C513 The Servant Girl's Life!

Aboard the Sea Wanderer, Yuan Lianyao approached Yu Yuan. Her temper flared at the sight of Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, especially upon realizing that the sisters were practicing the Nightbane's spell.

Yuan Lianyao was naturally alluring, a prodigy handpicked by the Nightbane in her youth, destined for greatness. The recruiter had even promised her the sect's highest honor if she embraced their enchantment techniques. But she spurned the Nightbane, finding their ways distasteful, and instead sought the righteous path of the Ruby Hand.

This rejection sowed seeds of discord between her and the Nightbane. The fact that a sect she had turned away was now brazenly challenging her, with designs on Yu Yuan, ignited her rage.

Zhang Miao's audacity, even after learning of Yuan Lianyao's allegiance to the Ruby Hand, was the last straw.

With a swish, seven enormous lotuses ablaze with crimson flames emerged around her, signaling her readiness for confrontation without uttering a word.

Zhang Manman's face fell, her smile vanishing instantly. Despite her Veil Breaking prowess, she had been adrift in confusion since setting foot in the sea, sensing something amiss but unable to pinpoint it. Deep down, she felt an aversion to clashing with Yuan Lianyao, a mix of envy and fear for the "blazing red lotus" – envious of her beauty and fearful of her formidable cultivation and the might of the Ruby Hand.

Led astray by her sister into the ocean's depths, her actions against Yuan Lianyao were not her own but the result of manipulation. Despite her inner turmoil, she was compelled to follow her sister's bidding.

But as the "blazing red lotus" showed her fury, Zhang Manman realized the gravity of their provocation and was struck by fear.

"It seems unwise for us to continue this way..." Zhang Manman turned, her eyes wide with panic, and spoke with trepidation, "Perhaps we should go back? Return to the sea and avoid provoking her, shall we?"

Zhang Miao's gaze was icy, her smile sharp as a blade. "Sister, fear not. She's nothing but a paper tiger."

Zhang Manman was taken aback.

"This Blazing Red Lotus? It's merely a pretty facade, nothing more." Zhang Miao, who had been standing behind, moved swiftly to the front, positioning herself protectively in front of her sister. Taking a deep breath, she commanded with a mental shout, "Sister, please, be still."

Her words, laced with an enchanting power, left Zhang Manman feeling dizzy and disoriented, unsure of the time or place.

She drifted aimlessly back towards the sea, like a lost spirit.

Zhang Miao stood alone before Yuan Lianyao and Yu Yuan, her gaze, sharp and unyielding, shifted from Yuan Lianyao to focus on Yu Yuan, who lay upon Yuan Lianyao's back.

Their eyes locked.

Yu Yuan's expression chilled as he met Zhang Miao's stare, reminiscent of encountering two sinister stars deep within the Star River of the extraterrestrial realm.

Boom!

An array of young women, scantily clad and revealing, began to dance enchantingly around him.

Some cradled lutes, others held wine cups, some exhaled fragrant breaths, while others nestled close, as if returning to the nest.

Yu Yuan's mind reeled from the encounter with Zhang Miao, bombarded by a myriad of seductive visions, as if a host of beautiful women had suddenly encircled him.

His consciousness, vitality, and spiritual energy seemed to be drawn out of him uncontrollably.

"You wretch! How dare you!" Yuan Lianyao's rage was uncontainable. Seven blazing fire lotuses hurtled towards Zhang Miao.

The roaring flames swiftly submerged the area in a sea of fire.

Zhang Miao's laughter rang out, light and mocking, "Yuanyuan, why so furious? The Nightbane Sect's archives mention you. The sect holds you in high regard, believing your talent to be greater than mine. I've always been a bit envious, always keeping you in mind."

As she spoke, Zhang Miao vanished beneath the waves, yet her voice echoed from every direction, relentless and unceasing.

"Yuanyuan, I might as well be honest with you. The man you've been carrying, Lee Qi, is actually Yu Yuan. Initially, I paid him no mind." Her presence had vanished, yet her essence lingered everywhere, permeating this part of the sea.

Confusion clouded Yu Yuan's eyes. Upon closer inspection, one could see enchanting silhouettes darting within the depths of his pupils.

Zhang Miao, now gone, had used the Nightbane Sect's secret mystique to infiltrate his eyes and delve deep into his Mindscape.

