Chapter 325: Peerless Beauty
"The Heavenly Demon Palace and the Golden Clan..." Ye Fan had heard of them more than once. Before arriving at Holy City, he had even seen members of the Northern Plains Golden Clan, their horses soaring through the sky, trampling over the heads of the crowd as they passed.
"Both are superpowers, standing on equal footing with the Holy Lands." Li Heishui chuckled softly. "Tonight, let's just sit back and wait for a good show."
"Over there, there's also a dragon boat, much larger than ours. It seems to be the Great Xia Prince." Ye Fan looked in another direction.
"Right, and that pure White-Robed Little Nun has come too. How interesting—brother and sister visiting a place like this together." Li Heishui laughed.
In the distance, the Great Xia Prince, his black hair flying, was spirited and heroic. His Divine Iron Battle Armor was dazzling, nine dragon auras coiling around his body. He was like a Heavenly Emperor descending to the mortal world, extremely imposing.
Beside him, the pure little nun had big, dark eyes that darted around curiously, taking in everything with an innocent air.
"He's here too..." Ye Fan was startled.
On the shore, a golden Divine Lion, its entire body radiant like divine fire burning, carried a white-robed man seated atop it. He was elegant as jade, refined yet carrying a hint of heroism.
Some people, even standing amidst a vast crowd, could be singled out at a glance. They were like favored children of heaven, impossible to ignore.
"Jiang Yifei..."
This was a member of the Jiang Family. Back in the Southern Domain, he had taken Little Tingting and Old Man Jiang away, bringing them back to the Jiang Family. Ye Fan had a very deep impression of him and had even suspected that he was the Jiang Family's Divine Body.
"Is Little Tingting doing well? How is Old Man Jiang?" Ye Fan murmured to himself. Time had flown by; four years had passed in the blink of an eye. He wondered how the grandmother and grandson were faring now.
Ye Fan hadn't spent much time with them, but it was the first time he had felt a sense of home in this world. Those days with them had been very warm.
The golden Divine Lion stepped on the moonlight, its hooves treading on the lake's surface, its entire body radiant. Jiang Yifei was as white as snow, the man and the beast together drawing everyone's attention, like a deity descending to the mortal world.
"A figure like that—clearly extraordinary." Even Li Heishui praised him.
"Do you know who the Jiang Family's Divine Body is?"
"It's very mysterious. No one knows." Li Heishui shook his head.
"Maybe it's him."
"No way!?" Li Heishui was startled.
Before long, Ye Fan and his companions reached the deepest part of the great lake. Thin mist swirled, a sacred aura permeated the air, and the lake water sparkled crystal clear, as if they had arrived at a jade sea.
"Too many formidable figures have shown up." Li Heishui looked in another direction.
There, a large boat shimmered with dark light. A man dressed entirely in black stood on it, looking cold and stern, with an air that kept people at a distance.
"That's Xu Heng, the eldest grandson of the Third Great Bandit, Xu Tianxiong. He's the top expert among the bandits' descendants, invincible, and a peak expert of the younger generation in the Eastern Wasteland."
"So that's Xu Heng?" Ye Fan scrutinized him carefully.
Xu Heng's skin was snow-white and crystalline, very unique, like frost or cold snow. Yet there was no trace of effeminacy about him. His sharpness was concealed within, like a divine sword hidden in its sheath.
"You and Tu Fei are really bold, kidnapping his younger brother. Be careful—never let him find out."
All the boats had stopped in the depths of the great lake because the phoenix boat piled high with beauties was just ahead.
In midair, a heavenly palace shone brilliantly, towering and majestic, giving an unreal feeling. Celestial music drifted down, as if from the Nine Heavens.
Nine women danced gracefully under the night moon, like heavenly fairies descending to the mortal world. Their movements were enchanting, captivating the heart.
Even Ye Fan had to admit that when beautiful female cultivators entered the mortal world, they indeed possessed an endless divine charm.
No matter how beautiful and moving a mortal woman might be, she could never dance in the air with such celestial grace. To many, these women were like fairies from a dream.
Suddenly, someone arrived on a sacred sword's divine light, illuminating the Miaoyu Lake in an instant. It was a man in yellow robes, handsome and spirited, with great presence.
"The Holy Son of the Dayan Holy Land—Xiang Yifei." Ye Fan was surprised. Why were these people coming without any disguise?
