Chapter 681: Who Dares Touch My Woman?

Young Master Mei was indeed the current Young Master of the Celestial Plum Divine Clan. His talent was considerable, making it highly likely he would become the next Clan Leader. Once he became Clan Leader, his status would soar, and he would wield the power of life and death.

By all accounts, Young Master Mei was an excellent candidate, but Shi Xueyun remained unmoved, showing no interest whatsoever.

“No interest!?” Young Master Mei was stunned for a moment before retorting in anger, “I don’t know who this Celestial Cloud you speak of is, but I could crush him with a single finger! You’ve been here long enough. Surely you know the power of our Celestial Plum Divine Clan? Do you really think the factions of your Mortal Realm can compare to us?”

“If we were to send a few Spirit King Stage experts down there, do you think the factions of the Mortal Realm could withstand our wrath?”

When his attempt to win her over failed, Young Master Mei flew into a humiliated rage and roared threateningly.

Shi Xueyun’s gaze turned cold, her stare piercing straight into Young Master Mei’s eyes and making him feel as though she was about to kill him. The killing intent was so intense it seemed to stab right into his heart, sending a shiver down his spine.

Even though his cultivation was slightly higher than hers, he was the one who felt like he was about to be killed.

“You dare try me?” Shi Xueyun’s voice was ice-cold, and a layer of frost instantly coated the surroundings.

“So you’ve gotten bold, have you!?” Young Master Mei puffed out his chest and snorted. “Don’t you forget how you got here! Has the Celestial Plum Divine Clan treated you poorly? If it weren’t for us, would your cultivation have advanced so quickly? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. You intend to leave as soon as your cultivation breaks through so you can run off to find that little lover of yours!”

“Let me tell you, forget it! The moment you joined the Celestial Plum Divine Clan, you gave up any chance of leaving. You certainly can’t marry an outsider. You can only marry one of our own!”

“What!?” Shi Xueyun’s expression darkened. “Impossible! Master told me that wasn’t the case!”

“You mean Elder Wan? What she says is one thing, but ultimately, we must follow the Great Elder’s directive. In other words, my mother has to give the final approval.” Young Master Mei watched Shi Xueyun’s expression sour, his heart filling with glee. “For your own safety, and for the safety of your factions in the Mortal Realm, I advise you to accept the situation!”

“Once the Celestial Plum Divine Clan reveals itself to the world, it will be a powerful Divine Kingdom. Let me ask you, can your little factions possibly stand against the might of a Divine Kingdom?”

His information was still outdated. They had already become an Empire. Of course, even as an Empire, they were still just a trivial matter to a Divine Kingdom.

“What’s going on here?” Just then, a woman walked in from outside. She frowned upon seeing the two of them together. “Young Master Mei, what are you doing here?”

“Master!” Shi Xueyun said in a somber tone when she saw who had arrived. “Master, have I lost my freedom? Am I truly forced to stay here forever and marry someone from the Celestial Plum Divine Clan?”

“Xueyun, well…” Elder Wan looked rather awkward.

“I just want a clear answer. Yes or no?” Shi Xueyun’s voice was frigid.

“It is… I feel this is for the best. Marrying one of our own is an excellent choice. As long as they are from our clan, you can pick anyone you like…” Elder Wan explained.

“That’s enough,” Shi Xueyun said, her voice low. “Master, this isn’t what you told me before. I knew that by coming here, I would have to repay the clan, but you never said my freedom would be restricted, let alone who I was allowed to marry!”

‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch. I wasn’t going to abandon the Celestial Plum Divine Clan. My plan was simply to do my part here while also ensuring the safety of my allies in the Mortal Realm. It was supposed to be that simple.’

‘I was willing to risk my life for the Celestial Plum Divine Clan and make any number of contributions to repay them. But there was one line I wouldn’t cross: being completely controlled and forced to marry one of them.’

‘That was something I would never agree to. It was never part of our original agreement.’

“You’re too naive. Did you think you could just come and go from the Celestial Plum Divine Clan as you please?” Young Master Mei’s words were like a splash of cold water. “After investing so many resources in you, there’s absolutely no way we’re letting you go!” he said coldly. “Do you think I’m not good enough for you? Or is that man you’re so fond of stronger than me? I’ve never met him, but I bet I could crush him like an ant with a single finger!”

“Xueyun, with your bloodline, marrying into the Celestial Plum Divine Clan is your best destiny,” Elder Wan advised. “Just forget about the past. This way, you can also protect your allies down below. The man you’re worried about… he’ll surely understand.”

Shi Xueyun stared at them coldly for a long moment before speaking, her voice like ice. “I made it clear from the beginning that I would only join if I was guaranteed my freedom. For you to go back on your word now… I am truly disappointed.”

“So what if we went back on our word? This is how things are now. What other choice do you have?” Young Master Mei waved his hand dismissively. “Marrying me won’t be a waste of your talents. It’s a million times better than marrying that brat you’re always thinking about!”

“No. You aren’t worthy of even a single strand of his hair,” Shi Xueyun scoffed.

“It seems you have to learn things the hard way! Let’s see how you feel after some time in the Ice Cage to reflect on what you’ve done wrong!” A cold light flared from Young Master Mei’s hands as he prepared to restrain Shi Xueyun by force.

Elder Wan sighed from the side but showed no intention of stopping him.

“Master, I can’t believe this was your plan from the very beginning…” Shi Xueyun shook her head, the bond she felt with her master rapidly vanishing.

“My hands were tied. Your constitution is Rare and can help our Celestial Plum Divine Clan produce a more powerful generation…” Elder Wan sighed. The Celestial Plum Divine Clan was in gradual decline and needed powerful new talent to sustain itself.

They could never let Shi Xueyun go—not a woman who could produce an exceptionally powerful next generation.

‘Looks like I’ll have to fight my way out…’ Shi Xueyun drew her Longsword, preparing to resist.

“Fight your way out? You think you have a chance?” Young Master Mei burst out laughing. “You’re all alone here. How will you escape? Let me tell you, as long as you’re in the Celestial Realm, you can never escape my grasp. Just surrender! Don’t make me hurt you. Even I would hate to see that happen.”

Shi Xueyun’s expression turned grim. With even her own master siding with Young Master Mei, she truly had no way to escape.

“Celestial Cloud…” she murmured. ‘Was my choice a mistake? I would have been better off staying in the Mortal Realm.’

‘But it’s too late for regrets now. There’s no way Yi Tianyun could appear here. We’re in the Celestial Realm, for one, and in the remote territory of the Celestial Plum Divine Clan, for another.’

“Oh? You dare to touch my woman? You’ve certainly got some nerve.”

Just then, a figure appeared in the doorway, watching them with a cold gaze. Shi Xueyun looked up and froze completely. An impossible figure had just appeared right before her eyes!