One of my fairy-like friends

"Xuanji Realm?" This was the first time Ming Yan had heard of this realm, and he had no concept of it.

"You still don't know about these cultivation systems?" Seeing Ming Yan's puzzled expression, Huang Feiyan chuckled and explained, "We cultivators have four major realms. The first major realm is the Spring-Drawing Mirror you're in, which has four minor realms: Gushing Spring, Accumulated Flow, Great Stream, and Illuminating Sea. The second major realm is the Transcendent Mirror I'm in now, which also has four minor realms: Yinling, Yangling, Qi Sea, and Divine Palace. Each minor realm is divided into initial and final stages. The third major realm is Sainthood, which also has four minor realms: Taiyi, Divine Sealing, Xuanji, and Human Welcome. Taiyi has three levels, Divine Sealing has no stages, Xuanji has seven levels, and Human Welcome also has no stages. The last major realm is Ultimate Perfection, which is divided into Manifestation Saint, Great Saint, Human King, and Great Emperor. This major realm is extremely special; the difference between each minor realm is comparable to the previous three major realms..."

Mingyan felt a little dizzy listening to these concepts, which were completely new to him. The highest cultivation level he had ever encountered before was the Divine Palace, the cultivation level of Sect Master Xia Yanming. He never imagined there were so many more realms to come...

"Your current level of the Spring-Drawing Realm is just the tip of the iceberg. However, I believe that with your talent, one day you will surpass your sect leader Xia Yanming's strength and reach a whole new level," Huang Feiyan said with a smile. She paused for a moment, "By the way, there is one more thing I would like to ask you. It involves your personal wishes, so I hope you can think about it carefully and there is no need to rush to answer me."

Mingyan drank the medicine, put the wooden bowl aside, and nodded, "Please speak, Fairy Sister."

"The reason I came to Dragon Ridge is to find clues about the ancient divine dragon race. According to ancient records, hundreds of thousands of years ago, the last ancient dragon in the world transformed here. Ancient dragons possess the most yang blood in the world. My search for clues about ancient dragons is also for dragon blood. As for why I need dragon blood... When I was young, I was naughty and once wandered into a dangerous place. After my aunt rescued me, she was poisoned and fell into a coma for more than ten years. I have been searching for a way to wake my aunt up all these years. About two years ago, my mother obtained an ancient elixir formula that can cure all poisons in the world. However, other medicinal materials are easy to obtain, but there is a lack of dragon blood as a medicinal guide. This is why I am looking for dragon blood and came to Dragon Ridge."

"But I failed to find the dragon blood at Dragon Ridge. Instead, I encountered a Yin Dragon Soul born from a dragon's corpse, and was poisoned by it, nearly dying..." Huang Feiyan's expression was conflicted. "That wretched Yin Dragon Soul devoured the entire dragon corpse to increase its power. If it weren't for the intervention of some reclusive master, it would have caused quite a stir. But that also meant I couldn't get the dragon blood. I was filled with despair, thinking I had missed the best opportunity to find the dragon blood, but then I suddenly discovered that your blood contains a huge amount of Yang energy. I don't know why your blood has such strong Yang energy, but perhaps... your blood can replace the dragon blood... as a medicinal ingredient. So, if possible, I wonder if you could come back to the Huang family with me..."

“I will never force you. Only I know about this for now, and I will not tell anyone before you make a decision. So... please consider it carefully. I will certainly not treat you and Yutai Blessed Land unfairly. Whether it is Yutai Blessed Land or you, you are both my saviors. I will remember your life-saving grace and never forget it,” Huang Feiyan said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Mingyan pondered for a moment, but did not make a decision immediately. He simply nodded and said, "I will consider it carefully."

"That's good then." Huang Feiyan smiled. "Actually, even without the medicinal catalyst, I was planning to invite you to my home. Well, let's not talk about that now. I suppose your fellow disciples have returned by now. Are you feeling alright? Shall we go out together to greet them?"

Mingyan nodded. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy, but it's alright. Let's go, Fairy Sister."

Chapter Twelve: Moonlit Shadow

Mingyan and Huang Feiyan left their room. After they came out, Mingyan was stunned for a moment.

He lived near the mountainside, in a rather remote location, surrounded and shaded by vegetation. But for some reason, all he could see when he looked up was blue sky and white clouds. And the floating islands in the sky had disappeared. What was going on?

"Sect Master Xia used the protective mountain formation to entangle with that Xuanji Realm cultivator for a long time, but in the end, the Xuanji Realm cultivator broke through the first layer of the formation. In his anger, he shaved off half of the entire Yutai Mountain... If it weren't for the timely arrival of the Moon Shadow Saint Master, the entire Yutai Mountain would probably have been destroyed by him." Huang Feiyan sighed, "Now it will probably be very difficult to repair it. The location of such blessed lands is basically formed naturally... All of this is because of me, I will think of a way."

