Early the next morning, Xiao Han departed from the Xiao Family with Gu Xun'er. Apart from Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, no one else in the Xiao Family knew of their departure.
Xiao Han had sent a ssage to the Cloud Mist Sect the previous day, informing them of her intended visit. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate to ascend the mountain unannounced, as it was soone else's territory. Thus, upon reaching the Cloud Mist Sect, Xiao Han and Gu Xun'er imdiately saw four familiar figures standing at the sect's entrance.
"It's been a long ti," said the woman in the front, clad in a light cyan dress—none other than Yun Yun, with dusa leaning on her as if boneless. Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yi Xian stood slightly behind them.
Seeing Xiao Han and Gu Xun'er approach arm in arm, Yun Yun's face lit up with a genuine smile of pleasure.
Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yi Xian also greeted the pair simultaneously. Whether due to the passage of ti or not, Nalan Yanran now appeared much more composed, vastly different from a few years ago.
Xiao Han's gaze, however, was imdiately drawn to the seven-colored pattern on Yun Yun's brow. The pattern ford a snake-like design that also resembled a kind of rune. Far from appearing seductive, it added an air of mystery and authority to her presence.
Xiao Han was montarily taken aback. If she wasn't mistaken, this pattern was no re decoration, but a genuine contract. Moreover, judging by the direction of the contract's patterns and the aura it emitted, it didn't seem to be an equal contract.
Sensing Xiao Han's gaze, Yun Yun instinctively raised her hand to touch her brow, then gave a calm smile.
Averting her gaze, Xiao Han thought to herself that Yun Yun and the others must have experienced many hardships over the years.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nalan Yanran took the initiative to lead everyone into the Cloud Mist Sect.
Whether due to the recent war or not, the atmosphere in the Cloud Mist Sect seed sowhat tense. The once-bustling square was now almost devoid of disciples. Most had begun secluded cultivation, hoping to improve their cultivation levels more rapidly. Another group of disciples had gathered at the training grounds, sparring with each other and familiarizing themselves with battle skills and techniques.
"Master's injuries are now under control," Yun Yun conversed with Xiao Han as they walked. "Fortunately, after the battle with Soul Hall, Master has begun to touch the edge of the Dou Zun realm. It shouldn't be long before he breaks through."
Xiao Han's focus wasn't on Yun Shan: "Are you certain it was Soul Hall?"
Yun Yun nodded: "Certain."
After a mont's hesitation, she continued: "Soul Hall no longer conceals its actions. They're frantically consuming other forces. Now, everyone fears for themselves, and nurous alliances and organizations have ford to resist Soul Hall."
Xiao Han nodded. Given Soul Hall's arrogant and ruthless thods, it wasn't hard to understand why they would face collective resistance.
However, she was curious about how Yun Yun knew so much. After all, the overall strength of the Jia Ma Empire was far inferior to that of the Central Plains. As the Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, Yun Yun shouldn't have had much contact with the Central Plains. Even if she had followed Xiao Han's advice to gain experience there, she shouldn't have known so many inside details.
Seemingly perceiving Xiao Han's thoughts, Yun Yun smiled lightly and said casually: "As of now, I am no longer the Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, but the Sect Master of the Flower Sect."
Both Xiao Han and Gu Xun'er were startled.
Sect Master of the Flower Sect? If mory served correctly, in the original story, Yun Yun only beca the Sect Master of the Flower Sect after the Cloud Mist Sect's destruction. She had been picked up by the then Sect Master of the Flower Sect and taken as a disciple, eventually becoming the Sect Master. Now, with the Cloud Mist Sect not only intact but thriving, how had Yun Yun left the Cloud Mist Sect to beco the Sect Master of the Flower Sect?
"It's a long story," Yun Yun's expression beca slightly distant, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Then the current Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect is..." Gu Xun'er glanced at Nalan Yanran, who wasn't as boisterous as usual, and already had an answer in mind: "Is it Yanran?"
Nalan Yanran nodded, confirming Gu Xun'er's words: "I only recently assud the position of Sect Master after breaking through to the Dou King realm. After Master left, the position was temporarily held by Grand Master."
As they spoke, they followed Nalan Yanran to a secluded and quiet area of the Cloud Mist Sect. Nalan Yanran led them skillfully through dense woods.
Soon, Xiao Han saw a charming small courtyard standing on an open grassland not far away.
"This is my private courtyard," Nalan Yanran explained to Xiao Han and Gu Xun'er. "The surroundings are equipped with many isolation arrays. It's probably the safest place in the sect where we're least likely to be overheard, aside from the forbidden areas and Grand Master's residence."
This courtyard was already quite far from the core area of the Cloud Mist Sect. Nalan Yanran's choice of this location as her residence was also out of consideration for Xiao Yi Xian and the sect's disciples. After all, Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body was too peculiar. If others were to learn of it, Xiao Yi Xian would likely be expelled for safety reasons.
"Fortunately, I've now broken through to the Dou Emperor realm and ford a poison core. I can freely control the toxins now. Otherwise, Yanran would have had to worry about
for a long ti," Xiao Yi Xian said teasingly. "I've grown accustod to living here and am too lazy to move out."
Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's words, Nalan Yanran's ears turned slightly red. She tried to maintain a straight face and gave a small nod.
Gu Xun'er was sowhat surprised. To rise from the Dou Disciple realm to the Dou Emperor realm in just five or six years—this Calamity Poison Body was truly terrifying. It seed that over the past four years, in order to reach the Dou Emperor realm and form a poison core as soon as possible, Xiao Yi Xian must have consud a considerable amount of poison.
