One of my fairy-like friends

"What I mean is, even if my relationship with my junior brother is closer than you imagine, it seems that it's none of your business now, right?" Yue Qingying smiled slightly. "Besides, after my junior brother suffers a setback with Ning Feixuan, who he chooses is not something you can decide, is it? Even my master can't decide such things; only my junior brother can choose for himself."

"Don't forget, you're his senior sister. He only has feelings for you from the sect." Huang Feiyan was somewhat incredulous. She never expected that her best friend, with whom she had a very good relationship, with whom she could confide and even betray each other behind their backs, would say such a thing. Would she abandon her best friend for her junior brother?

"That's not necessarily true." Yue Qingying's smile was subtle.

"Are you planning to take this from me?" Huang Feiyan asked anxiously. "You can't do this, Qingying."

"I'm sorry, Fei Yan, but I can't back down on this matter." Yue Qingying's tone was extremely firm.

Chapter Seventy-Six Common Rival

Huang Feiyan looked at Yue Qingying with a strange expression, unable to believe her ears. "Qing...Qingying...do you know what you're saying?"

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” Yue Qingying said. “I also know exactly what I’m doing.”

"...When exactly did you fall for Mingyan?!" Huang Feiyan was utterly bewildered. "You knew...you knew that Mingyan and I...we were already in this kind of relationship, yet you..."

"Is that what you call a relationship?" Yue Qingying sighed softly. "Feiyan, do you know, do you know, that Master tested me before? I noticed her strange attitude and thought she didn't want me and Junior Brother to get too close. I painfully told Master that I didn't have those feelings for Junior Brother. Was I worried and afraid? And that was before your Huang family came to propose marriage. If it weren't for that, in my Master's eyes, Junior Brother and I were the most well-matched..."

Seeing the faint melancholy in Yue Qingying's tone, Huang Feiyan, knowing Yue Qingying as she did, knew that she was not lying.

Moreover, to be honest, the two have known each other for a long time. Over the years, Huang Feiyan has never seen Yue Qingying try to compete for anything. She is always peaceful and unassuming. Of course, she also has a ruthless side, but in general, her friend rarely has a strong desire to get anything. This is the first time Huang Feiyan has seen Yue Qingying so determined to compete for something.

But some things must be held onto; these are not things that can be given away to each other simply because they are considered strange.

"Even so, Qingying, you've already rejected me. Now... I am Mingyan's fiancée!" Huang Feiyan's tone was extremely firm. She absolutely could not back down on this matter. She and Mingyan had already been through a lot. When he saved her, she was so focused on how he could save her aunt that she didn't even realize she had developed a faint affection for him. Family matters did require her and Mingyan to be together, but that wasn't the reason Huang Feiyan chose to be with Mingyan. It merely awakened her, making her realize that she had already developed feelings for Mingyan.

Huang Feiyan still remembers the scene where he let her recover in the cave and delayed Yunling all by himself until she was almost fully recovered. At that time, Mingyan was only at the Accumulation Flow Realm, but he protected her, who was at the Qi Sea Realm.

That silhouette is unforgettable.

“Then it seems we have nothing to talk about.” Yue Qingying said with some regret. “Feiyan, I didn’t want things to come to this point… but since you’re unwilling to give up, let’s see who has the better ability.”

This is unfair. Yue Qingying is Mingyan's senior sister, while she's just a "friend." The distance between them is completely different. They say proximity breeds envy, but Yue Qingying is getting way too close...

But there was nothing she could do. Huang Feiyan sighed inwardly, "Qingying, do you... really want to do this? Are you sure that your feelings for Mingyan are... love?"

Yue Qingying smiled gently, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I can be sure," Huang Feiyan said firmly. That scene was too deep, etched in her heart, and she would never forget it. The more threatened this relationship was, the clearer she could see her own thoughts.

Neither her second aunt nor Qingying could sway her mind.

"Then why do you think I can't tell the difference?" Yue Qingying chuckled. The scenes in her dreams were incredibly real, but she didn't know who her junior brother was. That was the future, not a dream.

Is it absurd to fall in love with someone before anything has even happened? This is not something Yue Qingying can consider. Does she really want to live like the future she sees in her dreams, only to realize its value after losing it?

Is the purpose of life to lose things, and then regret them afterward? Yue Qingying had no such intention.

