Just after Li Xue and her companions departed, two Luo Tian High Immortals appeared. One was a young immortal dressed in white with a jade belt, and the other was a middle-aged immortal in green robes.
"Young Master, I wonder what kind of divine artifact that was. It seemed to possess the five elements attribute," the green-robed immortal remarked thoughtfully.
The white-robed immortal, however, fanned himself with a jade fan, looking every bit the elegant gentleman. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. "What does that have to do with me? I am only interested in that divine beast!"
The aura Yun Xi had released when she performed her teleportation technique was clearly that of a divine beast, which was what had caught this Luo Tian High Immortal's attention.
The green-robed immortal hesitated before saying, "Young Master, they appeared to be people from the Hundred Flowers Palace."
"So what if they are from the Hundred Flowers Palace? Is our Qingcheng Sect supposed to be afraid of them?" the Young Master of Qingcheng asked with a frown.
"Young Master, Ye Wuchen is not one to be trifled with. Moreover, that divine beast seems to have already acknowledged a master. We should perhaps..." Chen Wuji attempted to advise him further.
"Enough, Uncle Chen. I won't go looking for trouble at the Hundred Flowers Palace. But if I run into them before we leave, they can't blame me!" the Young Master of Qingcheng said impatiently. He thought it was quite extraordinary for a mere Vibrant Immortal to possess a divine pet; he wouldn't be satisfied until he saw exactly what kind of divine beast it was.
High Immortal Chen Wuji felt helpless. He could only hope to finish their business as quickly as possible and lead the Young Master out of Hundred Flowers City before any trouble arose.
The Qingcheng Sect was a famous and prestigious sect within the East Hua Immortal Domain. Among the top fifty experts on the Heavenly Lord power rankings, five hailed from the Qingcheng Sect, a testament to its immense strength. The current Sect Leader was Heavenly Lord Qingmu, and his son, the Young Master, was known as High Immortal Qingyan. Born in the Immortal Realm, Qingyan was a pure "immortal scion" with exceptional cultivation talent. Having received the true teachings of the Qingcheng Sect, he had achieved the rank of Luo Tian High Immortal in a mere thousand years, making him a formidable expert in his own right.
Li Xue, naturally unaware that Yun Xi had been targeted, followed Immortal Qinglian to the Spirit Jade Immortal Manor. The manor was filled with dense immortal qi and beautiful scenery; Li Xue fell in love with it at first sight. After taking the manor’s jade token and officially establishing her ownership, the manor belonged to Li Xue’s family. The registered owners were Li Haoran, Li Jingxue, and Li Qinglin.
After discussing it with Yun Xi, Li Xue decided to explore the outskirts of Hundred Flowers City to familiarize themselves with the environment before returning to the Dream Realm for closed-door cultivation.
As fate would have it, they ran into the Young Master of Qingcheng, who had just finished his business and was preparing to leave the city.
"Ah, what a coincidence!" The Young Master of Qingcheng shook his jade fan, a brilliant smile on his face.
"Li Jingxue greets the High Immortal. May I ask what business you have with us?" Li Xue stepped forward and performed a formal salute. Courtesy cost nothing, and it was wise to be polite to a Luo Tian High Immortal.
"Friend Li, is it? Very well, I won't beat around the bush. I am very interested in your spirit beast. As long as you dissolve the spirit beast contract, you may have whatever compensation you desire," the Young Master of Qingcheng said indifferently.
Li Xue’s brow furrowed deeply. "Which spirit beast is the High Immortal referring to?"
The Young Master pointed at Yun Xi. "Her."
Li Xue’s expression darkened, and her voice turned cold. "She is my friend, not my spirit beast. I cannot dissolve a contract that does not exist." Li Xue was fuming inwardly. *Damn it, why is the Immortal Realm full of such scum? They try to snatch people and beasts at every turn. Is there no law here? What on earth is that Emperor Hua doing?* She even began to curse Emperor Hua in her mind.
The Young Master’s face instantly fell. "This is not a choice. It is an order."
*Hah, who the hell do you think you are to give orders?* Li Xue quickly summoned her Five Elements Flying Shuttle, her divine sense flaring out as her Ice Soul Divine Needles stood ready to strike at any moment. Yun Xi’s body glowed with white light, her wings unfurling instantly, prepared to flee at a moment's notice.