Mingyan lowered his head and sighed softly. This was the best-case scenario, because no matter what, at least everyone was alright, and there should still be ways to salvage the situation.

In just two or three days, his life seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, and he had come into contact with so many things that were previously completely inaccessible to him.

The two descended the mountain side by side, and Mingyan asked, "What happened to that cultivator at the Xuanji Realm afterward?"

"Your cultivation has been sealed by the Moon Shadow Saint Lord. By the way, regarding Yun Ling... what do you plan to do with her?" Huang Feiyan asked, her hands behind her back, looking at Ming Yan with her pretty face turned to the side.

Mingyan glanced at her, then looked away. He hadn't noticed before that Huang Feiyan was more than just "beautiful." He felt that simply describing her as "beautiful" was not enough. Her features and temperament were far superior to Yunling's. Mingyan also had a very good impression of her.

Therefore, you shouldn't look at it too much, because even a glance might lead you to some unrealistic ideas.

"Fairy sister can make the decision; there's no need to ask for my opinion."

“I think your opinion is very important because Yunling has posed a huge threat to Yutai Blessed Land in her pursuit of me, and she even almost killed you... You have more right than me to decide how to deal with her.” Huang Feiyan shook her head. “Tell me your thoughts.”

“If we kill her, it will probably bring more trouble to Yutai Blessed Land. Yutai Blessed Land can’t afford to offend these people.” Mingyan sighed. Sometimes you are just helpless like this. The other party can kill you anytime, anywhere without considering any consequences, but you can’t kill the other party anytime, anywhere without considering the consequences.

"Consequences? Since I've asked you this, of course you don't need to consider the consequences." Huang Feiyan chuckled. "I haven't even settled accounts with the Yun family yet. Yun Ling's relentless pursuit of me, disrupting the rules of fair competition, and even using Xuanji Realm cultivators to try and eliminate me... Strictly speaking, she brought this upon herself. Taking her life, no matter how angry the Yun family is, there's nothing they can do. As for whether it will target you... I'll talk to my mother later and make a deal with the Moon Shadow Saint Lord to have the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land protect you... So no matter how it's handled, you don't need to worry about the consequences."

Ming Yan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "This is not a decision I can make alone. I need to ask the sect leader what he thinks... What does Fairy Sister think?"

"I respect your decision." Huang Feiyan didn't really want to kill Yun Ling. Firstly, neither Yun Ling nor that Xuanji Realm cultivator had actually killed anyone. Secondly, Huang Feiyan believed that keeping her alive would bring far more in return than killing her to vent her anger and make up for the loss of Yutai Blessed Land.

However, she did not voice her thoughts because she did not want to influence Mingyan's decision. If she revealed her thoughts, Mingyan would definitely change his mind due to her consideration. In any case, for her, killing or releasing him in exchange for certain resources was acceptable, and she was not afraid of retaliation.

“Then let’s put it aside for now. I’ll ask the sect leader for his opinion after he wakes up,” Mingyan said. This matter concerns the entire Yutai Blessed Land, so he naturally couldn’t make the decision on his own and had to ask the sect leader, Xia Yanming, for his opinion.

The two walked down the mountain. After Yutai Mountain was cut in half, the spiritual energy was greatly lost and was far less abundant than before. The cultivation conditions were much worse than in the past... Mingyan could feel that the spiritual energy flowing in the air had obviously decreased and the flow speed had slowed down.

Hopefully, these things can be resolved smoothly... Mingyan sighed inwardly.

At the foot of the mountain, Mingyan spotted a strange woman in white. She was dressed in an elegant white dress, her long hair was tied up, and her face was covered with a light veil. She stood at the foot of the mountain, and although she was not far away, she was somewhat blurry and appeared and disappeared, which was quite mysterious.

"Qingying." Huang Feiyan smiled and then introduced Mingyan: "This is Yue Qingying, the Holy Maiden of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land that I mentioned before. She is also my close friend of many years. Qingying, I didn't have time to introduce her name to you earlier. She is a disciple of the Rain Terrace Blessed Land, Mingyan."

Yue Qingying... What a beautiful name. Ming Yan smiled slightly, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Fairy Sister."

"You're quite the smooth talker, calling everyone you meet 'Fairy Sister,' aren't you?" Huang Feiyan smiled when she heard Ming Yan address Yue Qingying in that way.

