Above the void, a sudden gust of wind scattered the leisurely floating clouds. A lazy rogue idly played with pieces of cloud, moving unhurriedly toward the Three Holy Heavens.
Another mass of clouds was kicked apart by the rogue when, in the midst of his leisure, he suddenly accelerated and vanished in an instant.
Before the scattered clouds could fully reassemble, another swift figure blew them apart once more. The figure paused briefly, channeling magic into his eyes. Space silently “froze,” and a miraculous faint trail appeared across the void, clearly coming into view.
The divine light receded, and space resumed its tranquil state. The figure then followed the invisible trail in pursuit.
“Bang!” No sooner had the figure surged forward by less than three feet than the void ahead silently exploded, a fist formed from magical energy instantly filling the heavens and earth.
“Huh? Ah Xuan, is that you?!”
Startled, the fist halted just before Xuan Nu’s nose. Immediately, the overwhelming, fierce aura transformed naturally into a righteous and solemn one. Yuanshi Tianwang (Primordial Heavenly King) stepped back slightly, hands behind his back, smiling as he gazed at the Purple Mansion Holy Maiden he nearly injured.
“Master, the path to the Three Holy Heavens will surely be fraught with danger. Please allow this disciple to assist you.”
Quietly lowering her eyes, Xuan Nu’s hair gently swayed. Her voice was particularly delicate and pitiable, directly touching the softest part of the false Yuanshi’s heart.
Qiao San originally had no intention of bringing Xuan Nu along, but he had been captivated by her Su Nu technique. The journey to the Three Holy Heavens was long, and having a beautiful companion was naturally delightful. Moreover, Xuan Nu had always cherished feelings for Yuanshi Tianwang. Perhaps on the way, this “Yuanshi” might even…
“Hmph…”
Thinking thus, the rogue nearly revealed his true nature and hastily inhaled deeply, maintaining the aura of a great Luo Xian saint. “Hmm, since you are willing to risk yourself for the Dao, I won’t stop you. Just be careful on the way!”
“Thank you, Master!”
Xuan Nu remained as still as a deep pond, as calm as dark ice. Facing Yuanshi, her Su Nu technique had unknowingly deepened another level.
Two days passed swiftly. The rogue’s mood had calmed, and Xuan Nu’s “serenity” had left his impure thoughts no chance to surface. Qiao San himself hadn’t even noticed that even when he relaxed, the composed and righteous aura of Yuanshi Tianwang never faded. Every movement exuded the elegance of a celestial being.
Watching the illusory-like back ahead, a strange glint flickered once more in Xuan Nu’s eyes.
Even immortals cannot constantly fly, let alone a rogue like San, who was accustomed to earthly scenery. Whenever mealtime arrived, he would descend from the clouds to the land below, indulging in the pleasures of delicious food.
On this day, the false Yuanshi flew downward at the usual time, reminding his female disciple along the way, “Xuan’er, remember to change your appearance, or we won’t be able to eat again!”
Seemingly oblivious to all of her master’s “oddities,” Xuan Nu transformed into a simple village girl and calmly reminded him, “Master, we’ve already entered the territory of the Western Ox-Heaven Continent. Be careful not to be discovered by heavenly soldiers.”
“Hehe… If we can’t even deceive the heavenly soldiers, how can we sneak into the Three Holy Heavens?”
The moment Qiao San’s feet touched the ground, Xuan Nu saw a country bumpkin before her. The honest, dark-faced villager and her restrained village girl figure made quite a matching pair.
Walking on the land of the Western Ox-Heaven Continent, Qiao San’s outward expression remained calm, but inwardly he was astonished.
The heavenly realm was just like the mortal world, with immortals also divided into ranks. The rogue had previously only seen high-ranking immortals and heavenly soldiers; this was the first time he had encountered ordinary heavenly commoners.
These “heavenly beings” could be considered lucky, for they were born into paradise. Yet they were also pitiable, possessing only minimal magical powers, serving various high immortals as servants, palace maids, or at best, minor heavenly soldiers.
The medium-sized towns and bustling crowds made Qiao San momentarily feel as if he had returned to Liumang Town. Fortunately, from time to time, people passed through walls or flew up and down, reminding the excited rogue to calm down.
“Stop! Who goes there?”
Xuan Nu’s fears were unfortunately realized. Before they even approached the city gate, their “clever” disguise was noticed by the heavenly soldiers.
“Officers, I’m just a woodcutter from the mountains. This time I specially brought my wife to see the sights, hehe…”
The rustic woodsman tightly embraced his wife, not forgetting to stroke her sallow face proudly, “Officers, this is my wife, bought with ten copper coins. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Hahaha…” The heavenly soldiers burst into laughter, their patrol’s boredom instantly dissipating. Yet the suspicion in their eyes did not lessen. Such a rustic pair was indeed rare.
Xuan Nu instinctively recoiled. Qiao San quickly used his magic to whisper, “Don’t panic. Be careful not to startle them.”
The Purple Mansion Holy Maiden had always cultivated in seclusion on the sacred mountains, never experiencing such a situation. For a moment, she was at the rogue’s mercy, unsure how to resist; indeed, it was too much—he was actually hugging her waist deliberately, turning around and around. How could her master have become like this?!
Qiao San continued acting foolish in front of the heavenly soldiers, his hand tightening its grip gradually, as if trying to merge into Xuan Nu’s body.
“Mighty officers, may this humble wife pass through now?”
Finally unable to endure, Xuan Nu’s yellowish hair subtly quivered. The heavenly soldiers lost all desire to tease, perceiving only an especially honest couple of woodcutters, with not a trace of suspicion remaining.
The invisible power of the Su Nu technique worked its magic. The village woman roughly shoved the woodsman aside and strode through the city gate. The woodsman, in pain, grimaced and groaned, lamenting his loss while quickly catching up. His mind shifted, and he began to chuckle to himself in satisfaction.
Hehe… Just seeing the Purple Mansion Holy Maiden blushing was worth it!
The heavenly towns were more radiant than the mortal world, shimmering with golden light. Amidst the neatly arranged jade towers and crystal palaces, the couple of rustic villagers stood out starkly. No sooner had they walked a mile than they were successively questioned by several groups of heavenly soldiers. Fortunately, the Su Nu technique repeatedly came into play, making the rogue feel almost bored.
Forgetting his disguise, the rogue looked around, licking his lips in admiration and shamelessly calculating that one day he would transform Liumang Town into something like this. Better yet, he could simply bring these houses back home—how much simpler that would be.
Suddenly, a short man dressed as an inn waiter emerged from the ground ahead, eagerly blocking their path. “Sir, are you here to stay or dine? My humble inn is specially staffed by the eighteenth-generation disciple of a culinary master. Our delicacies are authentic, delicious, and reasonably priced…”
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