The murky air swirled with colorful clouds drifting in uncertainty, as if real, yet illusory. In this hazy realm, Qiao San had already halted within a floating palace.
“Your Holiness, please be seated. Gou Yuan greets you with respect!”
As the ethereal voice echoed, a tall and graceful figure emerged gracefully from the clouds. Her beauty was breathtaking, her presence elegant and flawless. For a fleeting moment, Qiao San seemed to glimpse the shadow of Taiyuan Yünu.
The King of Rogues was momentarily stunned—how could the Earthly Realm’s Grand Sage resemble a celestial maiden? As he slowly sat down, he secretly focused his gaze.
Qiao San’s astonishment nearly burst from his throat. He saw yet another image of the petite and delicate Grand Sage. Though not as light and graceful as Yushan, this form still stirred men’s hearts with tenderness, evoking deep compassion for this seemingly fragile “helpless woman.”
What? How could this be?
Shock reverberated in his mind endlessly. Disbelieving, Qiao San blinked hard, and the petite illusion vanished. Yet, a girl resembling the twelfth appeared, walking gracefully toward him.
Heavens! Had he gone mad?!
“Your Holiness, please try this supreme snow tea. It is brewed by Gou Yuan from the spring at the peak of the world’s edge.”
Her voice was clearly by his ear, and Gou Yuan stood vividly before him. Yet when Qiao San closed his eyes, he could no longer sense her presence!
Whew—it was terrifying. Without a doubt, this was the most fearsome and formidable opponent Qiao San had ever encountered, whether man or woman. For the first time in his life, the rogue felt fear, his mind unusually clouded and confused.
Perhaps only an instant had passed, or perhaps an eternity. When Qiao San suddenly snapped out of it, he found himself drenched in cold sweat.
“Your Holiness, don’t be afraid. Gou Yuan bears you no hostility.”
The ever-changing Grand Sage embodied all the beauty of heaven and earth. At this moment, her graceful smile even captured the majestic charm of the Dragon Mother of the Four Seas. Her laughter still lingered in the air when, before Qiao San could recover, she startled him once again with an eerie tone, nearly making his soul flee.
“A guest arrives from afar—how delightful! Your Holiness, may I invite that friend within you to meet me?”
Since Qiao San had entered the path of myths, even when facing powerful beings like the Dragon Mother, Taiyuan, Yushan, and other celestial immortals or mighty demons, none had ever sensed the presence of the Book Spirit. Today, at this moment, the feeling of his secret being exposed made Qiao San extremely uneasy. Cold sweat poured down his back, as if a thousand needles pricked him.
Before Qiao San could even voice his thoughts, Gou Yuan once again communicated directly with his mind: “Your Holiness, since you are unwilling, forget it. Just don’t say that your hostess failed to entertain you properly!”
Qiao San had never felt so helpless before. Wanting to retaliate, he found himself powerless. Gou Yuan seemed to peer directly into his soul, and intense fear filled his eyes.
This was their first confrontation. Qiao San had arrived with boundless ambition, yet at first glance, he had already fallen into a complete disadvantage. The frustrated rogue took a deep breath, then shifted his thoughts: “Grand Sage, may I ask…”
“Your Holiness, rest assured. Gou Yuan is not an unreasonable woman. General Ying’s crime does not warrant death. As for the female demon, Gou Yuan had already released her before you arrived at the Palace of Jiuyou!”
Their conversation continued smoothly, yet it seemed more like Gou Yuan speaking to herself. The Earthly Realm’s Grand Sage then shifted tone, her voice brimming with infinite charm: “Your Holiness, Gou Yuan has a small favor to ask of you. Would you be willing to grant it?”
Qiao San didn’t yet know what it was, but his usually reckless heart had already surrendered willingly. “Grand Sage, please speak. Even if it means braving fire and sword, Qiao San will not hesitate!”
The scene flickered, and Qiao San stepped out of the Grand Sage’s mansion. Instinctively, he glanced back, shaking his head hard, yet his eyes still revealed an unshakable haze.
“Brother Dandan, how did it go? Was it successful?” Yushan’s expression was slightly grave, uncertain of the answer she truly sought.
Forcing himself to forget his troubles, the rogue’s mood lightened as he loudly replied, “Gou Yuan said that if I can bring back the thousand-year snow lotus from Kunlun’s Jade Pond, General Ying’s matter will be forgiven!”
“Kunlun?! She wants you to attack the Jade Pond of Kunlun?!” Both Huhou and Yushan were startled. The Jade Pond itself wasn’t so fearsome, nor was Kunlun Mountain particularly terrifying to demons and monsters. But behind them stood their patron—the Queen Mother of Heaven. A single stomp from her could shake the Three Realms.
Legend said the Queen Mother attained immortality at the Jade Pond of Kunlun and eventually became the supreme woman in heaven. Since then, Kunlun had become the sole link between heaven and earth, with ten thousand heavenly soldiers guarding the Jade Pond year-round.
To obtain the thousand-year snow lotus, one must first conquer Kunlun, then penetrate the Jade Pond—essentially provoking the Queen Mother and opposing the entire heavenly court!
Certainly—this was no small matter as Gou Yuan described!
When Huhou solemnly explained the entire situation, even the fearless rogue could only bitterly smile. In a self-mocking tone, he said, “Well, at least Gou Yuan said I can command a hundred thousand troops. That should be impressive enough!”
Within the Grand Sage’s mansion.
At the very moment Qiao San’s figure stepped out of the mansion gate, Gou Yuan—who had remained motionless—suddenly changed her expression. Her brows furrowed in anger, and her voice shifted sharply: “Wicked woman, what are you doing? You must not harm him!”
“Giggling, giggling…” Gou Yuan’s furious expression changed again, her laughter wilder than Huhou’s, her sinister tone rivaling even that of a ghost king. “He must die. Whatever you love, I will destroy! Giggling, giggling… I will never allow him to ruin my grand plan!”
“You dare?! If you dare harm him, I will kill myself immediately!” A crisp voice rang out from Gou Yuan’s mouth again.
“Hmph, you’ve already threatened me once. Let me tell you this: live well until my demonic cultivation reaches perfection. Otherwise, I will kill every person who cares about you!”
Evil and venomous words poured from the same mouth. The sinister voice continued: “If you hadn’t stopped me just now, I could have already devoured his body. Given a thousand years, I could still refine the Ten-Yang Pearl!”
“No, no!” The same person, the same mouth—just a moment ago filled with killing intent, now turned anxious and weak. Gou Yuan—this strange and mysterious Grand Sage of the Earthly Realm!
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