Chapter 214: Chapter 167: His True Opponent Is That Phoenix
Jiang Yunnuan: "..."
’No, we could have just left. Why did this guy have to say something so provocative?’
’Who is Feng Qianyan?’
Aside from being an expert at the Ultimate Venerable Peak, he was also the leader of the Feather Clan, the City Lord of Sky City, and the ruler of the Ninth Legion. Not only could he amend laws, but he also held a vote in the election for the Empress.
If he stomped his foot, the entire Empire would tremble.
’Offending him would make it very difficult to get by in the Empire.’
Jiang Yunnuan lowered her voice and whispered in his ear, "Let’s not stir up more trouble. Just say less."
"Are you that afraid of him?"
Yan Chen raised an eyebrow, a flash of displeasure crossing his eyes.
Jiang Yunnuan: "..."
’It’s not that I’m afraid. It’s just that for the sake of the mission, I can’t afford to badly offend such a powerful and high-ranking figure.’
’A wild expert like Yan Chen could ignore social etiquette, but she couldn’t.’
"I’ll explain when we get back."
With that, she turned to Feng Qianyan.
"Admiral Feng, thank you for making a special trip to see me. But we have been reborn, and there are no emotional foundations between us. We shouldn’t be influenced by matters of our past lives."
"This life has its own path to walk. You should look forward, Admiral Feng. Also, we have been very offensive today. I hope you can forgive us. These Crystal Stones can help you recover some of your stamina. Please take them as an apology."
She had originally planned to just leave, but now, Jiang Yunnuan felt it was better to try and remedy the situation first.
She took out a dozen or so Crystal Stones from her storage space, walked over to Feng Qianyan, pressed two into his hand, and placed the rest beside him.
A pure power flowed into his palm. By the time Feng Qianyan finally recovered a sliver of stamina, the two of them had already vanished.
He sat up from the ground and looked at the remaining Crystal Stones, his eyes narrowing as he let out a soft laugh.
’Heh, what an interesting woman!’
「Outside the Flying Ship.」
Jiang Yunnuan and Yan Chen emerged side by side.
Seeing them, the adjutant was utterly shocked. He stared wide-eyed at Yan Chen, and an instant later, he whipped his head around to look into the courtyard.
There, not far off in the yard, still stood a cold, aloof figure, as upright as bamboo.
The adjutant looked from one to the other, scratching his ear in utter bewilderment. The two figures were identical in every way, from their appearance and build to their posture and clothing.
’What is going on?’
’Why are there two identical people?’
’They look even more alike than identical twins—it’s like they were copy-pasted.’
’And also, when did the one who just came out of the Flying Ship get in there? How did I not notice at all?’
’Damn it. For such a dereliction of duty, the Admiral isn’t going to get rid of me, is he?’
While the adjutant was reeling in confusion, Fu Yuan was also looking at them. He showed no trace of resentment toward Yan Chen; his expression was far calmer than Jiang Yunnuan had imagined.
This was a good thing, and Jiang Yunnuan should have felt relieved, but she didn’t. Instead, an indescribable guilt welled up inside her.
’During the time Yan Chen was gone, Fu Yuan was the one who stayed by her side, protecting her at every turn. But now that Yan Chen was back, Fu Yuan was immediately tossed aside.’
’Cast off like a worn-out shoe.’
’He must feel terrible inside, right?’
Seeing this, Yan Chen frowned, a dark look flashing in his cold eyes. "Weren’t we going to form a bond? Let’s go," he said, displeased.
"Yan Chen, I want to say a few words to him first."
Jiang Yunnuan turned to look at him, her expression incredibly determined.
He narrowed his eyes. "And what if I say no?"
"I’ll do it even if you say no. I’m just going to say a few words; it’s not like I’m doing anything else. Yan Chen, even if I’m your pet, I should still have some freedom, shouldn’t I? Or do I not even have the right to speak to other people?"
Jiang Yunnuan was furious. After she finished speaking, she stomped angrily toward Fu Yuan.
’She just wanted to say a few words to Fu Yuan. If Yan Chen couldn’t even accept that and tried to harm Fu Yuan because of it, then she was done with him.’
’They hadn’t formed the bond yet, after all.’
Watching her back, Yan Chen clenched his fists. His handsome, cold face betrayed no emotion, but he was seething with rage inside.
He instinctively wanted to vent his anger on Fu Yuan, but in the next instant, he sensed a powerful aura.
Thinking of the one inside the Flying Ship watching like a hawk, he pressed his lips together and forcefully suppressed his anger.
’At this critical juncture, he couldn’t give that person any opportunity to take advantage of the situation.’
’What did that Kunpeng Beastman even matter?’
’His real opponent was that Phoenix.’
"System, I’m going to say a few words to Fu Yuan. Make sure you block the sound so no one besides Fu Yuan can hear."
Walking up to Fu Yuan, Jiang Yunnuan immediately gave the order to her system.
[Understood, Host. Isolation mode has been activated. The Host may speak freely.]
"Fu Yuan, I’m so sorry. I almost got you killed. How are you feeling now? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
Her eyes were filled with guilt and concern. Fu Yuan’s heart completely softened, and he wanted to pull her into his arms, but the thought of Yan Chen not far away made him grit his teeth and restrain the impulse.
He also had many things he wanted to say to her. ’The most urgent thing right now is to talk.’
’If he made an intimate move, that man would definitely step in and forcefully stop their conversation.’
"I’m fine, Nuannuan, don’t worry. This wasn’t your fault, and it wasn’t his fault either. It’s because I’m too useless. You don’t need to blame yourself. Among Beastmen, it’s survival of the fittest. The weak are not worthy of competing with the strong."
’Why else would the strong cultivate so painstakingly if not to be supreme and unrivaled?’
’What kind of powerful expert would be foolish enough to willingly share their treasures with the weak?’
’To possess the power to sweep across the world but receive the same treatment as the weak—what would be the point of having a powerful Cultivation?’
’Why even bother putting in all the effort to cultivate?’
’You might as well just give up and be a useless piece of trash!’
"Yan Chen is so strong. The fact that you still have a place for me in your heart, even with him around, already makes me very happy."
He curled his lips into a smile, his gentle and handsome features as clear as a moonlit breeze, showing no trace of gloom. Seeing this, Jiang Yunnuan’s eyes stung.
’How can he be this good?’
"You’re not useless at all! You’re amazing, too. In the future, you definitely won’t be inferior to anyone. Fu Yuan, you must cultivate diligently. With your talent, I believe you’ll be able to break through to the Ultimate Venerable Stage very soon."
"Mm, Nuannuan is right!"
Fu Yuan nodded, then paused before saying, "I was just about to talk to you about this. I was originally thinking that if I didn’t get the chance to tell you in person, I would send you a message. But now is the perfect opportunity, so I want to tell you myself."
"Nuannuan, with Yan Chen by your side protecting you, I can rest easy. So, I need to leave for a while."
"As you know, Nuannuan, I have merged with the Heart of the Ocean, but I have yet to refine the Power of the Sea. Cultivating in the sea will be twice as effective."
After he merged with the Heart of the Ocean, she got into trouble before he had a chance to refine its power.
So, he had to put his Cultivation on hold to go find her.
When he found her, the only one by her side besides himself was Si Xie. Si Xie’s Cultivation was still weak, and he wasn’t very reliable, which was why he had accompanied her back to Central City.
