It turns out, they were the main characters.

For a moment, the way everyone looked at Ye Yu was filled with envy.

Noticing the envious gazes of the crowd, Ye Yu couldn't help but feel a bit smug. He glanced unintentionally at Mu Zhi'an, who remained silent.

You may have been able to use tricks and schemes in the past, but what can you do in front of a Dao-aligned master?

Although Ye Qingxin wasn't really on his side, this was enough for now.

After all, he is a descendant of the Ye family, and Ye Qingxin, as the ancestor of the Ye family, will naturally protect him.

In the past, Mu Zhian always avoided battle with various reasons and methods, or resorted to conspiracies and tricks. But this time, with the ancestor present, so-called conspiracies and tricks were of little use.

Under the gazes of everyone, Mu Zhian raised his hand and bowed respectfully, saying, "This junior has little interest in the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Court, so I do not intend to participate in this trial."

Ye Qingxin raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at Mu Zhian with a smile in her eyes, and said, "I know that you and Ye Yu have had many grudges in the past. This time, stepping into this cave heaven, you can also take this opportunity to sever all past grievances. Why is young friend Mu refusing?"

Ye Yu sneered inwardly and said, "Could it be that you don't dare, Mu Zhi'an?"

"I'm still one rank lower than you."

Mu Zhian glanced at Ye Yu indifferently and laughed, "You're too weak, no fun."

If you all want me to spar, I'll spar. Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?

As for the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Court... perhaps for most cultivators, this is a rare opportunity.

However, he is not among them.

"you--"

Ye Yu's eyes held a hint of anger, but he couldn't show it in this situation.

When he saw Mu Zhian chatting quietly with Ye Lingxuan and the others, his jealousy intensified. He clenched his fists, wishing he could settle his score with Mu Zhian right there and then.

Ye Qingxin frowned slightly as she looked at Mu Zhian's unyielding attitude, and was about to speak.

At that moment, a gentle voice, as beautiful as heavenly music, rang out softly before the Ascension Platform.

"Whether he wants to spar or not is up to him to decide."

"As for his so-called destiny with immortals, there's no need for others to worry about it. After that, I will provide him with appropriate assistance myself."

As that gentle voice rang out, Ye Qingxin looked up and, upon seeing the fairy in the green dress, shimmering with a faint glow, in mid-air, her beautiful eyes narrowed: "The Azure Emperor?"

Yao Meng gracefully descended from mid-air, her wide sleeves fluttering, her posture ethereal, every inch of her skin bathed in a mesmerizing silver glow, her beauty seemingly otherworldly, like a fairy untouched by the mundane.

She didn't look at Ye Qingxin immediately, but instead looked in the direction of Mu Zhian. Then, her beautiful green eyes swept over the girls beside him.

Ye Lingxuan noticed Yao Meng's gaze, seemingly recalling the scene in front of the Reincarnation Pool that day. She pursed her lips and secretly took Mu Zhian's hand.

Mu Zhian, possessing top-tier anti-gank awareness, immediately realized what was happening and secretly transmitted his voice, "Sister Lingxuan..."

"I know, I won't cause trouble for Brother Mu." Ye Lingxuan raised her head and smiled as she transmitted her voice, then glanced at Yao Meng unintentionally.

Although her gaze was indifferent, Yao Meng could see the provocation in Ye Lingxuan's eyes.

However, Yao Meng seemed unconcerned, calmly withdrawing her gaze, then smiling as she looked up at Ye Qingxin and said:

"I never expected that after you entered the Heavenly Court, you would still descend to the mortal realm. It's truly surprising."

Ye Qingxin smiled brightly: "I'm just sending a wisp of my spiritual consciousness down to the mortal realm to see the current state of the Ye family."

She paused, then continued, "I've never seen you care so much about a cultivator before, even going so far as to personally intervene... Could it be that he's a descendant of your Yaochi Holy Land?"

“Not the descendants,” Yao Meng said, shaking her head.

"It is said that the Holy Maiden of Yaochi is untouched by worldly affairs. If he is not your descendant, given your personality, there is no reason for you to help him," Ye Qingxin said quietly.

This statement was meant to tell Yao Meng not to meddle in other people's business.

Yao Meng glanced at Mu Zhi'an with her emerald green eyes, and as their gazes met, her lips curled up slightly.

Soon, she parted her red lips slightly, and her soft, melodious voice floated lightly across the Ascension Platform: "Since everyone is here, let's take this opportunity to make things clear."

The people she referred to were not the monks present, but rather... some of the 'protagonists' present.

"Many people have speculated in the past that Mu Zhian once saved my life, and that is indeed true..."

A slight commotion arose from the audience, with many cultivators whispering among themselves.

Some of them had vaguely guessed this outcome in the past, but they were still somewhat surprised when Yao Meng actually mentioned it.

At this moment, Yao Meng suddenly changed the subject: "However, his kindness to me is not only about saving my life."

Her gaze was fixed quietly on Mu Zhian.

For some reason, Mu Zhian suddenly had a bad feeling at this moment.

"He is also my Daoist partner."

As the voice fell, the cultivators who had been secretly watching the spectacle paused, their breaths caught in their throats, and even the elders on the Ascension Platform were slightly stunned.

The whispers ceased completely, and at that moment, the whole world seemed to fall into a deathly silence.

Bai Ruoxi and the others slowly raised their heads at almost the same time, staring incredulously at the fairy in the distance.

Yao Meng's gaze then fell on Ye Qingxin, and she smiled as she spoke:

"Is this reason sufficient?"

Chapter 322 The Heavenly Court's Assessment 4.5K

Countless cultivators had gathered in front of the Ascension Platform, but as that soft and melodious voice rang out, the entire platform fell into a deathly silence.

