Chapter 577 507: Shang Miaoyan and Lin Qianyan Meet Again, The Two Saintesses' United Front

In an instant, a searing shame surged from the depths of her heart, making the tips of her ears burn hot.

Shame, like a great wave, crashed against Lu Ruoxi's heart.

'Yes... how could I have been so unreasonable?'

"I... understand." She bowed her head deeply, her voice hoarse.

Fu Haixia patted her shoulder in relief, then with a flick of her sleeve, vanished on the spot with Ye Liyuan.

...

As Ye Liyuan made her breakthrough, the immense Thunder Tribulation also caught Shang Miaoyan's attention.

Shang Miaoyan leaned against the window, her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the tribulation clouds pressing low against the horizon.

The lightning coursing through the clouds made even her heart palpitate.

"Who is Crossing the Tribulation? I haven't heard of any breathtakingly talented Divinity Transformation cultivators in the Dao Sect recently."

Hearing the Holy Daughter's question, Fan Xuan fell silent for a moment before shaking her head.

"My apologies, Holy Daughter. It is this subordinate's failure. My intelligence gathering has been sluggish recently..."

"You haven't been yourself since Xiaohan was taken."

Shang Miaoyan interrupted her, her tone terrifyingly calm.

"For the time being, hand full control of the Red Lotus Guard over to Fan Ya."

Fan Xuan lowered her eyes, but ultimately did not look up. "...As you command."

Fan Xuan felt no objection to the Holy Daughter's decision.

In fact, she even felt a sense of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

After Young Master Pei was taken, she had tried to throw herself into her duties to numb the pain.

But it had been ineffective. Instead, it only made her feel like a soulless, walking corpse.

'Now the Holy Daughter has freed me... Perhaps this is her own silent way of taking care of me.'

As Fan Xuan withdrew, Shang Miaoyan sensed something. She shifted her gaze from the heavy clouds toward the gates of the Dao Sect.

"You're finally here, you country bumpkin..."

"I hope you can channel the same energy you use to fight me into finding Xiaohan."

...

...

Outside the Dao Sect, a giant Immortal Crane cut through the Cloud Sea, soaring toward the Divine Mountain Gate that pierced the heavens ahead.

On the crane's broad back rested a multi-layered, exquisitely arranged, jade-colored Treasure Pavilion that refracted the sunlight into a rainbow of colors.

Lin Qianyan stood alone atop the pavilion, her robes fluttering. She stared at the approaching Xuanyuan Dao Sect, a storm of emotions churning in her eyes, her heart a tangle of mixed feelings.

The last time she came here, she had been filled with excitement at the thought of reuniting with Brother Pei.

She never expected that upon her return, things would be so drastically different.

"Brother Pei, Qianqian will bring you back."

Lin Qianyan lifted her hand to her lips, gently kissing the Silver Ring on her finger engraved with the name "Pei."

With a clear cry, the Immortal Crane landed, its folded wings stirring a gentle breeze that lifted the dark strands of hair at Lin Qianyan's temples.

She slowly lowered her hand. The tenderness in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by the depths of an unfathomable Cold Pool.

She looked at the woman who had come to greet her, her voice cold.

"Business Saintess, I never thought you would be the first to greet me."

Shang Miaoyan stood before her, her magnificent red robes swaying in the wind. Her expression was calm as she said:

"Right now, all the Elder Level Cultivators from the major Sects are in meetings day and night. Naturally, I'm the only one available to welcome you."

After speaking, Shang Miaoyan noticed Lin Qianyan's scrutiny. A shadow of gloom flashed in her eyes before she lifted her chin slightly, one eyebrow raised.

"Lin Qianyan, if you have something to say to me, just say it. Why be so secretive and look at me like that?"

"You were with Brother Pei when he was taken, weren't you?"

Shang Miaoyan's eyes darkened as if recalling a painful memory. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, her voice becoming much hoarser.

"What, are you going to blame me for not protecting your man?"

Lin Qianyan shook her head, the cold glint in her eyes undiminished.

"Even the Dao Sect's strongest experts, acting in unison, couldn't protect Brother Pei. I certainly won't blame you for that."

She paused, her voice suddenly dropping low. "It's just... I want to know why you approached Brother Pei again after I left the Dao Sect. And why didn't he tell me you were harassing him again?

You must have used some sordid means to get close to him."

