One of my fairy-like friends

Mingyan shook his head. "We plan to go to deeper parts of the sea."

Yu Mudan nodded with a smile, "I had the same idea, but I won't go with Brother Ming, so as not to make Gu Hanshuang think that Brother Ming is on my side and cause Brother Ming trouble."

She has always been a reasonable woman, so much so that Mingyan often knew she was complicated, yet he couldn't bring himself to dislike her.

As Yu Mudan prepared to leave, her gaze lingered on Yue Qingying and Huang Feiyan's faces one last time. Though her smile remained, she thought to herself... Ming Yan is truly surrounded by too many suitors...

After Yu Mudan left, Yue Qingying said, "Junior brother, you must not get too close to this woman, or you will be deceived by her. The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive people."

Upon hearing this, Huang Feiyan glanced at Yue Qingying in surprise. Did she think she was ugly?

Mingyan looked at his senior sister, hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but say, "Senior sister, you are very beautiful."

"How does it compare to the Jade Peony?" Yue Qingying asked with a smile.

“Of course, Senior Sister is prettier.” Ming Yan didn’t hesitate at all. Compared to Senior Sister, who was Yu Mudan? He didn’t know her; she was just a wildflower by the roadside.

Yue Qingying smiled warmly, "Then do you think your senior sister would lie to you?"

"No." Mingyan shook his head.

"That settles it then? Senior Sister's words certainly didn't include herself." Yue Qing didn't look at Huang Feiyan, but Huang Feiyan felt offended, seriously offended. And you didn't lie to him? That statement itself was a lie!!!

Huang Feiyan was somewhat unconvinced, but she quickly came to her senses. After Yue Qingying's words, not only did they not make Mingyan suspect that she was lying, but they even made Mingyan praise her beauty?! She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she thought about it carefully, it was clearly Yue Qingying's trick!

Huang Feiyan felt a chill run down her spine. So her best friend was this good at playing games? Oh no, this wasn't her forte at all!

Yue Qingying not only had the advantage of being close to the water, but in these details, it seemed that she was no match for him...

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Imperial Mausoleum?

In the south-central part of the Eastern Continent, there is a small town for cultivating immortality. It is not famous, and in fact, very few people in the entire Eastern Continent would know about it. It is not remote, but who would remember such an unknown place?

But two people have come from here, and these two people are quite famous.

One is Ning Zetian, the Holy Son of the Jade Balance Holy Land, and the other is Ning Feixuan, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi. Both of them come from a family in this cultivation town—the Ning family.

The Ning family is the largest and most powerful force in the city, and the actual controller of the city. Their ancestors produced Saint Realm experts, making them stronger than ordinary blessed lands. However, they are extremely low-key, and their family disciples rarely reveal family information when they are outside. Otherwise, such a family would easily be targeted.

Ning Feixuan stood in the backyard of the Ning family. There were many maple trees planted in the yard, and the fallen maple leaves piled up on the ground. It seemed that no one had cleaned it for a long time, and you could smell the rotting.

Ning Feixuan stepped out, and the maple leaves in the backyard were blown up, one after another, rising into the air like a maple leaf tornado. With a wave of her hand, the maple leaf tornado flew out of the city and scattered into the forest outside the city, becoming nutrients.

How long has it been since she last came back? Ning Feixuan had forgotten. Was it five years ago? Or six years ago?

She walked slowly to her parents' graves. The couple were buried together, and their names were particularly conspicuous. In addition, Ning Feixuan's name could also be seen. She was the couple's only daughter, and no one else would pay their respects to them.

This is a family devoid of kinship. They are single-mindedly focused on cultivating a powerful figure to lead the entire family to glory, and even to catch up with those families founded or made famous by the Supreme Emperor.

In this family, exceptional talent means more resources; there is no room for personal relationships or kinship.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. In this dog-eat-dog world, talent is the foundation of future strength. Who would want to waste resources on someone with terrible talent?

