Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

Happy times pass by in the blink of an eye.

The cloud-carriage and precious carriage moved as swiftly as colorful clouds, and the mountain villa was already close at hand.

Qiao Shuang had never hated those eight savage dragons so much. They were slow when they should have been fast and slow when they should have been slow. What a bunch of lazy bums!

Roar!

The cloud-carriage slowly came to a stop in the courtyard.

Dozens of maids and servants were already waiting there.

Ning Yuan stretched and slowly walked out of the carriage.

The eight dragons huffed and puffed, vying to please the boy. Several of their enormous heads circled the boy's body, their nostrils twitching slightly as they exhaled scorching breath and carefully nuzzled him.

Little did they know, their true caretakers were watching with a frosty expression.

"Qiao Shuang, you may leave now."

Ning Yuan gave an order, then said to the girl who had silently followed him out, "As for you, come with me now."

...

...

Xiao Lingjiang's mind went blank the moment she lost.

Before they knew it, they were already on the cloud chariot.

She felt incredibly bitter and didn't even dare to look up at Ning Yuan.

It wasn't just the difference in their backgrounds that made them so different; even their proud swordsmanship was no match for each other.

Everything she planned, prepared, and believed was wrong.

He was smug in front of Ning Yuan, but he was utterly defeated.

Like a ridiculous clown jumping around.

Just as Xiao Lingjiang was doubting herself, a clear, cold voice snapped her out of her daze at the crucial moment.

"Losing is losing. Does losing once mean you have to be slaughtered like this? This is not my disciple, nor is this the Xiao Lingjiang I acknowledge."

Xiao Lingjiang was suddenly startled.

Her red lips were tightly closed, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. In an instant, her mind became clear and her spirit was refreshed.

Yes, it's not the first time I've lost, is it?

Born into a collateral branch of the family, she was used as a sacrifice in a political marriage, failed her breakthrough, and lost all her cultivation...

I've overcome so many hardships, so what's wrong with losing again?

Xiao Lingjiang actually understood everything in her heart.

But suddenly she felt a little afraid to face Ning Yuan.

This wasn't just about the boy's almost supernatural, unfathomable swordsmanship that overwhelmed her.

After calming down, she realized that from the moment she provoked the hunter, she had been like prey, lured into a trap step by step.

Xiao Lingjiang felt an indescribable sense of suffocation, as if she were a doll in Ning Yuan's hands, only able to be manipulated by him, and no matter how much she struggled, she could not escape his grasp.

"Master, what should we do now?"

Xiao Lingjiang was at a loss for what to do; one wrong step could lead to another.

With the renowned Fairy Lingyin in charge, along with eight Golden Core Crimson Dragons and the magical Nine-Colored Heavenly Chariot, he had virtually no chance of escape.

Are we really going to let Ning Yuan succeed?

"There's no rush right now. You should adapt to the situation and wait for the right opportunity. I will make my move when the time is right."

Upon receiving this promise, Xiao Lingjiang felt a sudden sense of peace.

She clutched her clothes tightly, anxiously awaiting her fate.

...

...

Upon entering the courtyard, Xiao Lingjiang, who was following Ning Yuan and led by a maidservant, also witnessed the extravagance of the son of the Imperial Preceptor.

Golden nails and vermilion doors, jade pillars and silver gates, painted beams and carved pillars, vermilion eaves and green tiles.

Rare medicinal herbs, spirit wines, elixirs, and spirit fruits are displayed on any jade table.

The incense from the purple furnace wafted in the air, rising in the shape of a dragon. Taking a light breath, one felt light and ethereal, as if floating on air.

Xiao Lingjiang secretly found a table and chair and sat down, watching Ning Yuan warily.

"Master, how is it?"

"No rush, let's wait a bit longer. That Golden Core maid hasn't retreated at all; she's hiding outside. Besides, I've discovered that the entire manor is shrouded in a great formation. Even if we manage to evade the people, we might not be able to escape successfully."

Xiao Lingjiang's heart sank, and she was about to ask what to do next.

At this moment, Ning Yuan walked over.

He casually tossed a dress over his shoulder, which conveniently covered Xiao Lingjiang's head.

The girl hurriedly took off her dress, clutched it to her chest, and tensed up.

"What are you going to do?"

Ning Yuan smiled gently, spreading his hands slightly to indicate that he meant no harm.

"Xiao Lingjiang, this is a promise you made to me. If you lost the magic duel, you would change my skirt. Here, take the skirt. Go and change."

Xiao Lingjiang looked at the skirt in her arms with some doubt.

I was shocked when I saw it.

It is majestic and awe-inspiring, overflowing with precious light. Occasionally, dazzling and ethereal phantoms of spirits and mythical beasts surge forth, creating a breathtaking and mesmerizing scene.

This is actually a rare and precious treasure!

"The flowing cloud-patterned fairy dress is a spiritual treasure forged by the Primordial Spirit True Lord using stardust from the Nine Heavens, silkworm silk from the Cloud Dream, and the essence blood of ten thousand beasts, tempered with true fire for eighty-one days. It is not only exceptionally beautiful, but also possesses defensive, offensive, evil-repelling, and water and fire-avoiding effects..."

Ning Yuan slowly explained the origin and power of the flowing cloud fairy dress with wide sleeves.

Watching the handsome young man speak so confidently, Xiao Lingjiang finally couldn't help but murmur, "Such a treasure, and you just give it to me like this?"

Ning Yuan paused slightly, then said calmly, "It's yours."

It wasn't that Xiao Lingjiang lost her composure; it's just that treasures of the Spirit Treasure level are extremely rare.

Such a fairy dress is something even some Golden Core female cultivators cannot obtain, and can only look on with envy.

Although his family was one of the twelve pillar families that had followed the Great Ancestor of Li in expanding the territory, they were relegated to the margins after the change of family head because they failed to choose sides in time.

Cultivators from small sects or independent cultivators in the mountains may have it even harder, but Xiao Lingjiang had never seen a treasure of the spiritual treasure level before.

It's not as good as the best, but it's better than the worst.

"I……"

Xiao Lingjiang opened her mouth to speak, but Ning Yuan immediately interrupted her.

"Stop talking nonsense and go change. Your current outfit isn't exactly what I'm looking for to talk to."

Xiao Lingjiang looked extremely disheveled at this moment, with her hair in disarray and her robes torn. She resembled a bullied young woman, a far cry from the valiant and confident female sword cultivator she had been before.

Even so, Xiao Lingjiang was still filled with shame and indignation.

She was not his obedient and pitiful maid; who could accept such an attitude?

"Ling Jiang, listen to him and go exchange it. Since he's offering this treasure willingly, what reason do we have to refuse? With my help, you can quickly refine this spiritual treasure; it might come in handy later."

Xiao Lingjiang: "………"

The girl silently got up and went to the inner room.

After the girl left, Ning Yuan finally sat down with a relaxed air.

However, the gentle smile and refined demeanor that had been on his face vanished instantly.

Ning Yuan stared blankly at Xiao Lingjiang's retreating figure, his eyes filled with indifference.

Unlike the flirtatious and ambiguous behavior he displayed along the way, Ning Yuan remained completely unmoved, and even harbored murderous intent.

A hundred years later, Xiao Lingjiang, along with three others, chased him to the Outer Heaven. If it weren't for the miraculous effects of the mysterious jade tablet, he would have already died.

Although nothing had happened yet, Ning Yuan could not forget the memory of that moment of despair and pain.

A blood feud is irreconcilable!

Should we kill her now?