Hearing this, Shang Miaoyan first froze, then burst into loud laughter. Her laugh was clear but carried a sharp, mocking tone.

She laughed so hard her body trembled like a flower in the wind, a single, crystalline tear even welling in the corner of her eye, which she gently wiped away.

"Hehehe... Lin Qianyan, I overestimated you."

She stopped laughing, her eyes suddenly turning cold. "And here I thought you could put aside your prejudice and see the bigger picture. I didn't expect you to come and interrogate me the moment we meet."

Faced with Lin Qianyan's pointed hostility, Shang Miaoyan naturally wouldn't back down.

She took a slow step forward, her sensual red lips moving as she spoke in a low, soft, and dangerous voice:

"Why don't you guess... what sort of 'fun' things Xiaohan and I did after you left?"

"If I told you Xiaohan put his arms around me and tried to climb into my bed, would you believe me?"

With that, she licked her lips provocatively. The corners of her eyes tilted up, and an ambiguous light swirled in their depths, as if she were savoring an intoxicating memory.

Lin Qianyan said nothing, but the simple white dress behind her began to stir without a wind, billowing like layers of flowing clouds.

Shang Miaoyan, not to be outdone, stared right back. She raised her chin an inch, her vermilion lips pressing into a sharp line. The golden ornaments in her hair trembled faintly with the Suppression she emanated, glinting with specks of gold light.

The invisible clash of their auras caused the surrounding air to stagnate.

A sudden gale erupted, sweeping fallen leaves and peach blossoms into a vortex around them. In the next instant, the wind ceased and the clouds stilled, leaving only a few petals suspended in mid-air, refusing to fall.

The clouds in the sky roiled and transformed with their contest of power. Flickering light and shadows swept across their two beautiful faces, adding to the grim, murderous atmosphere.

Until... just as the tension between their auras reached its absolute limit, when it seemed they were about to strike.

Shang Miaoyan suddenly took half a step back. She lowered her proud head, her long eyelashes trembling and casting a shadow beneath her eyes.

"Enough... I don't want to keep fighting with you to see who's superior, not right now."

"Without the help of your Jade Pool Sacred Land, we won't be able to rescue Xiaohan on our own."

"If you want to curse me, then go ahead... You can even slap me, as long as you'll focus wholeheartedly on saving him..."

Shang Miaoyan took a deep breath. When she looked up, the sharpness in her eyes was gone, replaced by a stubbornness that was almost a plea.

Lin Qianyan watched her quietly. The white dress behind her slowly settled, like clouds gathering and returning to calm.

"You don't have to tell me. I will save Brother Pei and bring him back."

Her voice was still cold, but it held less animosity, leaving only an unquestionable resolve.

At that moment, Lin Qianyan and Shang Miaoyan, the Saintesses of the Jade Pool and Yin Yang Sacred Lands, temporarily set aside their prejudices against each other and formed a united front against Ji Shenyun.

"What is the result of the discussions between the Dao Sect and the other Sect Sacred Lands?" Lin Qianyan asked.

"We're going on the offensive."

A cold light flashed through Shang Miaoyan's eyes.

"That Silver-haired Witch named Ji Shenyun is definitely an ancient expert who does not belong to this era.

And the only organization capable of a Forbidden Technique that can cross the river of history and resurrect the dead from the past is that group, the Chosen."

"The intelligence we have so far indicates that the Chosen will gather seventy-two Dragon Corpses, corresponding to the seventy-two Divine Spirits. They will then go to the Endless Sea to begin some kind of sacrificial ritual, using the Dragon Corpses as a bridge between life and death to bring the Divine Spirits back to the present world."

"So, the Saint Master and the Taoist Lord's plan is this: rather than wait for the Chosen Organization to lie in wait and gather strength by summoning more ancient spirits, we should strike now while they are still unprepared and force a decisive battle—"

Shang Miaoyan's fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"When the time comes, the Dao Sect will bring all the Dragon Corpses currently imprisoned and sealed by the various Sacred Lands to the Endless Sea to lure the Chosen over..."

"And we will settle everything in one battle!"

A crazed determination flickered in Shang Miaoyan's eyes. She looked at Lin Qianyan and said in a grave voice:

"And when the Chosen come... that Silver-haired Witch who took Xiaohan will surely come too."

"That will be our greatest chance to get Xiaohan back!"