Ning Feixuan gently stroked the two names on the tombstone with her fingertips, remaining silent as she recalled the past.

"Girl, don't let others look down on you." Her father sat at the table, sipping his wine. She rarely saw her father so happy. In her memory, her father was always somewhat gloomy and silent.

That day, her family considered her exceptionally talented, so they would focus on nurturing her.

Perhaps it was because her father had suffered a lot of injustice after becoming a cripple that he felt so happy to see his daughter, who was just as talented as he once was and was highly valued by the family. At least, his daughter could inherit the goals that he had not been able to achieve.

Her mother ruffled her hair and teased her gently, "From now on, our family will depend on you, Feixuan."

She might not have fully understood her mother's words yet, but she nodded vigorously, her little face serious, and said very earnestly, "Yes! I will protect my parents!"

Did she protect her well? No.

Ning Feixuan withdrew her hand, remained silent for a moment, and thought to herself: Father, Mother, your unfilial daughter will avenge you... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I will return with Ning Zetian's head to pay my respects...

"Feixuan?"

Just then, a slightly surprised voice came from the backyard gate. Ning Feixuan turned her head and saw a woman standing at the backyard gate. She had a graceful figure and a rather outstanding appearance. Although she was not as good as Ning Feixuan, she was still quite pretty.

She stood up and smiled, "Sister Rong."

The woman's name was Ning Yourong. She was actually about five or six years older than Ning Feixuan. In the past, Ning Zetian, Ning Feixuan, and Ning Yourong were the three geniuses of the Ning family, and each of them had someone supporting them at home.

Ning Feixuan was hiding and was not found by Ning Zetian. Later, Ning Yourong found her and sent people to protect her. She then took her to tell the family head about the matter, but the family head did not punish Ning Zetian, which greatly disappointed Ning Feixuan and Ning Yourong. Later, after hearing about this, the Huang family sent Huang Junyi to the place in person and took Ning Feixuan away from the Ning family.

If it weren't for Ning Yourong protecting her, she might have died long ago.

"How long has it been since you came back?" Ning Yourong walked into the backyard and sighed softly. "You've grown up. When you last came back, you were just a young girl. Now, you've blossomed into such a stunning beauty."

"It's been about five or six years... How is Sister Rong doing?" Ning Feixuan asked.

She could tell that Ning Yourong was only at the initial stage of the Qi Sea realm. At this age, even if one could still be considered a genius at the initial stage of the Qi Sea realm, she was already starting to blend into the crowd... Although she was a bit older than Ning Yourong and Ning Zetian back then, the talent she displayed was only slightly inferior to theirs. Now, she was already twenty-three or twenty-four years old and only at the initial stage of the Qi Sea realm...

The Ning family lacks the Supreme Dao Imperial Scripture. Even the most outstanding genius, without a suitable scripture, will find it difficult to fully utilize their talents...

"Not bad. Your cultivation seems to have improved again. When you came back last time, your cultivation was no different from mine. Now, it seems that I can't even catch up with you..." Ning Yourong sighed. "Your cultivation speed is really amazing."

When Ning Feixuan returned last time, she was accompanied by the Yaochi Elder. At that time, Ning Feixuan's Yangling was full of energy, and Ning Yourong's Yangling was also full of energy.

"I have already broken through to the Divine Palace realm," Ning Feixuan said with a smile. "What brings Sister Rong to the backyard?"

"I'm planning to clean the backyard. Not many people come here usually, and there's a lot of fallen leaves... Shenque, if your second uncle knew what you've achieved, he'd be so proud of you." Ning Yourong's eyes were complicated, her gaze involuntarily lowered, as if she felt slightly inferior upon hearing about Ning Feixuan's cultivation level...

Ning Feixuan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Sister Rong, has Ning Zetian come back recently?"

“No, he hasn’t come back since he was expelled from the Ning family.” Ning Yourong shook her head.

