Zhu Xuelian made her way down the mountain of the Seven Killing Swords sect with a new ring on her finger — this one contained one thousand top-grade spirit stones, worth a million ordinary spirit stones. Though she never expected that getting them would be this easy. She almost wanted to go back and ask for more.
What sect could produce a million spirit stones just like that?
She didn’t expect to run into Xin Muchen — the villain that violated and humiliated the Galaxy Sword sect at the Martial Conference — and Zhu Xuelian wasn’t entirely certain why she let him go in the end. At that moment, she felt that it should be Tian Li, or Ren Weisheng who directly suffered from Xin Muchen, to decide what to do with his life. Though why she didn’t slay the devil that was in front of her, she wasn’t certain if that reason alone was enough.
She was also very happy with Mu Jingyu’s outfit, even though thinking about it caused her to blush just a little bit. Zhu Xuelian found it a bit risque even though it wasn’t very revealing, but the split inner and outer skirt made her feel a bit exposed. And those boots and stockings, and the veils — just what was that devious Mu Jingyu thinking dressing her up like this…?
Even so, Zhu Xuelian did not really mind. She couldn’t wait to show it off to Mu Jingyu and return the favor for making her blush.
Ultimately, she decided against extorting the sect for more spirit stones or treasures. She had enough now to build the target for the Translocation spell, and there was no need to take on further risks. Once the others came over to this side, they would have plenty of opportunities to deal with the Seven Killing Swords sect.
They did not recognize her either, thanks to Mu Jingyu’s design choices, and they even thought she was a princess. This last detail troubled Zhu Xuelian slightly.
What princess?
They didn’t regard her like a princess like someone would sometimes call Wu Yulan, because she was beautiful and from the Wu clan — the controlling clan of Star City. No, they referred to Zhu Xuelian by a royal title. However, the four kingdoms of the Sky Continent had no unmarried royal princesses that Zhu Xuelian knew of — only princes. And even if they did, the royal families of the Sky Continent were not martial families, though they had martial experts in their employ. The royal families were merely mortal puppets of the Sky Dragon Alliance, controlled by the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion — or at least it was controlled by them before the war. There simply was no reason or benefit to marry into them.
But things have surely changed since the war, and maybe there was only one kingdom now. Even so, that kingdom would still be controlled by the major power that won the war, so there was still no reason to marry into a royal family.
Zhu Xuelian twisted the ring around her finger — the one Mu Jingyu gave her — lost in thought when she came across a procession of two or three dozen people. They all wore red and gold robes and carried an exquisitely carved carriage with curtains that concealed the occupants.
As Zhu Xuelian passed by them, she heard a voice call out to her.
“You there, halt.”
Zhu Xuelian stopped and turned toward the carriage. The cultivators of the procession were all in the Nascent Soul realm, at least, with a few that have stepped into the realm beyond. Though she could not see the occupant inside the carriage, she felt the response of a gold core cultivated through a potent fire attribute.
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“How can this fellow traveler be of assistance?” Zhu Xuelian asked.
“Why do I sense the True Sun of my royal family’s inheritance in you? Who are you?” the female voice asked.
Zhu Xuelian tilted her head. “Your Highness flatters me with her praise,” Zhu Xuelian said and cupped her fist. “I have no ties to the True Sun or your esteemed family, and my martial art surely cannot be compared to yours.”
“Even if that is so,” the voice spoke again after a long silence, “I must bring you home with me to discover the truth of this matter. Will you comply?”
Zhu Xuelian looked at the dozens of cultivators who, even in their stillness, seemed ready to force the matter.
“I won’t,” Zhu Xuelian said. “I am my own person. If you want my freedom, you will have to take my life.”
“Dao friend, it’s not like that; you don’t have to be so suspicious. If you don’t want to come, then so be it. But if you do decide to come with me, I will reward you,” the voice said.
Zhu Xuelian blinked and then relaxed a bit. “Your Highness is magnanimous, but I must still refuse her hospitality. There is something I still have to do.”
“Then so be it. I wish you safe journeys under the True Sun,” the voice spoke, and the procession continued toward the Seven Killing Swords sect.
Zhu Xuelian stared at them for a few moments longer, then she bit her bottom lip and called out. “Your Highness?”
The procession stopped again. “What is it? Have you changed your mind?”
“It is not that, your Highness,” Zhu Xuelian said. “I would not go where you are headed.”
“Why is that?”
“It is a pit of snakes and devils. They practice devil arts and ruin the fortune of outstanding talent and beauty. If your Highness has come to marry into this rotten sect, then she will surely come to regret it for the rest of her life,” Zhu Xuelian said.
“What is your relation with this sect? Those flames I saw earlier… were those yours?”
Zhu Xuelian nodded. “They were mine.”
A long moment of silence followed, and then a glittering giggle.
“This day, I really met a friend on the road. Thank you for the warning. If this princess ever meets you again, she will show her gratitude,” the voice spoke.
Zhu Xuelian cupped her fist and bowed. “Then I will be on my way. Safe journeys to you, your Highness.”
As the procession slowly turned around, Zhu Xuelian activated her flying sword talisman and summoned a sword of qi and energy. Then she jumped on top of it, and headed away from the area, hopefully before the sect elders realized that their precious Immortal Slaying Formation was no more, once again, or that the person they thought was the princess they expected was, in fact, Zhu Xuelian!
Looking back at the swiftly disappearing procession of the princess in the carriage, Zhu Xuelian had mixed thoughts. She was glad she met a friend on the road and she was impressed by the princess’s gentle demeanor.
However, the words True Sun could mean only one thing.
The Sun Continent, unlike the Sky Continent, had only one major power: True Sun Temple, whose sect master was the monarch of the True Sun Kingdom!
Those Arks that attacked the Galaxy Sword sect, put Wu Yulan’s mother in harm’s way and went against her vow to the old sect master, must have belonged to the True Sun Temple. If that were true, then Zhu Xuelian and that gentle princess would surely become mortal enemies.
With this in mind, Zhu Xuelian’s plans changed. She had originally wanted to eradicate the Seven Killing Swords sect with the others, which she thought was an achievable goal, but if the True Sun Temple stood behind them and were the reason why this sect could fight back against the major powers of the Sky Continent, then she could not afford to jump blindly into the tiger’s den.
She almost regretted not killing Xin Muchen and everyone else there while she had the chance. If the Seven Killing Swords sect sold out the entirety of the Sky Continent to avoid the consequences of their numerous sins, then Zhu Xuelian truly learned a new thing about how low a despicable sect can fall.
What a glorious and mighty sword sect!
When the clouds blew away from her path, and the Seven Killing Swords sect was out of sight, her heart calmed down a bit, though the bitter poison of ever being associated with them remained.
Though her body was immune to poisons and drugs like bliss, her heart was not.