Yue Qingying's face was covered by a light veil, so her exact expression could not be seen, but judging from her slightly curved eyebrows, she was probably smiling. "I should be thanking you for saving my best friend."

Not only is her name beautiful, but Fairy Yue Qingying's voice is also very pleasant to listen to, gentle and soft, and just her voice can soothe the restlessness in one's heart.

The veil covering her face looked very thin, but it was impossible to see through it. However, even though you couldn't see the parts of her face covered by the veil, you could tell from her eyebrows, eyes, and skin that she was definitely not ugly. It was truly a gathering of fairies.

Mingyan didn't like staring at others, so after observing for a while, he quickly looked away.

However, Yue Qingying was observing Ming Yan. Huang Feiyan valued Ming Yan so much, which meant that Ming Yan must have some extraordinary abilities. She didn't believe that Huang Feiyan would be interested in an ordinary cultivator at the Accumulation Flow Realm. It wasn't that she looked down on people, but when you're in this environment, you get used to being surrounded by geniuses and prodigies. When you look at those relatively ordinary people, you'll feel a gap. Even if Huang Feiyan didn't mean to despise them, it would be difficult to find common ground with them.

Therefore, Mingyan must have exceptional qualities, enough to make Huang Feiyan value him highly.

However, at present, apart from the other party's slightly outstanding appearance and temperament, it seems that there is nothing particularly outstanding about him... Yue Qingying would not underestimate such a person, but she rarely takes an interest in others, and after finding it difficult to observe any characteristics, she withdrew her gaze.

It was nearly evening, and Mingyan didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but it must have been quite a while. He looked around but didn't see any of his fellow disciples. However, Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying seemed to be waiting quietly, so he didn't ask any further questions.

After waiting for a while, as dusk fell, Mingyan finally noticed a dense cluster of small black dots in the distance. Soon after, they became clearer, revealing to be the disciples and elders of Yutai Blessed Land.

"Elder Qi!" Ming Yan quickly raised his hand and waved, somewhat excited. It seemed that they hadn't encountered any trouble, which was truly fortunate.

In fact, most of the disciples of Fudi are still unaware of what has happened. They only know that Fudi seems to have provoked someone they shouldn't have, so they hastily embarked on a journey of escape. Now that they have turned back halfway, everyone is even more confused.

Elder Qi Zhen breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Ming Yan appeared to be unharmed. He led his disciples back to the foot of Yutai Mountain and looked up at the mountain, which had been cut in half. "Ming Yan, Sect Master... are the other elders alright?"

“Elder Qi, there’s no need to worry. The other elders are only slightly injured. The sect leader… the sect leader is more seriously injured and is still unconscious.” Ming Yan shook his head, then looked at the group of young disciples behind Qi Zhen and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s good that everyone is alright.”

Several young disciples couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Mingyan, what exactly happened?"

"Let the sect leader tell everyone about this after he wakes up. Everyone, please go back up the mountain to rest first." Ming Yan shook his head. Xia Yanming was unconscious, but fortunately Qi Zhen was still there and could keep things under control. Qi Zhen didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. In fact, when she was stopped and told that she could return to the blessed land, she knew that no matter what had happened, those things must have been resolved.

Because the one who stopped them was the Moon Shadow Saint Lord of the most powerful cultivation holy land in the vicinity, the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land... In fact, the Rain Terrace Blessed Land and the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land have quite a connection. It seems that the founder of the Rain Terrace Blessed Land came from the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land.

Although it was an ancient event from thousands of years ago, and the founder had long since passed away, Yutai Blessed Land could be considered a branch that Fengling Yueying Holy Land did not recognize. The blessed land also preserved portraits of the successive Fengling Yueying Holy Lords. Xia Yanming had also expressed his longing for Fengling Yueying Holy Land. He originally planned to send Mingyan to Fengling Yueying Holy Land for cultivation, but because Yutai Blessed Land could not communicate with Fengling Yueying Holy Land, he planned to wait until Mingyan broke through to Yinling before making arrangements. However, he did not expect to encounter this situation.

Qi Zhen led his disciples back to the mountain. Ming Yan also planned to visit Sect Master Xia Yanming. He should be lying in the Ming Shi Hall at the foot of the mountain. However, judging from Huang Feiyan's words, apart from the drop in his cultivation level, there seemed to be no major problems, so Ming Yan was not too worried.

At this moment, Yue Qingying, who had been silent all along, bowed slightly and greeted, "Master."

"Holy Lord." Huang Feiyan immediately bowed as well. Ming Yan then realized that there was someone standing before him without him noticing. Surprised, he also quickly bowed, "Holy Lord..."