Xiao Yi Xian, however, spoke with a smile. The arduous and painful process didn't matter; what mattered was that the desired result had been achieved.
"It must have been hard on them," Yun Yun sighed, feeling emotional.
dusa pursed her lips, looking indifferent: "Suffering is fundantal to becoming strong. There's no need to dwell on hardships."
Yun Yun's lips curved into a smile, not contradicting dusa.
Xiao Han lightly tapped her index finger on the table, her gaze falling on Yun Yun and dusa: "Now, can you tell us what happened over these four years?"
Taking a small sip of fruit wine, Yun Yun's long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly as she said: "There's not much to tell, really."
After a pause, she began to recount her experiences over the past four years.
"...To save , she signed a blood contract with . It was because of this blood contract that I managed to survive. However, my injuries were indeed too severe, so we recuperated in that valley for a long ti. About a year later, we happened to encounter the Sect Master of the Flower Sect. Seeing that we had good aptitude but were wandering holess, she took pity on us and took us in."
Yun Yun spoke of the events of the past few years lightly, as if the person who had nearly died in the story wasn't her.
"The Sect Master initially wanted to take
as her disciple, but since I already had a master, I declined. Nevertheless, she still passed on the position of Flower Sect Master to ," Yun Yun continued. "About a month ago, I beca the Sect Master of the Flower Sect."
dusa, leaning on Yun Yun like a boneless creature, couldn't help but snort lightly upon hearing this: "First the Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, now the Sect Master of the Flower Sect. Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a laborious fate. There's no hope for you."
Yun Yun smiled, gently patting dusa's head resting in her lap, her affection evident.
These years had indeed been challenging, especially during the period when she was severely injured. Almost everything had been taken care of by this Queen who had never lifted a finger before. Thinking back now, Yun Yun still felt emotional. Who could have imagined that dusa would sign a blood contract so unhesitatingly to save her?
She had always felt that in this relationship, she was the only one performing a monologue. She thought dusa hadn't left upon awakening simply because of her lazy nature and her habit of being waited upon. Who would have thought that her passionate feelings would actually be reciprocated?
Xiao Han also felt moved.
This was a blood contract, not so equal contract, and even less humane than a master-servant contract. If not wholeheartedly willing, no powerful magical beast would sign a blood contract with a human.
A blood contract is a type of contract more unequal than a master-servant contract, yet more intimate than an equal contract. After a magical beast signs a blood contract with a human, the beast's life is almost entirely in the human's hands. The main feature of a blood contract is the transfer of life force and the ability to ward off death. When the human is severely injured, the blood contract forcibly transfers the magical beast's life force to the human. If the human dies, the blood contract forcibly makes the magical beast die in place of the human.
In other words, a human who has signed a blood contract essentially gains an extra life, while the magical beast becos nothing more than a tool.
However, the conditions for signing a blood contract are extrely stringent. Unless the magical beast is entirely willing, it's almost impossible for a human to arbitrarily sign a blood contract.
It seems that Yun Yun's survival at that ti was due to the blood contract transferring dusa's life force to her.
Perhaps because this blood contract is so unequal, very few magical beasts are willing to sign blood contracts with humans. In the past thousand years, there hasn't been a blood contract holder on this continent, so very few people know of the existence of such a contract. If dusa hadn't evolved into the ancient异兽 Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python and gained the ancient inheritance, she probably wouldn't have known about the existence of blood contracts either.
Although Gu Xun'er didn't know exactly what a blood contract was, seeing the emotion hidden in Xiao Han's brow, she roughly guessed that this blood contract was probably not beneficial to dusa.
"Although I've only been the Sect Master of the Flower Sect for a little over a month, with Little Cai's help, the disciples and elders of the sect are quite obedient and respectful towards ," Yun Yun said slowly. "The Flower Sect is considered one of the powerful sects in the Central Plains. Soul Hall has also co to persuade the forr Sect Master to submit to them, but was refused. When Soul Hall began to devour other sects and forces, our Flower Sect also suffered so damage, but fortunately, with the help of the Heavenly Snake Mansion and Jia Nan Academy, we managed to survive."
"Heavenly Snake Mansion?" Gu Xun'er was startled, sowhat confused. "Isn't the Heavenly Snake Mansion usually reclusive and unwilling to interact with outsiders? Why would they actively help the Flower Sect?"
Yun Yun smiled and said, "It seems you don't know yet. That little girl from the Mi Jia'er family, the one who always followed behind Clan Leader Yafei, is now the Young Mansion Master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion."
Qing Lin?
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er was sowhat surprised. She indeed hadn't expected that the soft, always shy and timid little girl would beco the Young Mansion Master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion.
Xiao Han nodded. Qing Lin possessed the Jade Snake Three Patterned Eyes, the most mysterious and unpredictable of all eye techniques, which also gave her innate control and suppression over snake-type magical beasts. It wasn't surprising that the Heavenly Snake Mansion would co to recruit her.
Gu Xun'er glanced at Xiao Han, marveling at her Senior Sister's eye for talent. Those she had saved or helped, even if they were previously unremarkable and ordinary, had now mostly beco figures that couldn't be ignored.
A Calamity Poison Body possessor who broke through from Dou Disciple to Dou Emperor in four years, the Young Mansion Master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion with Jade Snake Three Patterned Eyes, Yafei who was originally confined to a small city but had now beco the Clan Leader of the Miteer family...
The tip of her tongue lightly licked her teeth root, as Gu Xun'er concealed her surprise in her heart.
What else about her Senior Sister did she not know?
Reviews
All reviews (0)