C1404 Ann Ziqing

Ann Ziqing, clad in a light purple dress, perched elegantly on a verdant branch, her smile radiant.

Her tall, enticing figure had become even more sculpted, with legs that were long and straight, and eyes that sparkled with mischief and a hint of malice, drawing people in.

Once a girl, she had blossomed into a woman.

"Young Master, are you here seeking refuge to whisper sweet nothings?" she asked from her lofty position, looking down with a beaming smile. "You truly live up to the expectations I've held for so many years. Whether in Ionodios or elsewhere, you always have a beauty by your side."

Her inscrutable gaze settled on Wen Lu, who bore the blood of the Shadowkin.

Wen Lu, naturally gentle or perhaps a bit timid, seemed visibly unnerved under her scrutiny.

Back in Ionodios, Wen Lu had witnessed Yu Yuan tending to Ann Ziqing and was aware of his deep concern for the goddess of the Colddeath. The stories she'd heard hinted at a complex relationship between them.

Hailing from the Everlands, Wen Lu felt a cold unease at the thought of the Colddeath goddess's reputation.

She bowed slightly, "I won't interrupt your reunion with Brother Yu." With that, she made a point to distance herself.

Her demeanor made it clear she feared Ann Ziqing and wanted to avoid any misunderstandings with Yu Yuan that could lead to trouble.

Ann Ziqing harbored malevolent schemes. In the shadows of the Everlands, she had a penchant for covert manipulations, responsible for the downfall of many unsuspecting victims.

Despite this, her high level of power and rapid advancements, coupled with her possession of rare treasures, made her a formidable figure.

Reportedly, even the Shadow's Keep and the Devil Palace were troubled by her presence, and now with Ann Wen allied with Boulderdawn, they were at a loss on how to handle her.

Wen Lu certainly had no desire to cross her.

"This girl... knows her place," Ann Ziqing mused, watching Wen Lu's figure fade into the jungle. She nodded in approval, a playful smile on her lips. "Considering her tact, I won't seek her out for trouble later. The partial Shadowkin bloodline... Hmph! If I wished, I could drain her lifeblood in mere seconds!"

A dark red sphere of blood materialized in her translucent palm, shimmering with a terrifying crimson glow.

Inside the sphere, there were over a dozen droplets of lifeblood, each a different hue.

The lifeblood shone like an array of diamonds—pink, black, red, green—each one dazzling in its own right.

These precious droplets were linked to the Silverscale Tribe, enchantresses, Voidweavers, and the Shadowkin, all of notable strength.

"Consider these lifeblood essences as compensation for the time you saved me in Ionodios."

Ann Ziqing's hand, now stained a deep scarlet by the blood sphere, gently twirled it before attempting to hand it over to Yu Yuan for him to refine into his Solar Spirit.

She had made the journey specifically because she knew Yu Yuan had achieved the breakthrough to Solar Spirit, believing these lifeblood droplets would aid in stabilizing his newfound power.

Unbeknownst to her, Yu Yuan had already undergone a complete metamorphosis.

The lifeblood she had painstakingly gathered through the power of the Colddeath Cult, once a rare treasure, no longer appealed to Yu Yuan.

"Did you bring these just for me?" Yu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle.

Initially, her biting sarcasm and her demeanor toward Wen Lu had left a sour taste in his mouth.

But as she revealed the deep red blood sphere and her intentions, any lingering irritation in Yu Yuan evaporated. "I no longer have a need for it."

"You don't need it?" Ann Ziqing was taken aback.

Yu Yuan nodded, his smile speaking volumes without a word.

A glint of crimson flashed in the depths of his eyes as he tapped into a fraction of the Dragon Slaying Stage's power, activating his otherworldly "Third Eye." Instantly, he perceived seven amethyst pools brimming with potent vital energy within Ann Ziqing's little world of vitality.

Another Ann Ziqing sat in quiet meditation at the heart of these pools, connecting them to seven secret acupoints on her chest.

It seemed as though she was on the cusp of channeling the overwhelming vital energy from the pools directly into the acupoints.

This version of Ann Ziqing, a refined essence of blood and soul, shared the same nature as Chen Qinghuang and his Solar Spirit.

Narrowing his gaze, Yu Yuan discerned that within the amethyst pools, the bloodwater contained impurities yet to be fully refined.

