"So that was it. Fellow Daoist Situ, you certainly had a clever scheme!"
Chen Ming didn't entirely believe what Situ Yuelan had told him.
Still, Chen Ming didn't press her. After all, no one would readily reveal their secrets.
Situ Yuelan continued, "Who would've thought that fate would thwart my plans? Both Ling Yangzi and Golden Light Divine Lord died at your hands."
"All my careful plans came to nothing."
Chen Ming paused at her words. "Golden Light Divine Lord has already been refined into a Supernatural Ability, and the Spirit Tree in the monastery has already fused with Yinyin. Neither can be undone. Fellow Daoist Situ, do you have anything to say?"
Situ Yuelan replied coolly, "What else is there to say? The wood has already been made into a boat. If I still wanted to take them from you, I wouldn't be sitting here talking with you so amicably."
"But my plans ended up making wedding clothes for you. You should at least compensate me a little!"
Chen Ming neither agreed nor refused, offering no answer.
Situ Yuelan smiled. "Don't be so quick to refuse. If you help me recover my strength, you'll benefit too!"
"Those two pink-robed disciples from the Chayi Sect are one thing, but Xie Yurou was one of the seven Contemplation Realm cultivators under Fairy Caiyi. Fairy Caiyi spent considerable effort helping her reach the Contemplation Realm. You killed her, and Fairy Caiyi won't let it go!"
"When soldiers come, block them with general troops; when water comes, block it with earth. If Fairy Caiyi really comes, can Fellow Daoist Situ stop her?" Chen Ming asked.
"My realm and strength have fallen, so I can't stand against someone in the Spirit Condensation Realm. But I can escape without trouble. Fellow Daoist Xuan Mingzi, would you abandon Cuiping Mountain and flee with me?"
Situ Yuelan took another sip of tea, then quietly watched Chen Ming.
Chen Ming knew she was trying to provoke him. He weighed it over in his mind. Abandoning Cuiping Mountain wasn't out of the question.
After all, he had already refined a Grotto-Heaven Dojo. There were only a few people—Songyu, Wang Xiu, and Qing Ling.
The only things he regretted leaving behind were the spiritual energy on Cuiping Mountain and the Spiritual Items that hadn't yet matured.
"This Situ Yuelan claims her cultivation fell from the Spirit Condensation Realm. That does seem somewhat believable. Her current strength is still impressive even among Contemplation Realm cultivators."
"She must have run into some serious obstacles. She clearly wants something from me; otherwise, why would she be so polite and spend so long trying to talk me around?"
"Even if she has some connection to Qing Ling, that's not enough to explain all this!"
Chen Ming pondered Situ Yuelan's motives and what she was after.
"What exactly do you want, Fellow Daoist Situ? Don't beat around the bush. It's irritating!"
Chen Ming spoke plainly.
Situ Yuelan chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Xuan Mingzi, you're a straightforward man. I do have something I need your help with!"
"When I was injured, I had no choice but to abandon my body. It fell somewhere in the Vast Mountain Range and turned into three hundred Spiritual Items. I'd planned to seize the spiritual energy of Golden Light Divine Lord and Ling Yangzi, recover some of my strength, and then go look for it."
"But now they've both been turned into your resources. If I make other plans, it'll take time and effort, and I can't bear the wait. So I'd like to ask you to help me find my body."
"Then we'll be even. How does that sound?"
Seeing that Chen Ming seemed impatient, Situ Yuelan finally stated what she wanted.
She had put on a show of being powerful and mysterious, hoping to intimidate Chen Ming and gain some leverage over him.
Who knew that Chen Ming wouldn't fall for it at all?
When Situ Yuelan abandoned her body, her Divine Soul was also damaged, and she'd fled in haste.
The Bronze Mirror she now inhabited had originally been an ordinary object. It only revealed its unusual nature after Situ Yuelan took up residence in it and suffused it with Yin Cold Qi.
By the time Situ Yuelan awoke inside the Bronze Mirror, she had already become closely bound to it and couldn't easily abandon it.
This place was quite remote. It was rare enough to encounter even two Contemplation Realm cultivators.
If Chen Ming left now, Situ Yuelan couldn't stop him. She had no idea how long it would take to recover her strength, and many other complications might arise in the meantime.
Situ Yuelan had a vague premonition and didn't dare wait any longer. That was why she had revealed herself and approached Chen Ming.
Chen Ming smiled. "What are you talking about, Fellow Daoist Situ? How could I have known about your plans? Since I came upon this opportunity and obtained the Spirit Tree and Golden Light Divine Flame, that was simply my good fortune!"
"If I'd been even a little weaker, would you have shown yourself and sat down to talk with me so amicably? I'd probably have been reduced to a pile of bones by now!"
Chen Ming's blunt words laid bare the falsehood behind her pretense, leaving Situ Yuelan momentarily speechless.
"Enough. Since you need my help, you should show some sincerity. Don't try to fool me with empty words. Golden Light Divine Lord was the last one who didn't know how to behave, and now he's been turned into this Golden Light Divine Flame in my hand!"
As he spoke, a Golden Light Divine Flame suddenly rose in Chen Ming's hand, flickering in and out.
Then a thread of azure light wound around the flickering Golden Light Divine Flame.
The Azure Wood Life and Death Gas had merged with the Golden Light Divine Flame. Together, the two Supernatural Abilities had gained the power to dispel illusions.
"What do you mean by this, Fellow Daoist?"
Situ Yuelan cried out and hurriedly rose to her feet, retreating.
The stone table, stone stools, and teacups gradually dissolved, while the beautiful courtyard transformed into a desolate wasteland.
Situ Yuelan held the Bronze Mirror, which constantly radiated Yin Cold Qi. "Are you trying to break with me, Fellow Daoist?"
The Bronze Mirror in her hand gathered a dense mass of Yin Cold Qi, as though some Supernatural Ability was forming within it.
The Aura around Situ Yuelan surged higher and higher, pressing down on him bit by bit.
"Oh, so this is the Aura of the Spirit Condensation Realm?"
Chen Ming felt the pressure but didn't retreat.
He had already seen through Situ Yuelan. This Spirit Condensation Realm pressure was nothing but an empty shell, a paper tiger meant to scare people.
If her strength really surpassed that of the Contemplation Realm by so much, why would she hide in the shadows and scheme, then prattle on like this when she met Chen Ming?
"Break!"
Chen Ming stirred his Spiritual Sense. Smoke rose behind him, and the swarm of insects concealed within let out sharp cries. In an instant, they shattered Situ Yuelan's Aura.
Situ Yuelan's expression turned grave. Knowing Chen Ming had seen through her strength, she didn't dare keep up the pretense. "Wait, Fellow Daoist! I was too anxious before and spoke in haste."
"Regardless, the matter with the Chayi Sect still needs to be settled. If we join forces, we'll have a much better chance!"
"I truly do want your help finding my body. If you're willing to help, I'll offer you something in return!"
Seeing that Situ Yuelan had lost her composure, Chen Ming didn't press her too hard. He withdrew his Supernatural Ability and Aura.
"You should've spoken plainly from the start. You could've just gotten straight to the point. There was no need to put on such a mysterious act. It really wasn't worth it," Chen Ming said coolly.
Situ Yuelan complained to herself, If I hadn't put on that act, how could I have tested your strength and figured out your methods?
Going straight to the point would've made me a fool!
Situ Yuelan managed to put her smile back on. "If you're willing to help, what kind of reward would you like?"
Before you continue