Chapter 716: Ye Qingxian

“What… exactly are you?” Shi Hao asked.

“I already told you, I come from the Immortal Realm. Who do you think I am? As eternal as heaven and earth, as radiant as the sun and moon,” the snow-robed woman said with narcissistic pride.

Shi Hao gave her a sidelong glance, sizing up her strength. He couldn’t gauge her depth—otherwise, he might have already struck.

“Looking at me sideways—are you provoking me? Do you want a beating?” The snow-robed woman stepped lightly, her body glowing as she fixed him with a mischievous glare.

Shi Hao was speechless. He was actually being threatened!

“I just want to understand the situation. No ill intent. Who are you, really?” Shi Hao glanced at the shattered cocoon on the ground.

The woman laughed. “You think I came from that cocoon? How insulting to my immortal dignity.”

With that, she took out a jade jar. Inside, a strange divine insect, two inches long, shimmered brilliantly—it looked like a miniature qilin!

“My luck is incredible. After scouring the world, I finally caught an Insect King. It should evolve into an Insect Emperor,” she said cheerfully, turning the jar over in her hands.

Shi Hao was startled. He had only learned about Insect Emperors in the Yuan Heaven Secret Realm. That small world had Insect Kings, but he had never seen one.

And this woman had caught one that could evolve into an Insect Emperor?

“Are you sure?” Shi Hao was skeptical. He had heard that once an insect became an Insect Emperor, it would display unimaginable abilities.

“Of course! Hehe, this one is extraordinary—a legendary Qilin Insect, born once in a thousand lifetimes. A true treasure. Once it becomes an Insect Emperor, not only will its combat power soar, but it will also possess the divine sense to locate supreme immortal materials. Priceless and rare beyond measure.”

Clearly, the snow-robed girl was delighted, teasing the divine insect in the jade jar, her mood excellent.

“How powerful is it now?” Shi Hao was curious to know just how extraordinary this Qilin Insect was.

“Right now? It can devour weapons at the Venerable level.” She took out a cyan-gold halberd, shrank it, and tossed it into the jar.

*Crunch!*

Under Shi Hao’s astonished gaze, the purple-glowing Qilin Insect bit through the weapon and began devouring it ravenously.

“It eats Venerable-level weapons?” He was utterly stunned.

“It loves any spiritual treasure. How else will it find supreme immortal materials in the future?” She rolled her eyes at him, still marveling at her luck.

After admiring the insect, she put away the rune-covered jade jar and turned to Shi Hao, her beautiful eyes blinking as if sizing up prey. She circled him once.

“What… do you want?” Shi Hao felt uneasy under her scrutiny. This woman was too mysterious—her cultivation level was unfathomable, her strength impossible to gauge.

“You’re not bad. I’ve decided…” She nodded in satisfaction, pausing for effect.

“I’m not that kind of person!” Shi Hao declared righteously, then added in a whisper, “I need time to consider.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?” The snow-robed woman nearly smacked him. Her beautiful, lively eyes flickered with symbols, radiating a terrifying divine light.

Shi Hao’s heart trembled. This woman was truly fearsome. He faintly sensed that this was the embryonic form of a Martial Dao Heavenly Eye—already awakened!

This ability had nothing to do with cultivation level. Even sect masters coveted it, yet it was rare beyond measure, dependent entirely on the individual.

“I’ve decided, reluctantly, to take you as my follower.” Her robes fluttered, her graceful body glowing with radiant splendor, as if untouched by mortal dust.

But her words made Shi Hao want to punch her. How could someone be even more insufferable than him?

“I can’t do everything myself now that I’m out. I need someone to handle things for me,” she muttered to herself, lost in thought as if contemplating grand matters.

“Busy, are you? Going to the Immortal Palace to meditate? Or debating the Dao with the War Emperor?” Shi Hao mocked.

The snow-robed woman widened her eyes. “Oh? How did you know? I just visited the Immortal Palace. That place was boring—the so-called Ancient Immortal Bronze Hall was filthy, covered in green rust.”

“For a woman so stunningly beautiful, you sure love to boast!” Shi Hao didn’t know what to say.

“Keep the first half of that sentence. The second half can be ignored!” she corrected seriously.

Shi Hao: “…”

He had to admit—this woman was breathtaking. When he first saw her, he had been momentarily dazed by her ethereal beauty, so radiant it seemed unreal.

But as he got to know her, he discovered her many facets: narcissistic, cunning, boastful, and terrifyingly powerful, shifting between extremes of motion and stillness.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” Shi Hao decided to retreat before things got worse. This woman was too unpredictable.

“Are you heading to the Celestial Clan? That girl outside seems unusual. Did she obtain the Heaven Mandate Stone?” The snow-robed woman’s eyes gleamed with interest.

At this point, any pretense of transcendent grace had vanished. She was nothing like the ethereal figure Shi Hao had first encountered.