The wind rustled through the woods, the dry branches swayed, and the accumulated snow drifted down with the cold wind.

After an unknown period of silence, faint murmurs began to rise from the crowd.

The people present were not ordinary cultivators, but came from various ancient families in the Eastern Continent. Many of them had visited Yaochi when the Azure Emperor was rebuilding his immortal body, and naturally had heard about Mu Zhian's life-saving grace to the Azure Emperor.

Because of this incident, many people from ancient aristocratic families secretly envied Mu Zhi'an's good fortune.

For a Dao-level expert to owe someone a favor, how much luck and fortune would it take to do that?

Even if you use up all your luck in this life, it would be worth it.

After all, she is an empress who stands tall in the world. With the protection of an empress in the future, what place in the world can't we go?

Even if the other party won't always secretly protect you, a junior, as long as the Azure Emperor is still alive, it doesn't matter if Mu Zhian offends some old monster. After all, if they were to take action, they would have to secretly weigh whether it's worth offending the Azure Emperor for a Refining God Realm cultivator.

However, now...

Everyone knew that Mu Zhi'an had done a favor for the Azure Emperor, which was why the Azure Emperor treated Mu Zhi'an with kindness and consideration... But they never expected that Mu Zhi'an would actually win the Azure Emperor's heart.

The other party is not only secretly protecting Mu Zhi'an, but now she is even openly admitting that she and Mu Zhi'an are Daoist partners.

At this moment, it seemed as if countless heartbreaks could be heard on the Ascension Platform. Almost simultaneously, all the cultivators turned their gazes toward Mu Zhi'an, their eyes filled with a variety of emotions.

But more than anything, there was an undisguised sourness and jealousy.

Even if Mu Zhian had a good reputation within the sect in the past, it wouldn't be of much use now.

It should be noted that even setting aside the Azure Emperor's own strength, the title of the first Holy Maiden of the Yaochi Holy Land alone was already highly sought after by countless cultivators.

Born with the Dao embryo, possessing the strength to suppress all enemies, coupled with her untainted temperament and stunning beauty... it can be said that the Azure Emperor possesses all the virtues a woman should have.

Imagine having a Daoist companion like a fairy from the Moon Palace by your side, watching her blush like a little girl during intimate moments, or hearing her soft, melodious moans in bed...

If I had to point out one flaw, it would probably be that the Azure Emperor has a thing for green people...

Before she awakened to this strange hobby, she was the most perfect dream lover in the eyes of the monks.

Of course, even this peculiar fetish of being a "green man" isn't actually considered a flaw for these male cultivators...

The Azure Emperor's simple words had completely ignited the atmosphere of the entire Ascension Platform.

If it weren't for the inappropriate setting and the fact that the Azure Emperor was present, a group of people would probably have already extended friendly invitations to Mu Zhian to spar.

No matter how popular Mu Zhian was, Qingdi's previous statement, "We are Daoist partners," was enough to shatter all their relationship.

Everyone else is still cultivating, striving to reach the Dao Integration Realm, but Mu Zhi'an, on the other hand, secretly managed to win over the Azure Emperor.

Who knows, he might be climbing towards the Dao Integration Realm every night...

Just thinking about it makes the sense of disparity hard to accept.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingxin finally snapped out of her daze.

Her black and red dress accentuated her sexy curves, her long hair cascading down her back, and her red eyes, as if burning with fiery passion, gazed into Yao Meng's clear and beautiful eyes.

“In the past, there seemed to be only one example of a Yaochi Holy Maiden becoming a Daoist partner with someone else in the Yaochi Holy Land. I never expected... Fairy Yao Meng would be the second one.” Ye Qingxin said slowly.

Even Ye Qingxin found it hard to believe, and even found it absurd.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi has countless suitors, as her beauty and special physique attract countless cultivators.

An existence like the Azure Emperor naturally has extremely high standards, and she has seen countless so-called chosen ones of heaven.

But in the end, she chose a boy who was not even twenty years old as her Daoist partner...?

If this matter were to get out, the name Mu Zhian would probably spread throughout the entire Nine Provinces in less than a week.

Looking at Yao Meng's calm smile, Ye Qingxin fell into a brief silence.

With the Azure Emperor's intervention, she could no longer demand anything from Mu Zhi'an... Although she never intended to make things difficult for Mu Zhi'an from the beginning, she only wanted to fulfill a wish of this descendant of the Ye family—to have a fair competition with Mu Zhi'an.

"In the past, there were many people who pursued Fairy Yao Meng, but you never took a liking to any of them... Now you have chosen Friend Mu. I wonder what you see in him?" In the end, Ye Qingxin couldn't help but ask.

At that same moment, some cultivators seemed to see some hope, and all looked up at the same time.

Thinking about it carefully, the Azure Emperor might not actually be a Daoist partner with Mu Zhi'an. Maybe he just made up an excuse to stand up for him...?

Some of the monks held a sliver of hope in their hearts.

However, the next moment, the fairy smiled brightly and said calmly, "Matters of the heart are not something one can decide for oneself. Sometimes, one comes to one's senses and finds that one has already fallen in love."

Her ethereal voice seemed to contain a magical power, as if it could touch the hearts of others.

"If I had to say, I like everything about him."

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Mu Zhi'an, her eyes seemingly filled with tenderness for her Daoist partner.

Upon seeing this scene, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Mu Zhi'an, as if they wished they could kick him aside and take his place.

Ye Yu clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms. His eyes were fixed on Mu Zhian, and the jealousy in his eyes was completely undisguised. He roared inwardly.

Both are at the Refining Spirit Realm, but his luck far surpasses Mu Zhi'an's. Why is Mu Zhi'an so favored by the Azure Emperor?! He even publicly sided with Mu Zhi'an in front of everyone, and they've even become Daoist partners…