"Haha, don't bother showing off such petty tricks!" Though the Young Master spoke dismissively, his attention was fixed on Yun Xi. He wanted to figure out exactly what kind of divine beast she was.
Li Xue’s Five Elements Flying Shuttle had already expanded, and the Five Elements Illusory Killing Divine Array enveloped a five-mile radius. The illusory killing array was meant only to trap the opponent; her true killing move was a sneak attack with the Ice Soul Divine Needles.
Yun Xi’s heart tightened. She scooped Li Xue up, intending to teleport away. This was a Luo Tian High Immortal, not a common Golden Immortal.
The Young Master of Qingcheng tossed his jade fan into the air. A white light flashed from the fan, and Li Xue and Yun Xi felt their vision blur. They were suddenly trapped within the fan’s illusory formation. Indeed, there were mountains and rivers, but no way out; the scenery was the very landscape painted upon the Young Master’s jade fan.
The Young Master of Qingcheng retrieved his fan and laughed heartily. "Uncle Chen, let's go. We'll have some fun with them once we get back!"
Chen Wuji’s expression was grave. He wanted to say something but found himself unable to speak.
"Don't worry, I sealed this area long ago. The Hundred Flowers Palace won't find out," the Young Master said before flying forward.
Trapped inside the jade fan, Li Xue and Yun Xi were pale. This was the gap—the disparity in their cultivation realms was too vast, leaving them utterly powerless to resist. The feeling was incredibly stifling.
Yun Xi felt even worse, blaming her own insufficient cultivation for allowing her mistress to be bullied.
Li Xue performed an immortal hand seal and brought Yun Xi back into the Dream Realm. A mere immortal formation could no longer trap her now.
Inside the Dream Realm, birds sang and flowers bloomed. It was a vast ocean of flowers, a riot of beautiful colors. Li Xue’s mood improved slightly; there was nothing like the feeling of being home.
"Your Eminence, do you like it?" Ye Wuchen appeared before Li Xue, his eyes filled with a desire to please.
"It’s beautiful. I love it!" Li Xue praised him sincerely.
Ye Wuchen’s face lit up with joy, but he quickly noticed that Li Xue and Yun Xi looked unwell. He immediately asked what had happened.
"That damned Qingcheng Sect!" Ye Wuchen’s face clouded over. From Li Xue’s description, he already knew it was the Young Master of Qingcheng. That jade fan was called the Heavenly Spirit Fan, ranked twentieth on the list of immortal artifacts—a top-grade immortal tool.
The Young Master of Qingcheng was riding a flying horse, soaring leisurely through the sky. Suddenly, a ripple of spatial fluctuations appeared before him. He alertly summoned his Heavenly Spirit Fan, and High Immortal Wuji beside him also drew his immortal weapon.
"Brat of Qingcheng, you have some nerve, daring to kidnap people within my Hundred Flowers City!" Ye Wuchen appeared before the two, accompanied by a shower of falling petals.
"Oh no, it’s the Hundred Flowers Array!" High Immortal Wuji cried out. He shielded the Young Master, attempting to break through the perimeter.
"Do you think you can escape?" Ye Wuchen let out a cold, contemptuous shout.
The Young Master’s face turned deathly pale. In the time it took for Ye Wuchen to speak, he had tried to break out no less than a hundred times, all to no avail. He was struck with absolute terror. They were both Luo Tian High Immortals, yet the gap between them was this immense. At this moment, he was filled with regret. His cultivation journey had always been smooth sailing, and he had never imagined there could be such a vast difference between experts of the same rank. He had forgotten that Ye Wuchen was one of the Ten Great Luo Tian High Immortals.
"Palace Master Ye, we will release the person immediately. This is just a misunderstanding!" High Immortal Wuji said at once.
"A misunderstanding?" Ye Wuchen’s anger flared. To think they dared to touch her—they truly didn't know the meaning of death. "Since it’s a misunderstanding, let Heavenly Lord Qingmu of the Qingcheng Sect come and explain it himself!"