She would try to change the future outcome. Her junior brother wouldn't die. If she really couldn't change it, then at least before that happened, wouldn't it be better for her and her junior brother to have a good time than to leave with regrets?

“It seems… there’s really nothing left to talk about on this issue…” Huang Feiyan sighed softly. “I thought you didn’t have those feelings for Mingyan, so I agreed to the family’s idea of ​​bringing Mingyan and me together without any pressure. But now that things have come to this, there’s no turning back. I won’t regret it. Qingying, if one of us has to give up, it won’t be me.”

"That's hard to say..." Yue Qingying chuckled. After all, the two were still good friends of many years, so they didn't fall out and both left each other with some leeway.

Moreover, neither of them could tell Mingyan their thoughts right now, because they both had a common enemy ahead of them: Ning Feixuan.

Both of them were waiting for Mingyan to give up on Ning Feixuan; only then could they tell Mingyan...

Before that, there might have been some unexpected events, but after what happened on the Holy Mountain, Huang Feiyan felt that Mingyan might not be so stubborn anymore. Just as he said, he would make some changes.

After the two finished discussing the topic, they returned to Mingyan's side. Naturally, they wouldn't reveal to Mingyan that one needed to hide her feelings and play the role of his senior sister, while the other also needed to hide her feelings and play the role of his friend.

Mingyan didn't ask any more questions. He planned to go down and explore. After seeing the two of them come down, he and the two of them dived down to a deeper place to explore the ruins.

Nothing remained in the ruins except for the Daoist runes that had not been corroded by the seawater.

Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying knew more than Ming Yan and knew the situation in the sea without him having to explain.

"These patterns were left behind by civilizations tens of millions of years ago..." Huang Feiyan sighed slightly. Tens of millions of years... what a long time! Even the Supreme Emperor, in his entire life, could only live two lifetimes at most, a maximum of twenty thousand years. And their records only go back a few million years...

"I've heard that although there were cultivators back then, their system was different from ours," Ming Yan said. "But they seem to have some similarities. I wonder if that civilization was also composed of humans and demons..."

Previously, Yu Mudan said that the opportunities they found here could be used. In a sense, the cultivation system at that time was similar to that now, and even the core was the same.

However, according to the records of the demon race, when they arrived here, their cultivation system was chaotic, and it was difficult to reach a high level. It was not until the supreme being of the human race created and unified the current cultivation system that the systems of the human and demon races were finally finalized.

These civilizations, though they may be of the same kind as them, are of unknown origin... Their civilizations have been severed, or at least not left in this world, otherwise they would have discovered them long ago, wouldn't they?

"I wonder how these civilizations became extinct. Could it be that there was a dark upheaval tens of millions of years ago?" Yue Qingying said. "Ultimately, they were no match for the dark upheaval and perished as a result?"

“If the Dark Turmoil had wiped them out, this world would have been taken over by those invaders from other realms long ago, wouldn’t it?” Mingyan laughed. “What chance would we have?”

“That’s true.” Yue Qingying smiled gently. “I wonder if anyone is willing to investigate the reasons for the extinction of the last civilization. Perhaps we can find some insights.”

Looking at the runes on the wall, Huang Feiyan heard Yue Qingying talking about the Dark Turmoil and couldn't help but think of something, "Do you still remember the nine starting points of human civilization?"

Upon hearing this, Mingyan nodded. "I remember that Jade Mountain in the Yaochi Holy Land is a place like that."

"According to records from the Huang family, the earliest legends didn't mention nine, but eight. Later, for some reason, the sacred mountain of the demon race was also included. So, strictly speaking, it's not nine starting points of human civilization, but rather nine starting points of civilization for both humans and demons..." Huang Feiyan said, "The number nine is truly fascinating..."

She continued, "On Yaoguang Star, there are a total of nine forbidden zones for life, two in each state and one in the central abyss. According to the records of the Huang family's ancient books, in the earliest legends, the central abyss was also a starting point of civilization..."

“Nine forbidden zones of life...nine starting points of civilization…” Ming Yan frowned upon hearing this, falling into deep thought.

