Ya Fei's Choice

He frowned. Although he had a good temper, that did not mean he would allow someone like Ya Fei to ignore him time and time again. There was a world of difference between them, and to put it bluntly, Zhang Nian possessed the pride that a Dou Sheng powerhouse ought to have.

"You, are you truly unwilling?"

Oh no...

Ya Fei could detect the hidden anger in his tone. In a flash of realization, she finally understood that this young man, who appeared to be barely over twenty, possessed another layer of identity.

"Master Saint... I..."

Her delicate brows knitted together, and her beautiful eyes lowered, not daring to meet Zhang Nian's gaze. Even if she was unwilling in her heart, yet...

"I am simply not worthy of becoming your disciple. There are many geniuses in this continent; why must you fixate on me..."

Speaking these words seemed to have exhausted all her strength. At this moment, Ya Fei looked like a walking corpse, her hands hanging powerlessly at her sides. She knew very well that once these words were spoken, if they caused the other party any dissatisfaction, it would be equivalent to completely burying the entire Mite'er Family.

"Hoo..."

He let out a deep breath. So, it was because of this...

Hearing Ya Fei's reply, he assumed she was truly feeling inferior due to her cultivation talent. Then again, the Mite'er Family's cultivation talent was indeed nothing special, but in his eyes, that was not a problem at all. However, the existence of the system was constantly monitoring him; the first condition for taking an apprentice was that the other party must be genuinely willing to submit and could not be coerced. According to the system's description, a forced bond would result in certain penalties.

He flipped his palm, and a faint light flashed from the Storage Ring on his fingertip. With a ripple in space, an exquisite jade bottle appeared in his palm. He placed it gently on the table, turned around, and walked toward the door, saying in a gentle tone:

"This pill is a grade nine treasure pill called the Yin Yang Sumeru Pill. The user can gain two hundred years of lifespan, while also reshaping their foundation and defying their fate. I believe it should be able to change your current situation."

After speaking, he walked out of the room with his hands behind his back, leaving only a stunned Ya Fei behind.

Her thoughts were in turmoil at this moment. For the people of this continent, grade nine was the limit, and here in the Jia Ma Empire... let alone grade nine, even a grade seven pill had never been seen.

But then she thought...

What right did she have? Furthermore, this pill had such potent medicinal properties; why give it to her?

In Ya Fei's view, Zhang Nian must have some intentions toward her, and they were not simple. Otherwise, why would he go to such great lengths to try and approach her?

The pill on the table was not a heaven-defying opportunity for Ya Fei, but a bargaining chip for her to offer herself...

"However, the other party has already shown the utmost sincerity... If I refuse again, wouldn't that be ungrateful?"

She gave a miserable smile. At this moment, she realized that perhaps from the moment she entered the mountain gate, she had completely lost the power to choose. Everything had long been destined, and fate would not change because of this...

Fate, huh... She turned her head to look at the exquisite jade bottle on the table. Since she had no way to choose, she would just accept her fate. This pill could defy fate, so she hoped it could also change hers.

She reached out a slender hand, picked up the jade bottle from the table, and removed the cap. A refreshing medicinal fragrance surged out like a tide, permeating the entire room and drifting through the window frame toward the distance.

At this moment, Zi Yan, who had just been rejected by Yun Yun, was looking for Ya Fei to ask about the master's whereabouts. Her pretty face was full of unhappiness; everyone had delicious food, but she didn't!

"Hmph! I'll go find Sister Ya Fei in a moment and ask where Master is! Why does everyone have delicious food! No way, I want some too!"

Suddenly, a wave of medicinal fragrance seemed to hook onto Zi Yan's little nose like an invisible hand. She sniffed at the air, and a sharp light flashed in her big, watery eyes. This scent was like the pill she saw in Master's hand when she first met him... and it was so fragrant! There must be something good!

Thinking of this, she trotted off, following the direction the fragrance came from, her ponytail swinging back and forth behind her.

Inside the room

Ya Fei hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and placed the white pill into her mouth. The pill melted the moment it touched her tongue. In an instant, she felt a wave of warmth in her meridians, and a strange energy surged from her lower abdomen's dantian. Under the support of this energy, her body began to undergo subtle changes.

Her delicate body was wrapped in a burst of energy, and the items in the room were knocked askew by the energy fluctuations. The immense medicinal power permeated her body, forming a circular barrier around her. At this moment, directly above the room, a pale white beam of energy shot into the sky, piercing through the barrier and straight into the heavens.

Feeling this strange energy, the corners of Zhang Nian's mouth curled up slightly. It seemed Ya Fei had made her choice. However, it was a grade nine treasure pill after all, and he did not know what the final result would be. But he believed that after being baptized by the pill, Ya Fei would surely be reborn, and he imagined she would no longer refuse to become his disciple.

On the mountain

Yun Yun, who had just sat down cross-legged, suddenly heard the violent commotion coming from the sky. She frowned, stood up abruptly, walked out of the room, and looked curiously at the sky. The direction of the energy surge was neither Zhang Nian's residence nor Medusa's residence.

"That is..."

Ya Fei??

She turned her head to see Medusa also standing behind her, gazing at the direction where the energy was being drawn. Medusa's eyes were clear, and she did not seem confused.

She understood in her heart; it seemed Ya Fei was also about to be taken under the master's command.

She glanced at Yun Yun, who was looking at her, then withdrew her gaze, closed the window, and turned back into her room to cultivate.

Sigh...

I hope Ya Fei's arrival can ease my current awkward situation...

In Yun Yun's view, Medusa and Zi Yan were of the same kind, while she found it difficult to integrate into this big family. Ya Fei and she both belonged to the Jia Ma faction, so, counting it up, they were closer than the other two.

And in the Jia Ma Empire

Jia Xingtian examined the sky in the distance and said to Yao Qi beside him: "If one sees this kind of situation too often, it is actually not that shocking. It's just that our Imperial Family should find a way to get a piece of this opportunity. Hasn't Yao Ye returned yet? You must know that both the Misty Cloud Sect and the Mite'er Family have sent women from their own factions to the side of the Qinglian Saint. Do you still not understand the deep meaning behind this?"

"According to intelligence, it will take Yao Ye another month to return to the Imperial Capital. Currently, the Empire is still busy clearing up affairs in Yan City... I don't know why, but I always feel that the arrival of the Qinglian Saint will not bring any benefits to the Empire..."

The mature man's face was full of worry, as if he were troubled by future events. A Dou Sheng powerhouse dropping into a third-rate empire—no matter how he thought about it, it didn't seem like a good thing. But whether it was the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect or the pillar of the Empire, Old Jia, both believed this was a great opportunity. Yao Qi could not change anything, so he had to follow the established course of events.

At this moment, in the forest not far from the barrier outside the old mountain gate of the Misty Cloud Sect in the Jia Ma Empire, a black figure flashed by. Wisps of black energy lingered around him as he gazed at the barrier on the distant mountain range, especially the white flame at the top of the barrier in the sky, which carried an aura of holiness and destruction. Even as a Dou Ancestor, he felt a palpitation just by looking at it from afar.

"A Dou Sheng powerhouse has actually appeared in the Jia Ma Empire... This matter must be reported to the organization as soon as possible... And this strange celestial phenomenon... This person is definitely not simple."

The black shadow merged into the forest and vanished in a flash, startling a flurry of birds.