One of my fairy-like friends

Gu Hanshuang's expression remained unchanged. She turned her head away, not facing him, but after a short while, she replied telepathically, "So? You're planning to side with Yu Mudan?"

“Compared to Yu Mudan’s personality, perhaps your straightforwardness makes me feel more at ease. If I really have to take sides, your side is more trustworthy,” Mingyan said. “Originally, I didn’t want to get involved in your affairs, but since Yu Mudan started these things, I can’t possibly side with her…”

When Gu Hanshuang heard Ming Yan hesitate, she knew he was waiting for her to make some promises. She replied, "If you stand on my side, what I said before will still stand. In addition, you will have one less enemy. I do not want to be your enemy, and I suppose you do not want to be my enemy either. If you can help me deal with Yu Mudan, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. I guarantee it with my surname."

Ming Yan paused for a moment, then said, "I guarantee it with my surname... Gu Han Shuang is the Emperor's own daughter, the owner of Li Jian Feng, the daughter of the Emperor who proved his Dao with the sword. Guaranteeing it with my own surname is a very serious statement."

"So, are you willing to help me deal with Yu Mudan?" Gu Hanshuang didn't look in this direction because she knew Yu Mudan was in the shadows. Therefore, she didn't want Yu Mudan to see that she was communicating with Ming Yan, so as not to be exposed.

"Let me think about it. After all, if I agree, although you won't become my enemy, I will be standing on the opposite side of Yu Mudan."

Mingyan will agree, but there's one more thing to do first.

He transmitted his voice to Yu Mudan, telling her about her previous conversation with Gu Hanshuang.

Yu Mudan remained silent for a moment before replying, "Brother Ming... are you planning to side with Gu Hanshuang? I cannot make the decision for you. If you make a choice, I know it is the result of your careful consideration, and I respect that. But in that case, I will have to consider you an enemy."

Even knowing that Mingyan was going to take sides and stand on the other side, Yu Mudan still spoke with great restraint, her tone filled with deep regret... Mingyan couldn't see through this woman. If she wasn't acting, Mingyan felt that Yu Mudan was truly worth befriending; if she was acting, then this woman's disguise was too convincing.

“I’ve told you before about the cause of your conflict. I’ve thought about it and, although I’m not sure, I think it’s better to get along with you than with the unruly Gu Hanshuang. I’m willing to help you, Fairy Yu, to… ‘destroy’ Gu Hanshuang’s arrogance.”

"What did Brother Ming say just now?" Yu Mudan hesitated.

“To destroy her arrogance, I might simply side with Fairy Yu, but that won’t work. Two against one, we could naturally defeat Gu Hanshuang, but the problem is, two against one won’t destroy her arrogance,” Mingyan said. “I have a better method, but can Fairy Yu give me a reason to do it?”

Upon hearing that it could destroy Gu Hanshuang's arrogance, Yu Mudan paused for a moment before saying, "If it can really be done, then I can do something for Young Master Ming. What is it? As long as it is within my capabilities, Young Master Ming can name it. How about it?"

Mingyan didn't actually need this "reason," since he actually had something to ask of these two people: to tell them the truth. He should have tried every means to gain their trust.

However, the two women's attempts to win him over gave Mingyan the opportunity to take the initiative. He made his request, partly to let the two women know that they were the ones trying to win him over and that he was the one making the decision. On the other hand, it was also to reduce their suspicions. Otherwise, it would be too strange for someone who had previously expressed his unwillingness to get involved to suddenly say that he wanted to help someone. So he needed a reason to take action or show some side.

"Are you sure?" Mingyan replied.

"I'm sure, Brother Ming, don't you trust me?"

Mingyan paused for a moment, then transmitted his voice to Yu Mudan, "To destroy Gu Hanshuang's arrogance, it's not enough to just defeat her; we must subdue and conquer her."

"What does Brother Ming mean?"

“Remember my conversation with Gu Hanshuang just now? I need to pretend to side with her to gain her trust. If I want to win her over, it’s impossible to openly side with Fairy Yu.” Mingyan said.

"...Brother Ming...are you kidding me?" Yu Mudan was silent for a while before replying.