"No need for formalities." It was a clear, cold female voice. The person was clearly standing right in front of Ming Yan, yet he couldn't see her clearly. He had felt the same way when he first saw Yue Qingying, but while Yue Qingying gave off a hazy aura, she was far less impressive than the Moon Shadow Saintess before him...

Standing right in front of me, yet I can't see its true form; its shape is blurry, like the moon reflected in a lake. This feeling is truly wondrous...

"Huang Feiyan, your mother will arrive tomorrow. If you have any needs, please tell me." The Moon Shadow Saint Master's tone was rather cold, but her words conveyed a sense of concern for Huang Feiyan. Huang Feiyan seemed accustomed to the other's tone. "This junior understands. Thank you, Saint Master, for coming in time and saving everyone at Rain Terrace Blessed Land..."

The Moon Shadow Saint Lord said no more, and his hazy figure completely disappeared.

Chapter Thirteen Fellow Daoist

After the Moon Shadow Saint Lord disappeared, Ming Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Mingyan was quite reserved just now, afraid that he might say something wrong, but the other party didn't seem to be paying attention to him.

It's quite strange that he, a mere cultivator at the Accumulation Flow Realm, had actually met so many "important figures" in such a short time...

Afterwards, Huang Feiyan and Ming Yan arrived at Ming Shi Hall, where the elders who had stayed at Yutai Blessed Land and Xia Yanming, who was still unconscious, were all inside.

"Mingyan." Liu Yunfeng was also in Mingshi Hall. When he saw Mingyan enter, he quickly stood up, looked Mingyan up and down, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was nothing wrong with him.

In fact, when Huang Feiyan brought Mingyan back, Liu Yunfeng went to visit Mingyan. At that time, the wound on Mingyan's wrist had not fully healed and his face was very pale. But now it seems that there are no scars on Mingyan's wrist. Although he was amazed by Mingyan's amazing self-healing ability, Liu Yunfeng was obviously more concerned about Mingyan's safety.

"Master." Mingyan bowed, and Huang Feiyan also bowed slightly. She had great respect for both Xia Yanming, the sect leader of Yutai Blessed Land, and these elders who were willing to sacrifice themselves to buy time for everyone.

“Fairy Phoenix.” Liu Yunfeng nodded to Huang Feiyan, then frowned with some worry, “The sect leader still hasn’t woken up…sigh.”

Huang Feiyan said, "Earlier, the Moon Shadow Saint Master told me that Sect Master Xia was seriously injured, which caused his cultivation level to drop, but he was not in any danger, so there is no need to worry too much. Please, elders, rest as well, since you were also injured."

“Just some minor injuries…” Liu Yunfeng looked at Mingyan, hesitating to speak. Huang Feiyan could tell that he seemed to have something to say to Mingyan, so she bowed again. “Then I won’t disturb you any longer. Elders, please rest assured and recover from your injuries. There’s no need to worry about any danger. The Moon Shadow Saint Lord will stay here temporarily until my mother arrives to prevent any accidents. If you need anything, just tell Mingyan and he will pass it on to me.”

After saying that, Huang Feiyan took her leave. After watching Huang Feiyan leave, Liu Yunfeng pulled Mingyan aside and said, "You're quite capable, kid. I heard from Fairy Huang that you saved her life again?"

"It's just self-preservation." Mingyan shook his head. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Master, I have a question for you."

"Speak? What is it?"

Mingyan then recounted how Huang Feiyan had asked him to accompany her to the Huang family, and how he had used his own blood as a medicinal ingredient to save Huang Feiyan's aunt's life during a medicinal concoction. Upon hearing this, Liu Yunfeng patted Mingyan on the shoulder and exclaimed, "That's a good thing! Did you agree?"

Mingyan shook his head. "I feel this matter is of great importance, and I did not make a hasty decision. Besides, I don't know when I will be able to return."

"I wish you hadn't come back. If you could become the Phoenix Fairy's... cough cough, anyway, you should seize the opportunity." Liu Yunfeng misspoke, almost revealing his true feelings. Then he said earnestly, "Think about it, if you healed the Phoenix Fairy's aunt, how grateful would the Phoenix Fairy be to you? You probably wouldn't need to worry too much about your future cultivation path."

"Master, you're so vulgar." Mingyan rolled his eyes at Liu Yunfeng. Although he respected Liu Yunfeng as his master, these words were...

"I didn't bring Fairy Phoenix back for anything, nor do I want to save someone with such a strong sense of self-interest... The reason I can't make up my mind is... because I don't know when I'll be able to return after this departure." Ming Yan sighed. Although he had only stayed in Yutai Blessed Land for a year, he had already developed a sense of belonging there... Moreover, could his blood really save Fairy Phoenix's aunt? He was just a minor cultivator at the Accumulation Flow Realm; could his blood truly replace dragon blood?