With a wave of his hand, the Hundred Flowers Array activated, binding the two from the Qingcheng Sect. With another motion, a single falling petal flew into Ye Wuchen’s hand. This was Ye Wuchen’s divine artifact, famous even in the God Realm.
"It’s far too good for these two brats, getting to taste the flavor of the Falling Flower," Ye Wuchen murmured. He then performed a hand seal and returned to the Dream Realm.
In the Dream Realm, Li Xue, Jin Sang, Lei Yan, and Huan Xi were sitting around a stone table. Yun Xi had returned to her cave dwelling for closed-door cultivation; she had been deeply shaken by the encounter. Despite Li Xue’s long attempts to comfort her, Yun Xi remained determined to raise her cultivation first.
"Your Eminence, those two brats are at your disposal!" Ye Wuchen’s "Single Petal of Falling Flower" floated to the center of the table.
Jin Sang’s lip twitched as he remarked, "Ha, the famous divine artifact of the God Realm, 'A Single Petal of Falling Flower.' To think I’d see it here. Truly an eye-opener!"
Ye Wuchen glanced at Jin Sang. "Would you like to taste the flavor of the Falling Flower as well?"
"Ah, no, no. Just looking is enough!" Jin Sang immediately shook his head. He wasn't joking—the Single Petal of Falling Flower was one of the ten great Divine Artifacts of Punishment in the God Realm, capable of punishing even gods. Although Ye Wuchen’s cultivation had not yet reached the level of a god, the artifact’s functions were very real.
Li Xue looked at the petal, her heart hardening. "Let them suffer a bit. We can't just let this go. To think he targeted Yun Xi... he deserves to die!"
Though Li Xue said this, she knew in her heart that she couldn't actually kill the Young Master of Qingcheng. Given the Qingcheng Sect's power, the retaliation would be a massive headache. While they didn't fear it given the strength within the Dream Realm, Li Xue didn't want to turn the Immortal Realm upside down the moment she arrived.
Of course, if the Qingcheng Sect didn't know what was good for them and insisted on causing trouble, she wouldn't mind letting Jin Sang and the others go out to "play" with them. At this moment, Li Xue felt an urgent desire to increase her own strength. She didn't want to be bullied constantly, nor did she want to always rely on her friends to step up and protect her.
At Mount Qingcheng, Heavenly Lord Qingmu’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He muttered, "Something has happened to Yan'er!"
With a teleportation, he arrived at the main hall of the Qingcheng Sect. After questioning the disciples on duty, he learned that the Young Master had gone to Hundred Flowers City. Feeling uneasy, Heavenly Lord Qingmu summoned his Green Jade Immortal Sail and flew swiftly toward Hundred Flowers City.
"Palace Master, Heavenly Lord Qingmu requests an audience," Immortal Qinglian reported slowly.
"Let him in," Ye Wuchen said, leaning lazily against his lotus couch without rising.
When Heavenly Lord Qingmu entered and saw the scene, his heart sank. His son must have caused trouble again.
"Palace Master Ye, Qingmu has come to disturb you," Heavenly Lord Qingmu said, cupping his hands.
Ye Wuchen rose to greet him after he entered. Regardless of the situation, Qingmu was, after all, a Heavenly Lord.
"Heavenly Lord Qingmu graces the Hundred Flowers Palace with his presence. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner," Ye Wuchen replied, also cupping his hands.
"To be honest, Palace Master Ye, I have come for my unworthy son. I wonder if the Palace Master knows of his whereabouts?" Heavenly Lord Qingmu kept his posture very humble, thinking only of finding his son first.
"Oh? The Young Master of Qingcheng? This Palace does indeed know where he is." With a wave of his hand, a single falling petal floated in the air.
"A Single Petal of Falling Flower!" Heavenly Lord Qingmu cried out, his face turning pale. He asked in a trembling voice, "My son... what has become of him?"
"Hmph, what has become of him? He won't die," Ye Wuchen said coldly. "I truly don't understand where your Qingcheng Sect gets the nerve to kidnap people from the Hundred Flowers Palace within my own city. I merely let him taste the flavor of the Falling Flower. You should know, I haven't used the Falling Flower in many years."
As he finished, Ye Wuchen wore an expression of profound nostalgia.