“No… I was just saying what I thought of. Whether you accept it or not is up to you, Fairy Yu.” Mingyan said, “I could openly become Fairy Yu’s ally, but even if we defeat Gu Hanshuang that way, it wouldn’t be a humiliation, nor would it ease Fairy Yu’s hatred, would it?”

“I only need Brother Ming to stand on my side, that’s enough. I don’t need Brother Ming to do so much for me.” Yu Mudan was cautious and did not agree hastily. Ming Yan smiled and said, “Is Fairy Yu worried that I will really side with Gu Hanshuang? If that’s the case, then so be it. I will just stand by Fairy Yu’s side.”

Ming Yan's words were too decisive: "Then I will reply to Gu Hanshuang."

Mingyan's answer was too decisive, and it seemed that as soon as he saw that she disagreed, he immediately made up his mind and openly stood on her side, leaving her little time to think.

But after a brief thought, she realized that, as Ming Yan had said, she and Gu Hanshuang were of similar strength. Unless outsiders interfered, it would be difficult to determine a winner. They would have to fight to the death to have any chance. And two against one, she thought she could make Gu Hanshuang lower her noble head.

Impossible. Two against one is an inherently unfair tactic. Even if Gu Hanshuang is defeated, she will only watch the two of them with a cold smile.

Even if we can force Gu Hanshuang to lower her head, she will not truly admit defeat.

"...Wait...what's your plan?" Yu Mudan finally couldn't help but ask.

"Gu Hanshuang once said that if she thought it was right, she would be willing to be my Daoist partner... If I gain Gu Hanshuang's trust and make her... fall in love with me, then I can dump her... What do you think Gu Hanshuang would do?"

“She will kill you,” Yu Mudan said.

“…” Mingyan was speechless. Did I ask you to say this?

"I mean, do you think she'll be hurt?"

"That depends on whether she has truly fallen in love with you." Yu Mudan, hidden in the crowd, smiled slightly.

“And what if, at this point, I choose to separate from her, and then… become your Daoist partner? Of course, it would just be a pretense,” Mingyan continued.

"Then she...is so pathetic..." Yu Mudan imagined the scene: Gu Hanshuang looking at herself with anger and resentment, because she had stolen her Daoist partner, but she couldn't defeat her in a fight, feeling extremely frustrated and having nowhere to vent her anger...

“If handled properly, if I can make her love me deeply enough, my departure will likely deal her a heavy blow that will be difficult to heal. At that time, Gu Hanshuang’s arrogance will naturally disappear. Just imagine the scene of her kneeling in front of you, begging you to give me back to her,” Mingyan continued.

Yu Mudan's face flushed slightly, her eyes gleaming with intense excitement. "That's...fantastic...but...would Gu Hanshuang really stoop so low as to beg me?"

"Well, I'll need Fairy Jade's help to gain Gu Hanshuang's trust..." Mingyan smiled, but in his heart he was thinking... I'm still very clueless about love, and I'm still playing with emotions... I need to ask my senior sister for advice.

However, it doesn't matter whether Gu Hanshuang actually falls in love with him or not. All he needs is for her to trust him enough. As long as she trusts him and tells him the truth about the past, it doesn't matter whether she falls in love with him or not.

My apologies, my apologies...

Chapter Eighty Immortal Elixir

Mingyan needs a way to balance his relationship with these two women.

It's impossible for him to maintain his relationship with them in this ambiguous way in the long run; neither of them will open up to him.

After all, gaining their trust doesn't mean Mingyan can use it to investigate their past and resolve these conflicts through his relationship with them. He wouldn't do that if they were just casual acquaintances.

It wasn't necessary to actually destroy Gu Hanshuang's self-esteem as he said; there was no need to go to that extent. That was just something he said to Yu Mudan to persuade her, to use her malice towards Gu Hanshuang to get her to accept his actions, so that after he publicly stood with Gu Hanshuang, Yu Mudan wouldn't see him as an enemy or even believe him.

Gu Hanshuang certainly didn't like these complicated arrangements, which is why Mingyan chose to have Gu Hanshuang in the open and Yu Mudan in the shadows.

"How do you need my cooperation?" Yu Mudan asked telepathically.

"Perhaps...there will be times when Fairy Jade needs to...make a slight sacrifice..."

"..." Yu Mudan narrowed her eyes. "I highly suspect that you may have said something similar to Gu Hanshuang..."