"Moreover, regarding the starting points of civilization... besides the Central Abyss, there are two in each state... The starting point of civilization in the Western Continent isn't recorded in the Huang family's ancient books, but Jade Mountain in Yaochi, Eastern Continent, and Rust Lake of the An family are both legendary starting points of civilization. In the Southern Continent, Sacred Mountain is one, but the other isn't recorded. The Northern Continent also has two starting points of civilization, but the records are vague, without names, only a general location." Huang Feiyan raised an eyebrow. "Besides the Central Abyss, there are eight starting points of civilization, eight forbidden zones of life..."

"What you've said is truly chilling to think about." Yue Qingying was also surprised. There have always been theories about the starting point of civilization in the world, but various versions exist. Apart from the widely recognized starting point of civilization, the sacred mountain of the demon race, Lijing Mountain, other starting points of civilization, including Jade Mountain, are all controversial.

Human records of ancient times are vague, as are those of the demon race. However, the Phoenix Clan is slightly different. Not only is the Phoenix Clan ancient, but it also inherited most of the things of the Phoenix God Clan, including some records from the time when the two great god clans existed. The origins of the two great god clans are very mysterious, so the Phoenix Clan can almost be considered the oldest historical library in the world.

Ming Yan raised an eyebrow, shocked, and said, "Fei Yan, do you mean that we were also invaders from the outer realms during the Dark Turmoil?"

"...It's just my imagination, don't take it seriously." Seeing Ming Yan's surprise, Huang Feiyan quickly said, "There is no evidence for these things. After all, even in the ancient books of the Huang family, there are some places that are not recorded. Unless we find these places and some clues, what I just said is just nonsense."

Chapter 77 The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive.

Despite Huang Feiyan's words, Ming Yan was deeply disturbed upon closer examination. Although it was only a hypothetical scenario, if there was even the slightest possibility that it was true, it would likely overturn their current understanding of the past...

After all, if that were the case, wouldn't they be the invaders who wiped out the original civilization?

Are they from the same source as the current invaders from other realms? But if that's the case, why do the invaders from other realms kill without any reason?

They won't cooperate with anyone; they came into this world solely to kill...

Or perhaps... the former intruder and the intruded have simply changed their identities...?

Mingyan remained silent. There was no point in thinking about these things now. He would investigate the truth when he was strong enough.

“Let’s go. These areas near the port have probably been looted clean over the years. Let’s not waste time here,” Mingyan said, shaking his head to the two women beside him.

Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying nodded, and the three of them headed deeper into the sea.

On the way, neither Huang Feiyan nor Yue Qingying showed anything unusual. Neither of them exposed the other, because if they did, the other might expose them in return. So they reached a delicate balance.

This sea area is so vast that it seems to have no end. It is said that the ocean of Yaoguang Star is much larger than the entire continent. If one were to blindly explore it and lose one's way, it would be extremely troublesome to return to the port. Therefore, as they traveled, Mingyan left marks along the way to determine his direction and record the time, so as not to miss the opportunity to return.

The shallow sea is quite lively, with many marine creatures, but once you enter the deep sea, it becomes quiet. There are very few creatures here, and the seabed is pitch black, with no one knowing what it hides.

After exploring for three or four days, Mingyan and his group went ashore. They found an island in the sea. The island was not very big, but there were some floating islands above it and some palaces hidden in the water below. This was obviously a force in the sea.

Mingyan saw familiar faces here; he had met them once before at the port. He wanted to come and inquire about some places the locals might know about, since they might not usually go to certain places.

With so many people living here, the only places that might offer opportunities are the more dangerous ones, the places that even the locals don't want to go. The other so-called opportunities have probably already been taken by the locals and those who came to this sea area later to gain experience.

Risk and reward go hand in hand, so caution is advised.

The three entered the island in the sea, rested for a while, and chatted with the people on the island. They then learned that this was a small island at the edge of the sea, which could be considered a city. Every ten years, many foreign cultivators would pass through this place, and they were used to it. However, when they asked about the more dangerous sea areas nearby, the person told Mingyan and the others that there was no such place nearby. The sea had been turned upside down, and even if there had been anything there before, there couldn't be any now.

Mingyan wasn't surprised. He asked about the direction to the deep sea and what to do if he got lost at sea. The locals were very helpful and gave Mingyan a compass, pointed him in the right direction, and told him a place name. The compass was engraved with Taoist magic and wouldn't be affected by the magnetic field in the sea.

Mingyan was very grateful and gave the other party some spirit crystals as a token of his thanks, but the other party refused to accept them.

