Phoenix Sacred Body, Water Immortal Empress

"Senior, my royal father has agreed to let me enter the secret realm."

"Now I can find Sacred Medicine to heal Senior's wounds."

"You have a good heart, Qing Yu."

A cool female voice echoed in Hua Qingyu's mind.

"Senior, I promised you this. It is what I should do."

Come to think of it, her awakening of the Phoenix Sacred Body had indeed been due to a fortuitous encounter.

A month ago, she had gone out to travel. Passing through a valley, she picked up a strange ring and brought it back because she thought it looked beautiful.

Who would have thought that a remnant soul resided within the ring—the very senior she spoke of.

She had promised to help this senior find Sacred Medicine to nourish her soul and to keep the ring safe. Only after expending a great deal of magical power had that senior helped her awaken her sacred body.

However, without a corresponding cultivation technique, she could not unleash the full strength of the sacred body. Even that senior had said there was nothing she could do about it.

Normally, the two communicated through divine sense.

Qilin Royal Palace.

At this moment, it was already packed with people.

After everyone discussed several matters regarding the secret realm, they dispersed to await its opening.

As always, inside the secret realm, no one cared about the size of one's faction. Any ownerless treasure belonged to whoever was capable of taking it, all determined by personal strength.

If disciples were killed in the secret realm, no sect—including sacred lands—was allowed to settle scores afterward. Otherwise, they would be attacked by all. The cruelty of it was plain to see.

This was also tacitly approved by those in power among the various factions. In a trial ground filled with opportunities, those who emerged alive would naturally become the core of their sects. Those who died simply lacked both strength and luck.

Naturally, no sect needed to waste effort over a dead disciple of poor strength.

"Very well, let us conclude our discussion here. The secret realm will open soon. Please rest awhile in my Royal City," the Qilin King said with a smile as he rose to his feet.

"Third genius disciple detected. Please proceed as soon as possible. Completing the mission will yield enormous rewards."

So she is the princess of the Qilin Dynasty.

And she has a fortuitous encounter too?

Feng Qingyang opened her personal panel and thought to himself.

"Hua Qingyu: Princess of the Qilin Dynasty. Realm: late Golden Core Realm. Physique: Phoenix Sacred Body. Fortuitous encounter: One month ago, she picked up a ring inhabited by the remnant soul of the Water Immortal Empress from the Central Domain, thereby activating her sacred body."

Where did this Water Immortal Empress come from? A granny cheat?

"You two find somewhere to rest for a while. Your master has something to take care of."

After giving Shi Hao and Lin Bai a few instructions, Feng Qingyang turned and left.

"Ah, what is Master going to do?" Lin Bai asked in confusion.

"Who knows? Could Master have an acquaintance here?"

"Come on, Junior Brother."

"Perfect timing—we can go have some fun in the city. It is not often that we get to come out. Last time you went out with Master, you did not even bring me."

Shi Hao dragged Lin Bai toward the city.

"Oh, right, Junior Brother."

"Speaking of last time, how is your fiancée? Why have I not heard you mention her?"

"When you went home last time and found that you could cultivate, you must have given her quite the surprise."

Shi Hao asked enviously.

This was too damn miserable. Junior Brother already had a fiancée, while he, the senior brother, had not even held a girl's hand in eighteen years...

"Do not mention it, Senior Brother."

"I have already reached the realm where there are no women in my heart, and drawing my sword makes me a god."

Though his junior brother spoke lightly, Shi Hao saw a trace of pain in his eyes.

He immediately knew he had brought up the wrong pot—the one that would not boil. At last, he understood why his junior brother's entire temperament had changed after returning that day.

Women were terrifying!

Good thing he did not have one... Though he did not know whether he should feel fortunate, or fortunate...

Outside the royal palace, Hua Qingyu was walking when she noticed a figure following behind her.

Could it be a stalker?

He actually dared set his sights on this princess!

That lecherous wretch had quite the nerve!

"Who is there? Show yourself!" Hua Qingyu spun around and shouted.

As her words fell, a handsome young man dressed in robes of interwoven blue and white walked over.

Seeing who it was, Hua Qingyu relaxed her guard slightly. Such a handsome young master probably was not the stalker she had imagined.

Still, she cautiously asked, "Who are you? Why do you keep following this princess?"

Her hand rested on the Personal Sword she carried, ready to strike at any moment.

"You are Hua Qingyu, right?" Feng Qingyang asked, glancing at the girl before him.

How does he know my name?

As the third princess of the Qilin Dynasty, she should have been a figure renowned throughout the dynasty. But because her physique had never awakened, she had never shown her face in public.

People only knew that the dynasty had a mysterious third princess. Beyond that, they knew nothing.

"Why do you know my name?"

"And what do you want?" Hua Qingyu asked with a slight frown.

"I know the heavens above and the earth below. There is nothing I do not know, nothing I do not understand."

"Nothing you do not know, nothing you do not understand?"

"You are bragging, aren't you?" Hua Qingyu was speechless. This man had surely learned her name from somewhere.

"I came this time to give you an opportunity to change your fate. It depends on whether you can seize it."

"Change my fate? Go on." Hua Qingyu wanted to hear what this person before her was trying to do.

"It is simple. Take me as your master and join my Azure Cloud Sect. I guarantee you will Rise to the Azure Clouds."

"Oh, so you are recruiting for a sect."

She had thought he was up to something big. After all that, he was just recruiting disciples for a sect? He should have said so earlier!

"Why should I join your Azure Cloud Sect?"

"How does your Azure Cloud Sect compare to my Qilin Dynasty?"

"I could wipe it out with a flip of my hand," Feng Qingyang said with a faint smile upon hearing her question.

"Hmph! Then how does your Azure Cloud Sect compare to a sacred land?"

"A sacred land? Mere ants, fit only to be trampled beneath others' feet."

"How arrogant!"

She swore those were the two most arrogant things she had heard since she could remember!

A hegemonic faction could be wiped out with a flip of his hand? Sacred lands were only fit to be trampled underfoot?

Yet the remnant soul in the ring rather agreed with Feng Qingyang's words. At her peak, those people had not even been worthy to carry her shoes.

Agreement aside, she could not understand why this man at the early True Person Realm would say such things.

Could he be backed by some great faction from the Central Domain?

"I am right, am I not, Water Immortal Empress?"

Before Hua Qingyu could recover her senses, the young man before her suddenly said something that left her utterly confused.

"Water Immortal Empress? Who is the Water Immortal Empress?"

"Who is he talking to?"

The remnant soul in the ring was greatly shaken! How could he know?

Could he have been sent by the Dustless Great Emperor?

No, that is not right. They believed my soul and spirit had been completely destroyed. It was impossible for them to find me here.

Then who is this man...?

"Do not concern yourself with who I am. If you want to know more, join my Azure Cloud Sect first. This sect has no obligation to waste words with you."

Buy one, get one free. Worth it!

Though this Empress is only a remnant soul, she can still be put to use. She can barely serve as an Inner Sect Elder. Having a female elder will make many things much more convenient.

"Qing Yu, agree to him."

"Senior..."

Mu Shuixian spoke to Hua Qingyu through divine sense. No matter what kind of man he was, anyone who knew her identity was certainly no simple person.

"Fine, I will join the Azure Cloud Sect."

"Qingyu greets Master."

Senior had shown her great kindness and would certainly not harm her.