Yu Mudan naturally felt something was wrong. Asking her to make some sacrifices? He outwardly sided with Gu Hanshuang, and needed some of her sacrifices to gain Gu Hanshuang's trust... If she fell into Gu Hanshuang's hands, what good could come of it?

What if he was helping Gu Hanshuang lower her guard and taking advantage of her trust...?

“Jade Fairy, you lack trust in me.” Ming Yan sighed softly. “I haven’t told Gu Han Shuang about this, and I won’t let Jade Fairy suffer any loss.”

Yu Mudan did not give Mingyan an immediate reply. After a moment of silence, she transmitted her voice to Mingyan, "Could you give me some time to think about it, Brother Ming?"

“Of course, the decision is yours.” Mingyan hoped she would agree immediately, so that he could finalize things with Gu Hanshuang. The more time Yu Mudan had to think, the more likely problems would arise.

Yu Mudan is a low-key person, and she certainly doesn't want to take too many risks. If things can't be finalized quickly, there might be some problems.

However, Mingyan could not show his anxiety, because the more he did so, the more Yu Mudan would suspect that he had ulterior motives.

Yu Mudan sensed Ming Yan's unhurried manner and felt somewhat hesitant.

It would be best if Mingyan stood by her side, but as Mingyan said... did she want to defeat Gu Hanshuang, or make her kneel before her and beg for mercy?

"when!"

At this moment, a muffled sound echoed in the sea, sending out waves of sound. Mingyan came back to his senses and looked towards the center of the crowd, where the sound waves had shaken everyone away!

"A Holy Lord has intervened," Yue Qingying frowned. "He's attempting to open that ancient gate!"

Among those carriages, someone made a move, gathering spiritual energy into a dark blue hand that struck the ancient gate. However, the ancient gate remained unmoved, only emitting a muffled sound.

The powerful impact propelled the seawater backward, while the holy figures in the other chariots also took action, attempting to open the ancient gate.

After dozens of bombardments, the ancient gate finally showed some changes, opening slightly with a narrow crack, from which dazzling golden light shone. The people surrounding it stared in disbelief. Everyone knew there must be treasures inside, but the problem was that with these Saint Lord-level experts here, it was uncertain whether they could find any bargains, and whether they could take them out was another matter entirely.

Gu Hanshuang transmitted her voice to Ming Yan, "What's your decision?"

Gu Hanshuang was a little anxious. After all, if they could enter the tomb, Ming Yan only needed to stand by his side, and once inside the tomb, he could "deal with" Yu Mudan.

“Fairy Gu is too hasty… There’s no time to think about this right now,” Ming Yan replied. He was anxious too, but since Yu Mudan hadn’t given him an answer, he couldn’t just agree to take sides hastily, or all his efforts would be in vain.

Gu Hanshuang turned her head and glanced at Ming Yan, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment, but in the end she didn't say anything. She turned back to look at the ancient gate in the center, waiting for an opportunity to enter at a suitable time.

Although these holy lord-level figures will seize most of the opportunities and resources, there will always be omissions, so they generally won't take action against them.

As the bombardment continued, the cracks in the ancient gate widened, and the situation inside gradually became clear. A golden barrier could be clearly seen. The golden light that had emanated from this barrier when the ancient gate had opened a crack earlier was slightly dazzling.

It seems there are other restrictions beyond the ancient gate, making it not so easy to enter.

A Saint-level figure attempted to attack the barrier, and a powerful sword aura shot out from the chariot! It evaporated the surrounding seawater! It struck the golden barrier, but the powerful sword aura pierced through it and flew into the tomb, where it was immediately neutralized.

"Hmm?" The Holy Lord was slightly surprised. He stepped out of the carriage and appeared in front of the golden barrier in an instant. He was silent for a moment, then reached out and touched the golden barrier. After a while, he looked at the crowd and said, "There are restrictions in this tomb... it seems they were prepared for you."

Someone asked, "Senior, could you please tell me what the restrictions are?"

"If your cultivation level exceeds the Divine Realm and reaches Taiyi or above, your realm will be suppressed, and it may even affect your physical body. However, as long as you have not reached Taiyi, you will not be affected. Regardless of who left this tomb, it should be used to train your younger generation." The Holy Lord returned to the chariot, and his calm voice came out, "We will guard outside the tomb in case of any unforeseen circumstances. You can enter and explore with peace of mind."