"You knew he was Yu Yuan!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed sharply.

"I was unaware at the beginning," Zhang Miao admitted. "I was indifferent, merely toying with Tong Laoqian, using him for a wager. Lee Qi, with his mere Veil Breaking level, wouldn't have caught my attention if not for Tong Laoqian's meddling. But then, just as I was ready to let go, you showed up."

"I never took Lee Qi seriously. But you, Yuanyuan, you're a different story."

"When I joined the Nightbane Sect, unbeknownst to you, our Master spoke of someone perfectly suited for our sect's spells who refused to join and cultivate with us. Master claimed that if she had agreed to join, she could have become the pillar of our sect and succeeded the sect master."

"I always felt a sense of defiance whenever I saw Master's disappointment."

"Master even suggested that if this person had joined earlier, we might have been assigned by the sect to serve as her handmaidens, attending to the future sect master."

"I never understood why Master would say such things, but it always left me feeling uneasy."

"My plan was to master the intricate spell and then head to Asvetaesi to quietly bring her down."

"Years have flown by, and she's only just reached Lunar Spirit. The astonishing talent for cultivation that Master spoke of? I've yet to see it."

Zhang Miao's scornful laughter was incessant.

"Do you get it? Just as I was ready to discard Lee Qi and you appeared so quietly, can you imagine my surprise? Back then, what was Lee Qi to me? I simply wanted to use him as an excuse to have a proper showdown with you!"

I gradually learned through other channels that Lee Qi had another identity. He was Yu Yuan, notorious for stirring up trouble in the Embers Sea and securing a host of rare treasures.

"It's a pleasant surprise, really. But without your intervention, I wouldn't have given Lee Qi a second thought. I wouldn't have had the patience to keep tabs on him and you, and thus wouldn't have uncovered so much."

Zhang Miao's icy, mocking tone seemed omnipresent.

Yuan Lianyao was surrounded by blazing red lotuses and maple leaves scattered all around her.

Despite her spiritual sense probing everywhere, she couldn't locate Zhang Miao's true form.

She quickly realized a fact—Zhang Miao's level was actually above her own, likely in the middle or late stages of the Lunar Spirit, or perhaps even higher.

Only with such confidence could Zhang Miao continue to fixate on her after confirming her identity.

Yuan Lianyao also understood that Zhang Miao's apparent goal, which seemed to be Yu Yuan, was actually redirected to her because of her own emergence.

From Yu Yuan, the focus shifted to her.

And then, gradually, she discovered that Lee Qi was Yu Yuan!

"The Nightbane Sect's unconventional methods can hasten advancement in cultivation—I've known this for quite some time," Yuan Lianyao remained still, continuing to sense and track Zhang Miao's movements as she spoke. "And you, practicing dual cultivation with your sister's assistance, will naturally progress more swiftly."

Her eyes brimmed with disdain as she spoke.

"So, your realm is slightly above mine. What's there to boast about? Can the Nightbane's foundational practices truly compare with the Ruby Hand's orthodox dark arts? Beyond the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit, what about the Unbound? The further you go, the more the Nightbane's limitations become apparent, and the narrower the path becomes."

"I grasped these truths when I was seven years old, when that person sought me out. Surely you can't still be in the dark about this?"

Yuan Lianyao scoffed, her voice tinged with amusement, "How can fleeting fame compare to enduring renown? Besides, my Ruby Hand affiliation allows me to walk openly under the heavens."

"And you? Practicing the Nightbane's secret mystique, you can only skulk in the shadows, fearful of revealing your association with the Nightbane Sect, aren't you?"

"You're like a mouse, only capable of surviving in the shadows. Yet, you dare to confront me face-to-face beneath the sea."

"Moreover, even at the ocean's bottom, you continue to conceal yourself, skulking around, too afraid to reveal your true form."

"Zhang Miao, isn't it?"

"Do you really believe you've surpassed me? That your identity, your realm, and your talent have transcended mine? Your master has never been wrong!"

"If I were to join the Nightbane Sect, you and your sister would become my maids, mere wretches at my beck and call, subject to my whims and reprimands!"

Yuan Lianyao declared with haughty disdain.

Hidden in the darkness, Zhang Miao remained silent for a long while after Yuan Lianyao's tirade. Finally, she spoke, "Be quiet. Your man, Yu Yuan, is about to die."

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