Although the Ning family did not deal with Ning Zetian's matter immediately, they were somewhat worried after the Huang family took Ning Feixuan away. With Ning Yourong's efforts, Ning Zetian was eventually expelled from the Ning family and severed ties with them.

"..." Ning Feixuan nodded. "I should go now, Sister Rong."

"...Have you not let go of those things from back then?" Ning Yourong hesitated for a moment before asking.

"How can I be at peace if I don't bring him back to pay respects to my parents with his head?" Ning Feixuan did not hide anything from Ning Yourong. Five years ago, she told Ning Yourong that she would take revenge. How could simply expelling him from the Ning family be enough?

Killing him twice wouldn't be enough to quell the hatred in my heart.

"...If I can help, please don't hesitate to ask me for help," Ning Yourong said softly after hearing this.

Ning Feixuan smiled, didn't say anything more, just nodded slightly, and left.

Ning Yourong stood watching Ning Feixuan's figure soar into the sky, remained silent for a moment, then turned back to look at the tombstones of Ning Feixuan's parents before leaving.

-----------------------

In Nanzhou, Mingyan, Yue Qingying, and Huang Feiyan have already left the South China Sea Dragon Palace. There's no need to explore that restricted sea area; it's too dangerous.

Moreover, they had previously learned some news in the Dragon Palace of the South China Sea that they had discovered some amazing opportunities on the way, so the group set off immediately without hesitation.

Although not elaborated, the phrase "amazing opportunity" is enough to prove something.

Two days later, the two arrived at their destination.

This area is still in the deep sea, buried in the ocean depths. The originally dark and gloomy sea is now illuminated by a large number of light sources. There are a lot of young cultivators gathered here, as well as several carriages, all pulled by sea creatures. Mysterious runes are engraved on the carriages, which faintly reveal a powerful aura. This is definitely not the younger generation. Could this be another force in the sea?

Mingyan was somewhat surprised. He casually asked someone about the situation and learned that there was a large tomb deep in this sea area. The person buried in it must have been extremely powerful, even attracting the powerful forces in the sea. The carriages were filled with experts at the Human Realm, and there were many cultivators at the Xuanji Realm lying in wait nearby.

Yue Qingying transmitted her voice to Ming Yan, "Something's not right. Why are all these experts at the Transcendent Realm here?"

The races in the sea have also produced supreme emperors, and naturally there are also powerful families with the strength of holy lands. Generally speaking, they do not participate in the training of outside cultivators, but at this time they not only appeared, but also showed that they would not stand idly by.

Huang Feiyan looked towards the core area surrounded by the crowd. Among the coral and rocks, she could vaguely see an ancient bronze gate. The gate was simple and unadorned, with no runes visible on it. However, people would occasionally use their magic to attack the gate. The magic would be instantly annihilated upon contact with the gate, as if it had been swallowed up.

“Even cultivators at the Human Realm can’t stay here, so what’s buried here is probably a Great Saint Realm being, or even more powerful…” Huang Feiyan frowned. “If there are Great Saint artifacts or Human King artifacts here, although they are not as important as Emperor artifacts, they are still extremely important… and might even be…”

“Yes, this is an imperial tomb…” Ming Yan frowned and said, “Otherwise, why would the forces in these sea areas go to such lengths?”

Imperial tombs are extremely special. Unless there are any changes inside, or they are built within the lineage they created and protected, most emperors would consider whether their tombs would be robbed after their death. They would leave restrictions: external restrictions to prevent the imperial tomb from being discovered, and internal restrictions to protect it from invasion.

Of course, not all emperors are like this. Some emperors did not establish their own lineage, so their imperial tombs often do not have many restrictions, but only certain tests, so that those who enter can undergo trials and perhaps obtain their inherited lineage.

If these are tombs of Great Saints or Human Kings, it's rather strange that they haven't been discovered for so many years, especially since this place isn't far from the South Sea Dragon Palace...