Someone in the crowd raised a question: "The situation inside is unknown. Who knows if there's any danger? And even if we bring out some valuable information, are you sure you won't try to steal it?"

Upon hearing this, the cultivators who were just about to set off hesitated. These Saint Lord-level experts from the sea were guarding the entrance, and no one knew whether they would kill and rob them. Although everyone came from a powerful force, the mainland and the sea were separated by the mist, and even if they were to settle accounts later, it would be extremely troublesome. If the traces were completely erased, their families and holy lands might not even know how they died.

If it were any other kind of opportunity, it would be fine, since once you get it, you get it, and as long as you hide it well, no one will know. But now everyone knows that there are many treasures in this tomb, and these Saint Lord-level experts are guarding the door. If they get some kind of opportunity, whether they will live to enjoy it is another matter entirely.

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from one of the carriages. "This is..."

Suddenly, an immense and powerful pressure appeared, so strong that everyone trembled with fear. The Holy Lord, who was speaking, immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

Imperial might?!

Mingyan was taken aback. He could sense that this was the imperial might of Empress Qingzi, which he had experienced several times before.

"Now you all have no worries, right?" Another Holy Lord spoke from another carriage. He was somewhat helpless. Was this the Empress reminding them not to act recklessly?

Now, everyone couldn't sit still and rushed towards the barrier. Sure enough, the first person to arrive went straight in without being affected. He was overjoyed, but then someone kicked him in the waist, and he fell flat on his face.

"Who?! Who kicked..." The man's angry voice rang out, but before he could pursue the matter, other cultivators followed him in. No one paid any attention to his presence, so he could only dust himself off and follow them into the tomb with a frustrated expression.

Mingyan and the other two naturally entered as well, as he didn't want to miss the opportunity.

The three moved quickly, leading the group, and soon ventured deeper into the tomb. The seawater was blocked by a golden barrier, making the tomb very dry. The more they walked, the more passages there were, and the more interconnected the tomb became, making it easy to get lost. The number of people around them also decreased. Mingyan and the others chose a path and walked straight ahead. As they walked, only the three of them remained.

Not long after they left, Mingyan spotted a familiar figure. Huang Feiyan also frowned, "Ning Zetian... he's here too..."

Ning Zetian stood at a distance, seemingly having noticed this as well. He glanced at Ming Yan, then turned and left.

"It's a pity... Fei Xuan isn't here, otherwise this would be a great opportunity." Huang Feiyan said with some regret. This was in the sea outside the mist of the Southern Continent, and in the tomb. If Ning Zetian was killed, it would be difficult for the Jade Balance Holy Land of the Eastern Continent to track him down.

Ning Feixuan wanted to take revenge herself. Although this was a good opportunity, it would be useless for them to take action; they couldn't kill Ning Zetian.

The mausoleum had a complex network of pathways; after walking for a while, the three were almost disoriented. It was too winding, with pathways leading in all directions. Moreover, although it was called a mausoleum, there were few traces of architecture; it seemed to have been formed entirely by nature...

“There’s something strange about this…” Huang Feiyan frowned. She bent down and found some dragon blood flowers on the ground. “Do you remember this? Mingyan.”

"Dragon Blood Flower?" Ming Yan raised an eyebrow, quite surprised. How could he not remember that there were many Dragon Blood Flowers in Dragon Ridge near Yutai Blessed Land, which were often used to refine medicine and had amazing restorative abilities.

But the dragon blood flower also means that this place... Mingyan looked at Huang Feiyan with a strange expression, "Could there be any dragons who died here?"

“Very likely…” Huang Feiyan frowned. “These caves also resemble the former lair of the dragon race. This is probably not a tomb… but a place where the dragon race once lived. There are indeed opportunities, and there might even be dragon remains, full of treasures. But what if there is a Yin Dragon Soul inside…”

After arriving in the Southern Continent, they encountered the Yin Dragon Soul once, but they managed to escape in time. Later, the Empress appeared and personally suppressed the Yin Dragon Soul, and they were even fortunate enough to meet the Empress once.