stood on the side of Yin Yue.

"Back then, Tian Kui secretly attacked me, causing my soul to split in two and trapping me in the lower realm. The superficial affection between us has long since vanished. However, I truly have no desire to assume the position of Wolf King, and I hope Grandfather understands. If it really comes to that, Grandfather can simply have Fairy Silverlight resign from her position as an elder of Tianyuan City. She has cultivated under Grandfather's tutelage for quite some time and possesses half-Silver Wolf blood, making her perfectly suitable for the position of Wolf King." Silver Moon hesitated for a moment before saying this.

"Fellow Daoist Nie is also an ascended cultivator. What is your relationship with him? Is your reluctance to assume the position of Wolf King also because of him?" Ancestor Ao Xiao asked suddenly, his expression suggesting a hint of suspicion.

Silver Moon paused, then gave a wry smile:
“I knew I couldn’t hide it from my grandfather. He helped me a lot when we were in the human world, and I was able to return to the spirit world smoothly thanks to his help.”

"Is that all?" Ancestor Ao Xiao frowned, asking with some disbelief.

Earlier, Yin Yue had been arguing with someone in the main hall, clearly showing great concern for Nie Zhaonan. He didn't believe their relationship could be so simple.

"Hehehe, Fellow Daoist Nie's favorite thing is beautiful women, and Silver Moon is such a beauty. Tsk tsk tsk, what kind of relationship could there be between the two of them? At the very least, they must be confidantes." Mo Jianli's eyes darted around, and he chuckled strangely.

"Is that really so?" Ancestor Ao Xiao raised an eyebrow and looked at Yin Yue. "If Old Ghost Mo guessed correctly, you can admit it. Although Fellow Daoist Nie has a few more Daoist partners, that's a minor matter. If you really like him, I don't mind arranging for you to be betrothed to him."

"Yes, I hope Grandfather will grant my request." A blush flashed across Yin Yue's jade cheeks. Although she and Nie Zhaonan had already pledged their lives to each other, it would be wonderful to receive the blessing of her elders.

“Alright.” Ancestor Ao Xiao smiled and nodded slightly. “As my granddaughter, you have suffered before. This time, your grandfather will not let you suffer again. I will definitely hold a grand ceremony for you.”

"No need, Grandfather. I don't like too much noise, let alone any ceremony, and Brother Nie doesn't like it either. I'm content as long as I can be with him," Yin Yue politely declined. Neither she nor Nie Zhaonan were the type to enjoy grand occasions.

Seeing Ao Xiao's expression falter, Mo Jianli chuckled and said:

“Brother Ao, you should be happy. This time, Yinyue has truly met her ideal husband. Their true love is more important than anything else. If you really want to make it up to your granddaughter, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”

"I'm already very happy that my grandfather agreed to my relationship with Brother Nie," Yin Yue said softly with a smile.

His gaze fell on Yin Yue's face, seeing her calm expression. But as her grandfather, with such profound cultivation, how could he not understand her thoughts? Ancestor Ao Xiao said in a calm voice:
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(End of this chapter)