“What luck! If I capture her, the Heaven Mandate Stone will be mine. Such a treasure.” She murmured, looking toward the forbidden zone. The symbols in her eyes blazed—her Martial Dao Heavenly Eye manifesting, shooting out two golden beams of light!

“Don’t act recklessly! The Old Celestial might still be nearby,” Shi Hao warned, alarmed.

“Pfft. He and the War Emperor ran off long ago. They barely managed to fight before retreating to hibernate, lest their life essence drain away.” She waved dismissively.

But then she muttered again, “Forget it. I’ll find that stone eventually. No need to trouble her now. I still have to meet the Old Celestial—it’d be rude to cause trouble.”

Shi Hao was speechless. Not a single word this girl said could be trusted. She was utterly full of herself!

“Alright, you can leave now. As my subordinate, if anyone bullies you, just drop my name.” She waved him off.

“Can you stop boasting?” Shi Hao rolled his eyes. “And who exactly are you? How am I supposed to name-drop you?”

He immediately regretted asking, as the girl’s narcissism flared up again.

“Ah, what a hassle. Even taking a follower requires so much effort. If this were two years ago, before I mellowed out, I’d have beaten you senseless first.”

Shi Hao could only stare. He had finally met someone even more arrogant than himself.

“Remember, my name is Ye Qingxian. If anyone gives you trouble, just mention me, and you’ll be safe.” She waved him off again.

Shi Hao couldn’t wait to leave. If not for the possible “gap” in their strength, he would have lunged at her and subdued her on the spot.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you—don’t drop my name casually. Only use it against people like the Old Celestial or the War Emperor.” Ye Qingxian called after him seriously.

Shi Hao stumbled, nearly falling off the white jade bridge leading out of the forbidden zone. “From now on… I’ll never boast again!”

Leaving the battlefield’s center, he traveled a hundred miles before reuniting with Yun Xi.

“What was in the forbidden zone?” Yun Xi asked, startled by the two golden beams that had shot out earlier.

“Nothing much. Just shattered rules. The order chains might have gone haywire.” Shi Hao didn’t want to mention the snow-robed woman—his encounter had been too humiliating.

In the distance, the sound of war horns still echoed, deep and powerful, like the roar of an ancient beast from the heavens, resonating across the Bloody Plains.

“You should go back now,” Shi Hao said, looking at her.

Yun Xi hesitated. This youth had protected her across hundreds of thousands of miles of the Bloody Plains. Without him, she would have been captured or killed.

“Won’t you come to Celestial Prefecture with me?” Her lips parted slightly, inviting him to the Celestial Clan.

“Even the longest journey must end. We’ll meet again someday. This time, I won’t accompany you.” Shi Hao refused. He had no intention of going to the Celestial Clan.

“But it’s dangerous now. You killed the War King and provoked a great disaster. The War Clan won’t let this go. Come with me to my clan,” Yun Xi urged.

Shi Hao shook his head. If he stayed with the Celestial Clan too long, his identity might be exposed. They had Celestials—and even the Old Celestial, a legend from the ancient era.

“Thank you. Without you, I would have died long ago,” Yun Xi said gratefully.

“Go. I’ll escort you to safety. Maybe I’ll visit the Celestial Clan someday, and you can treat me well then.” Shi Hao grinned.

Watching his carefree smile, Yun Xi sighed softly and nodded. “Be careful. The War Clan is terrifying.”

Shi Hao activated the Divine Footwork technique, swiftly leaving the battlefield’s center. Soon, he spotted a group—the Celestial Clan’s forces.

“Goodbye!”

With that, he turned and vanished into the horizon, moving at incredible speed.

Finally, in a deserted area, he used the Kun Peng technique, leaving behind an afterimage as he disappeared entirely.

Shi Hao went into hiding. He knew both the Celestial and War Clans had Celestials still roaming the plains, so he burrowed underground, suppressing all signs of life until the storm passed.

But he miscalculated. Just two days later, violent energy fluctuations tore through the earth—someone had found him!

*Not good!* He bolted, using his Divine Footwork to shrink miles into inches, fleeing at top speed.

Yet an overwhelming force enveloped him—a web of radiant order chains binding him and dragging him above ground.

*Celestial chains!*

Shi Hao’s heart pounded. A Celestial had captured him.

“Young friend, why leave without saying goodbye?” A tall, imposing man with deep, penetrating eyes stood before him.

Clad in purple, his body was wreathed in dazzling Celestial chains, glowing brilliantly as they intertwined around him.

This was a Celestial from the Celestial Clan.

“How did you find me?” Shi Hao asked calmly, unafraid.

“You consumed a Celestial Pill. As long as you’re not too far, we can track you,” the man replied with a smile.

Shi Hao was speechless. So that was the problem.

“Don’t worry, young friend. I mean no harm. I only wish to invite you to our clan to thank you for saving Yun Xi.” The Celestial released the chains.