Even if it's for the sake of gaining something, it's nothing more than the comfort of saving lives and satisfying one's own kindness.

If the fairy sister is full of expectations to take me back, but finds that my blood has no effect, wouldn't the greater the hope be, the greater the disappointment?

“You will leave Yutai Blessed Land sooner or later.” Liu Yunfeng rolled his eyes when Ming Yan called him vulgar, and then sighed softly. “You don’t belong here. Although you embarked on the path of cultivation here, we both know that with your talent, this place cannot nurture you. One day you will leave, and now, it’s just that time has been brought forward.”

Mingyan remained silent. Liu Yunfeng looked at Xia Yanming lying on the bed next to him and said, "The sect leader also hopes that you can make a name for yourself. Do you know that the sect leader was also a genius before? But he is different from you. He was locked in the Rain Terrace Blessed Land and never left. In fact, with the sect leader's talent, he could have achieved even greater things... He doesn't want you to follow in his footsteps."

"Of course, the decision to save people is up to you. By the way, Mengli and the others should be back by now, right?" Liu Yunfeng shook his head and changed the subject. When Huang Feiyan brought Mingyan back before, she told Liu Yunfeng that Liu Mengli had left with Elder Qi Zhen. Now that Elder Qi Zhen has returned, Liu Mengli should be back as well.

Mingyan nodded upon hearing this, "Yes, but she seems to be asleep."

When Mingyan went to greet her fellow disciples, Liu Mengli didn't come looking for her. Presumably, she was knocked unconscious while searching for herself after she disappeared...

“I’ll go see the girl… um… if possible, I hope you can be friends with Fairy Huang. I won’t say those things you think sound cliché. You and Fairy Huang have been through so much together, you know better than I whether she’s worth befriending… You’re 16 now, there’s no need to ask me about these things, just make your own decision.” Liu Yunfeng’s tone relaxed, he patted Mingyan’s shoulder, chuckled, and left Mingshi Hall.

Many people say that Master is grooming him to be a son-in-law, but judging from what Master just said, it's obvious that he thinks it would be best if something happened between him and Fairy Huang... How could he be considered a future son-in-law? Mingyan's expression was strange, but Mingyan didn't have that kind of feeling for Huang Feiyan.

Although his cultivation level and family background were not obstacles in Mingyan's mind, he had something else to do. He was only 16 years old and had no rush to consider these things.

The fairy sister needs to use her own blood to save people. Mingyan doesn't know if his blood is the only substitute for dragon blood, but if he refuses... Huang Feiyan's aunt, who originally had a chance to wake up, will remain unconscious. What's the difference between that and watching someone die?

Mingyan thought about it and realized he shouldn't bind himself with morality; that would be too rigid. Perhaps he really should do as his master said and consider things that he might call "vulgar." He shouldn't be so aloof...

Sigh... Ming Yan shook his head, glanced at the unconscious Xia Yanming, greeted the other elders, and left Ming Shi Hall.

As Mingyan walked up the mountain, intending to return to his residence, he saw Huang Feiyan's close friend, Yue Qingying, standing with her hands behind her back under an ancient tree by the stone path. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to disturb her, and prepared to leave directly. However, Yue Qingying noticed Mingyan and asked, "Why did you leave without saying a word, fellow Daoist?"

Fellow Daoist? This is the first time I've been addressed like that... Ming Yan stopped and looked at Yue Qingying, "I saw that Fairy Sister seemed to be meditating, so I didn't mean to disturb her."

"Who meditates with their eyes open?" Yue Qingying's face was veiled, but judging from her voice, she probably chuckled. Her voice was very pleasant, like a mountain spring flowing into one's heart, refreshing and soothing.

However, Mingyan disagreed with Yue Qingying's statement. He said it was fine to sleep with your eyes open, but not to meditate with your eyes open.

"Fairy sister called me over, is there something you want to ask?" Mingyan naturally didn't voice his thoughts, and asked softly.

"Why did you save Feiyan in the first place? I heard Feiyan say that you brought her back from Longling?" Yue Qingying moved gracefully with light steps. It was already night, and Yue Qingying's white dress glowed under the moonlight, making her very beautiful.

"I just felt I couldn't just stand by and watch someone die... I've been saved before, so for me, I can't just leave someone to die." As he spoke, Mingyan subconsciously glanced at Yue Qingying's brow, then looked away. Yue Qingying's brow was smooth, without any marks. In this vast world, finding that person from that day would probably require a great deal of fate...