Tiny impurities had infiltrated the amethyst pools, seemingly affecting Ann Ziqing's Solar Spirit.

Yu Yuan had an epiphany that these seven amethyst pools were in fact extensions of Ann Ziqing's Solar Spirit, capable of integrating with it.

Yet...

"To ascend to the Unbound Realm, you must first purify your Solar Spirit and those seven pools," Yu Yuan stated candidly.

"You can see them?" Ann Ziqing exclaimed in surprise.

"In Ionodios, I caught a glimpse once, though it wasn't as vivid as now," Yu Yuan confessed without reservation, directly addressing the issue within her. "I'm well aware of how overbearing and peculiar Colddeath's spells are. Your rapid advancement in realm certainly comes with its risks."

He paused briefly.

Continuing, he said, "Inside your Solar Spirit, within your vitality's little world, I saw the seven amethyst pools. Each one is linked to an acupoint, all of which are tainted to varying degrees."

"If you attempt to force your way into the Unbound Realm without fully refining them, success is unlikely."

Yu Yuan harbored no ill will toward the 'blood shadow' that had been covertly plotting behind him, thanks to Ann Wen of Colddeath, who had maintained a protective watch over the Yu family for years due to his ties with the Evil King Yu Xi.

It was all Ann Wen's doing, a deliberate setup to ensure that Ann Ziqing and he became acquainted sooner rather than later.

Ann Ziqing herself had been in the dark, mistakenly believing she was clever and that it was all her own strategizing...

From the Land of Terror onward, as truths began to emerge, their adversarial relationship dissolved.

Thereafter, they started collaborating, leading to increased interactions.

He even received numerous vials of Otherkin lifeblood from Ann Ziqing, which greatly bolstered his strength.

By the time he reached Moonfall Sanctuary, his sheer physical power was enough to contend with an eighth-level Otherkin warrior.

Grateful to the Ann family, he had gone to great lengths to rescue Ann Ziqing upon learning of her injury in Ionodios.

And so it was the same now.

"You weren't just boasting to me after your breakthrough to the Solar Spirit, were you?"

Ann Ziqing's face was etched with skepticism as she scrutinized Yu Yuan, examining him from every angle. Despite resorting to the Colddeath mystique, she couldn't discern anything extraordinary. "Just by looking at me, you've identified so many flaws? You've only just refined your Solar Spirit; surely you must have some impurities within you?"

"I truly don't..."

With a dismissive smile, Yu Yuan emitted a light whistle. Across the expanse of Greenshadow, the Crucible of Evil, which had been near Yu Yiyi, swiftly made its way over.

Yu Yiyi, who had been manipulating the Crucible of Evil in search of an appropriate soul to transform into a Bane, sent out a message. Once she received his response, she felt at ease and resumed her activities.

Whoosh!

In no time, the Crucible of Evil hovered above both Yu Yuan and Ann Ziqing.

The cauldron's opening faced downward, swiftly encasing them both.

"You're not planning any mischief, are you?"

Ann Ziqing shot him a sidelong glance, her lips curling into a scornful smile. "Given the current state of our families' relations, I doubt you'd dare cross any lines with me."

"Cross lines with you?"

Yu Yuan shook his head, chuckling at her accusation. Before she could retort, he responded, "Ann, I've known you for more than just a day or two. Your mind is a labyrinth of malevolent plots and schemes; I have no interest in causing you trouble."

"Master, your words wound me deeply."

Ann Ziqing's face took on a look of pitiful grievance as she settled herself onto the floor of the little world inside the cauldron. Her alluring eyes sparkled with curiosity as she observed the peculiar Bane nestled within the seat's recesses on the staircase. "I've attended to you since childhood, making your bed, laundering and folding your clothes. Even when you were oblivious to the world, I never looked down on you, and now you scorn me..."

"Silence!"

The term "fool" triggered a stern rebuke from Yu Yuan, his expression turning sour.

Regrettably for him, Ann Ziqing was undeterred and continued unabashedly, "I've sacrificed so much for you, waiting silently for your awakening. Meanwhile, you've been gallivanting about, entangling yourself with the likes of Yuan Lianyao, Liu Ying, and Chen Qingyan. Have you ever spared a thought for my feelings?"

Yu Yuan was suddenly struck by a headache.

...