Qing Yu sat next to Elder Gu Youchang and Pang Xiangxiang from the Yanyue Sect, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
She was only a maid, and yet she was invited to the Ascension Realm. Under the protection of the two great elders of the sect, Pang Xiangxiang and Gu Youchang, she attended the engagement ceremony of the Young Sect Master.
Though this was an event exciting enough to make one tremble, she felt an inexplicable trepidation.
Could it be because the miss had left, that the Young Sect Master made her take the miss’s place?
The Young Sect Master, Yi Jiang, was about to get engaged to someone else, and she knew that even as a substitute, she was merely a concubine.
She found it hard to understand why the miss had left; even as a concubine of the Young Sect Master, it would have been like climbing to the branches, becoming a superior person, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources.
Desolate God Sect, this is the first sect in the Ascension Realm, the top sect of the Triple Heaven Star Land.
Moreover, when the miss left, she had reached the peak of Qi Cultivation, if she hadn’t left, the miss would definitely have succeeded in reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Unfortunately, her looks were too inferior compared to the miss, otherwise, she might have had a place even as a concubine.
Now she too had reached the peak of Qi Cultivation, should she seize the opportunity after the Young Sect Master’s engagement ceremony to ask for a Foundation Establishment pill?
As Qing Yu pondered this, she suddenly felt there was something she hadn’t considered.
When the miss left, she was at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation and it was after receiving an invitation from the Young Sect Master to come to the Ascension Realm that she left.
Now she was also at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation…
Why did they have to wait until the ninth level of Qi Cultivation to bring them to the Ascension Realm?
"Elder Pang, you have cultivated the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique, right?" Qing Yu suddenly asked.
Pang Xiangxiang was somewhat lost in thought, staring at Yi Jiang, her mind perhaps elsewhere. Startled by Qing Yu’s question, she subconsciously replied, "Yes."
"Elder Pang, cultivating the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique should make it not so difficult to enter the True Pill Realm, right? Why did you stay in the Foundation Establishment Realm? Will I also stay in Foundation Establishment?"
Knowing that she was about to become a concubine of the Young Sect Master, Qing Yu felt a bit fearful, but still spoke with some confidence to Pang Xiangxiang.
When the old Sect Master was around, Pang Xiangxiang held a high position.
Now that the old Sect Master was gone, even errands that require running about needed Elder Pang, which showed how much her status had fallen.
Pang Xiangxiang came back to her senses, glanced at Qing Yu, and felt the look of someone about to become the Young Sect Master’s wife, and sneered internally.
Still dreaming.
Thinking of cultivating the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique and wishing to establish the foundation? Did she think everyone who cultivates the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique could compare to her, Pang Xiangxiang?
"You’ll soon understand why I just stayed in the Foundation Establishment," Pang Xiangxiang’s tone carried a hint of mockery.
Qing Yu could become Guan Pou’s personal maid, naturally, she had some skills.
Her skill was discerning words and watching expressions, and she had already caught that slight disdain in Pang Xiangxiang’s glance.
"Aunt Pang, is the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique not able to reach higher levels in cultivation?"
When she asked this, the slight sense of superiority in Qing Yu’s heart disappeared, replaced by some unrest.
Once again addressing her, she even changed how she referred.
The miss also cultivated the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique and was invited here at the ninth layer, then the miss secretly fled.
Now she was at the same ninth layer of the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique, also invited here.
She hadn’t fled, just recently felt that cultivating the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique was a bit strange.
"Remember my words, serve the Young Sect Master well tonight. Don’t think too much about unnecessary things.
If the Young Sect Master finds you useful and wants you to serve him again, you might have a chance to establish the foundation."
This finally made Qing Yu realize there was truly something amiss with the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique; she quickly stood up and was about to kneel to Pang Xiangxiang.
Pang Xiangxiang urgently pulled Qing Yu: "Do you want to die? This is the grand hall of the Desolate God Palace."
Qing Yu looked up, her face streaked with tears:
"Aunt Pang, please tell me, what’s really going on? Why did the miss flee?"
Pang Xiangxiang sighed:
"Qing Yu, you and your miss weren’t getting along well, were you?"
Qing Yu hurriedly replied:
"Before the miss fled, we were very close…"
Pang Xiangxiang sneered:
"Very close? If you were very close, she wouldn’t have passed the Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique to you for cultivation."
After Yi Wandao was killed, Pang Xiangxiang knew her good days in Yanyue Sect were over. The future for her was either to leave Yanyue Sect or to humble herself under the new Sect Master.
Now, with power struggles within the Yanyue Sect, if Yi Jiang wasn’t the disciple of Qiao Sha, the new Sect Master of Desolate God Sect, Yi Jiang would have absolutely no qualification to make her and Elder Gu bring Qing Yu here.
Even continuing as the Sect Master of Yanyue Sect wouldn’t work, even if Yi Jiang’s master was the Sect Master of Desolate God Sect.
So for Pang Xiangxiang, telling the truth to Qing Yu didn’t matter anymore.
Tearfully, Qing Yu said to Pang Xiangxiang:
"Aunt Pang, I spoke in favor of Steward Qiong earlier; the miss must have misunderstood me…"
Pang Xiangxiang said indifferently:
"The Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique is a cultivation technique meant for others, a transference Furnace Tripod Technique. You were brought here because your cultivation reached the peak of Qi Cultivation, when it’s time to transfer.