After a short rest, Mingyan and the two women continued on their way.

With a general direction in mind, this time, Mingyan and his two companions moved much faster and didn't stop.

There's basically no need to look at the nearby sea area. Over the millions of years, this area has been opened up hundreds of thousands of times. It would be a miracle if there were anything still around here, unless the treasure itself grew legs and ran down here to hide.

Only by venturing into their deepest, most secluded places can one find some opportunities.

Two days later, they arrived at the South China Sea Dragon Palace, a city in the sea, as described by the enthusiastic locals they had met on the island.

Mingyan found the name somewhat familiar. He had read a mortal novel called Journey to the West before, in which Sun Wukong went to the Dragon Palace in the sea to obtain a weapon. However, that was the East Sea Dragon Palace, while this place was the South Sea Dragon Palace. He wondered if the Sea-Stabilizing Treasure existed here? That is, Sun Wukong's weapon, the Heavenly River-Stabilizing Treasure Iron - the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel).

The majority of people in this underwater city are demons. It is difficult for humans to settle on the seabed. For humans with their cultivation level, it is not a problem. However, human newborns are not born with supernatural abilities like demons. These babies are born in the sea and can only be well protected by their parents. Before their cultivation level is high, living in the sea not only makes it difficult to breathe, but also causes their internal organs to be ruptured by the strong pressure of the sea. Newborns simply cannot withstand it.

In short, there are various problems with humans settling in the sea, so only a few people live in the sea city, and the majority of the people in the city are demons.

The South China Sea Dragon Palace was far more bustling than the previous island. Ming Yan had just arrived in the city when he saw Yu Mudan. A man and a woman were standing beside her, seemingly talking about something.

Ming Yan narrowed his eyes but did not step forward. However, Yu Mudan seemed to notice Ming Yan, her gaze swept over him, a smile on her lips, and she quickly walked over.

"Why did Yu Mudan come here?" Huang Feiyan was a little surprised. Wasn't she supposed to keep her distance from them openly?

Yue Qingying also raised her eyebrows slightly. She had always been somewhat wary of this woman. It was even harder to guess what a seemingly approachable woman was thinking. You had no idea what she was thinking.

Ming Yan stopped in his tracks, somewhat surprised that the man and woman beside Yu Mudan did not follow and quickly left.

Yu Mudan walked up to Ming Yan, smiled, and greeted the group, "Brother Ming, Fairy Huang, Fairy Yue, it's nice to see you again."

“I’m a little surprised that you came up to greet me first…” Mingyan said.

"I just felt there was no need to hide it. After all, Gu Hanshuang knows how much I care about you. If I deliberately keep my distance from Brother Ming, she might overthink it. What do you think, Brother Ming?" Yu Mudan smiled gently.

It seems to make sense.

"Has Fairy Jade gained anything?" Ming Yan didn't distance himself from her; they only chatted for a few words. Could Gu Han Shuang really conclude that she was Jade Peony's person? That's impossible. Even if Gu Han Shuang had that suspicion, she wouldn't do it this way.

Yu Mudan shook her head regretfully, "There are quite a few relics in the sea, but so-called opportunities... are very rare. However, I just learned some news. I heard that there is a sea area nearby that may contain opportunities, but unfortunately, there is some kind of restriction. With our strength, we have no way to enter it."

Prohibition?

Mingyan asked, "Could we discuss this in more detail?"

"Brother Ming, are you interested?" Upon hearing this, Yu Mudan glanced at Ming Yan with her beautiful eyes without leaving a trace, and then smiled and said, "I heard from the locals that the forbidden area leads to the depths of the sea, where there is a huge underwater ruin... However, it is rumored that many ghosts were born in that place, and many local residents who mistakenly entered it were bewitched and died. Later, a Great Sage entered it and was unable to deal with it, so he sealed it away."

Upon hearing that even a Great Sage-level expert couldn't handle it, Ming Yan felt a pang of regret and had no choice but to abandon his exploration plan.

"It doesn't seem to be a good place, and there are restrictions, so there's no way to get in," Mingyan said. He noticed Yu Mudan's gaze, so he emphasized that he couldn't go in to avoid arousing any suspicion from Yu Mudan, as he didn't trust her yet.

This woman has a knack for scheming.

Yu Mudan chuckled, "Brother Ming, have you made any gains?"