But if it's an imperial tomb... that seems more reasonable.

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Playing with Feelings

As the three were wondering if this was an imperial tomb, a voice suddenly appeared in Mingyan's mind, "This is an imperial tomb."

The voice belonged to Gu Hanshuang. Ming Yan immediately looked up and saw Gu Hanshuang. She was surrounded by some people, probably her followers. She was looking at him. "However, with these Transcendent Realm cultivators blocking our way, we probably won't get much."

Mingyan looked at the carriages and could faintly sense extremely powerful auras inside. With these people present, it was indeed difficult for them to gain anything. This was also why many places used to train the younger generation had restrictions, preventing cultivators above a certain level from entering.

After all, if people were to enter, even someone like Gu Han Shuang would have to flee in panic. What chance would they have to seize? They might just get crushed in one fell swoop.

"Brother Ming, this is probably an imperial tomb. What are your thoughts?"

At this moment, Yu Mudan also sent a telepathic message to Ming Yan. Ming Yan searched for a while but could not find Yu Mudan. She was much more low-key and quite good at hiding herself.

"Hmph, Jade Peony sent you a telepathic message, didn't she?" Gu Hanshuang snorted coldly, her tone somewhat disdainful. "She really isn't willing to give up."

Before Ming Yan could respond, he heard Yu Mudan continue to transmit her voice, "Did Gu Hanshuang say something to Brother Ming?"

"..." Ming Yan was speechless for a moment. "You two really have great chemistry. Not only did you both send me telepathic messages at the same time, but you also knew that the other had sent one to you..."

“If these people really want to divide up the opportunities, there’s nothing we can do but give up,” Mingyan transmitted his voice. “Unless you have a solution.”

Mingyan relayed these words to Gu Hanshuang and Yu Mudan. It's exhausting to have to deal with these two women.

Huang Feiyan noticed Gu Hanshuang's presence and saw her staring straight at them... Gu Hanshuang couldn't possibly be staring at her or Yue Qingying, so it could only be Ming Yan. Were the two of them communicating telepathically?

She secretly tugged at Yue Qingying and gestured towards Gu Hanshuang's direction with her lips, indicating that Yue Qingying should look over there. Soon, Yue Qingying also noticed this.

Huang Feiyan told Yue Qingying about it because she thought Yue Qingying had a better idea of ​​what they were talking about. Although Huang Feiyan thought it was something important, she thought that if they talked, there was bound to be some sparks, so it would be better to have Yue Qingying remind them so that Mingyan wouldn't be misled by this woman.

But Yue Qingying didn't speak. She glanced at Huang Feiyan and shook her head.

Yue Qingying understands Mingyan better and knows that Mingyan would never secretly flirt with Gu Hanshuang. If Mingyan were really that kind of person, would she need to be like this now? She would have already taken things "further" with her junior brother.

“I do have a way to infiltrate, but… Gu Hanshuang knows I have this ability, and it might make her aware of my relationship with Brother Ming… at least it’s closer than she imagines.” Yu Mudan transmitted her voice, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. “Is that alright?”

Was she forcing him to take sides? Her words just now were undoubtedly telling Mingyan that if he went with her, Gu Hanshuang would see him as being on her side, and he could forget about ever being with Gu Hanshuang again.

It's not just about forcing himself to take sides; it might even be a test of his attitude, because he has never expressed his stance on who he's on. And he doesn't want to stay out of it like before. Now, Mingyan is not only learning about the past between the two, but also getting more deeply involved in the conflict between them.

If he continues to be ambiguous, he will likely fail to gain the trust of either of them, let alone mediate their relationship.

This ambiguous relationship can't go on... Mingyan pondered for a while; gaining their trust wouldn't be easy...

After thinking for a while, Mingyan directly transmitted his voice to Gu Hanshuang, telling her what Yu Mudan had just told him.