So when you say your miss passed this technique to you, what does that mean?"
Qing Yu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head—she finally understood why the young lady had fled the Yanyue Sect and why she had handed over the cultivation technique to her before leaving.
It was her way of teaching Qing Yu one last lesson after her own escape.
Qing Yu instinctively looked around, her first thought being to flee.
Pang Xiangxiang knew what Qing Yu was thinking and said indifferently,
"You’d still be on a path to death if you ran away. This cultivation technique, if not transferred through dual cultivation with its master, will lead to the incineration of your essence blood.
Even if you were lucky enough to survive, you’d be like a female dog, looking everywhere for opportunities to mate."
Qing Yu shuddered,
"Aunt Pang, please save me."
Pang Xiangxiang actually felt some sympathy for Qing Yu because she had practiced this cultivation technique herself and knew how terrifying it was.
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Facing Qing Yu’s pleas, all she could do was shake her head,
"I can’t save you, only one person can."
"Who?" Qing Yu could no longer contain the fear in her heart and asked anxiously.
Since arriving in the Taoist Realm, she stopped seeing herself as just a maid; her goal was to rise above others and become an immortal that countless mortals looked up to.
Just as she was about to achieve her goal, she was abruptly awakened by a proverbial bucket of cold water.
"It’s the Young Sect Master. As long as you can please him during your dual cultivation with him, he might not forget you. He might even take the initiative to retain some of your vital essence to keep you alive."
"Aunt Pang, what about you..." Qing Yu’s face turned pale.
Pang Xiangxiang let out a self-deprecating laugh,
"Me? I did just that. I tried hard to please Yi Wandao in bed; not only did he spare my life, but he also aided my Foundation Establishment."
Yi Wandao was not dead; she did not dare say that.
If Yi Wandao were dead, she would obviously have nothing to fear.
No matter how deeply Yi Wandao had cared for her, she would never forget the deep hatred she held.
Was it not Yi Wandao who had reduced her to this state? No amount of cultivation resources could help her step into the True Pill Realm.
The reason was that during the time Yi Wandao stripped away her Great Phoenix Red Cloud Technique’s True Yuan, he had also stripped away all her foundational strength.
She had achieved Foundation Establishment, but it was only a false foundation. As for stepping into the True Pill Realm, she could forget about it in this lifetime.
Such great enmity; not only could she not avenge herself, but she also had to please Yi Wandao everywhere just to survive.
The reason she was able to live up to now was because she made herself worse off than even a dog in front of Yi Wandao.
Inside the Yanyue Sect, she was looked after, but what did that amount to?
Such care came at the cost of her dignity, worse than that of a dog’s, and it had cost her the foundation of her entire life.
If she could, she would definitely reject this kind of care.
Deep inside, she was very grateful to Ding Huan.
Without Ding Huan, she would not have a chance to avenge herself.
Without Ding Huan, she could not have left the Yanyue Sect because Yi Wandao would have killed her.
After completing this escort mission, she decided to leave the Yanyue Sect.
"But Aunt Pang, hasn’t Guan Pou gotten away with it?" Qing Yu felt somewhat unwilling to accept this.
Pang Xiangxiang looked at Qing Yu with some sympathy,
"Logically, as a maid, you should be perceptive and observant. How can you fail to see that Ding Huan is capable?
Guan Pou is fine because Ding Huan helped her. Now she’s in the Blue Star Sect, living better than anyone."
She held disdain for Qing Yu in her heart; you already knew Ding Huan, having such a powerful support yet you did not use it, instead, you alienated your benefactor.
See now? The Ding Huan you looked down upon not only killed the sect master of Yanyue Sect but also established a new sect.
And yet, the very person who could save you, you’ve deeply offended.
Qing Yu’s lips turned purple, sweat appeared on her forehead and she murmured to herself,
"I didn’t know he was so capable, if I had known..."
Qing Yu didn’t continue; did she really not know? Could Ding Huan, who led so many people through the treacherous ravine and the Lost Swamp, be without skills?
It was just that she fundamentally looked down on Ding Huan, a mere common mortal chef, who also happened to have taken over the job of a family member of her household’s chef.
Pang Xiangxiang suddenly thought of something.
Then the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and excitement grew in her eyes.
If Ding Huan could save Guan Pou, could he not save her as well?
If Ding Huan could repair her Great Dao foundation, she too could step into the True Pill Realm, perhaps even reaching a higher level.
No, this time when she returned to the Taoist Realm, she must find Ding Huan. Regardless of the outcome, she would not rest until she asked him; her heart wouldn’t accept it otherwise.
Isn’t Ding Huan the founder of the Blue Star Sect? She would join the Blue Star Sect; she could earn Spirit Stones for the sect, something she was skilled at.
The elder of the Desolate God Sect, serving as the ceremony master, was already announcing loudly,
"Today is a joyful day for our Desolate God Sect and Luoshen Palace, as Yi Jiang, a disciple of our Desolate God Sect’s Sect Master, and Han Xiaonu, a disciple of the Palace Master of Luoshen Palace, are set to bond in matrimony for a lifetime, to be united in heart and explore the Great Dao together.
Now, please welcome the disciples of the Desolate God Sect, Yi Jiang and the disciple of Luoshen Palace, Han Xiaonu..."
The voice of the Ceremony Elder fell, and dressed in wedding attire, Yi Jiang and Han Xiaonu slowly entered the grand hall from opposite sides.