"Something's not right." Li Heishui also sensed the anomaly. "The young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, the heir of the Golden Clan, the Great Xia Prince, the outstanding talent of the Jiang Family, Xiang Yifei of the Dayan Holy Land—the forces behind them stand above the clouds. They shouldn't be acting like this. They ought to conceal their identities."
Ye Fan nodded. "Right. The Miaoyu Nunnery has a bad reputation after all. Why would these people be so high-profile? There must be a reason we don't know."
The two agreed that there must be some benefit. Otherwise, even if these people came for pleasure, they would still care about their reputations and not appear in their true forms.
Suddenly, the music in the sky stopped, and everything fell silent. Ahead, An Miaoyi stood in the wind, her white robes fluttering. She seemed untouched by the mortal world, as if she might ride the wind and fly away.
"I once feared that too much pleasure would harm the Dao; entering the mountains, I dreaded disappointing my master's love. Where in this world can I find a perfect path, failing neither the nameless Dao nor you?"
Her heavenly voice drifted through the night sky. An Miaoyi's black hair danced, ethereal and transcendent. Her divine essence was concealed within, her jade bones were innate, and her immortal countenance was unmatched.
Everyone was stunned. "Pleasure" surely referred to the various delights of Miaoyu, "nameless" meant the Great Dao, and "you" was a respectful address. The meaning of these lines was clear.
"Where in this world can I find a perfect path?" An Miaoyi's voice stirred the heart, her beautiful eyes sweeping over everyone.
She had actually spoken such words. Everyone was shocked. Was she thinking of leaving the Miaoyu Nunnery, retreating into the mountains to live in seclusion, trying to escape the muddy waters of the Miaoyu Nunnery?
There were many jade boats on the lake, and everyone was shaken. This most beautiful woman of the Eastern Wasteland was truly extraordinary.
"Fairy An, I understand your plight. I am willing to retreat to the mountains with you." Someone immediately shouted.
"Plop"
Unfortunately, this bird that stuck its neck out drew the ire of others and was knocked into the lake.
"Fairy An, you are pure and ethereal, like the divine moon in the sky. You should leave the Miaoyu Nunnery, escape the mire. I am willing to accompany you."
This person didn't explicitly say they would retreat together, but the meaning was similar, already quite direct. As a result, he too was knocked into the water.
"You are a peerless beauty. You should naturally distance yourself from Miaoyu. I am willing to travel the Central Province with Fairy An."
"Plop"
Another bird that stuck its neck out was knocked into the lake, drenched. The others dared not speak, afraid of becoming public enemies.
"Difficult, difficult, difficult. Enough. Tonight, let us only discuss the Dao of pleasure." An Miaoyi's voice was very pleasant, as if coming from the Nine Heavens.
"What does she really mean? Does she truly want to be a pure and holy fairy, unwilling to be sullied by Miaoyu?" Even Li Heishui showed surprise.
An Miaoyi wanted to select a few people to discuss the Dao of pleasure all night, but she also didn't want to disappoint the others. She decided to play the zither and perform a light dance under the night moon.
Her long white skirt fluttering, she flew into the air. Behind her, a huge bright moon appeared, and her entire figure was reflected within it.
The bright and pure divine moon, about three meters in diameter, made her appear extremely sacred. Truly a Guanghan Fairy descending to the world, she danced with the celestial wind, peerless and city-toppling.
Nearby, a jade zither floated in the air, sparkling with crystalline light. An Miaoyi's ice-like skin and jade bones moved within that divine moon, graceful and enchanting, like a Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden descending to the mortal world.
Her delicate hand lightly plucked, emitting specks of divine light that struck the distant zither strings, producing heavenly music. As she danced, immortal light flowed from her, landing on the zither.
An Miaoyi's dance was unparalleled, making people think a divine maiden had descended. The zither music was worthy of being called celestial, making it hard for people to control themselves, moved by it.
Dancing within that divine moon, she could still produce such heavenly music from a distance, leaving everyone amazed and completely intoxicated.
Suddenly, some birds flew in from the night sky, each carrying crystal-clear flower petals, dancing around her. The people below were all stunned.
Flower petals rained down, fragrant and abundant. Hundreds of birds danced with her—truly unbelievable, astonishing, and even more intoxicating.
An Miaoyi opened her throat, her wonderful voice moving all directions. Even the fish in the lake leaped out of the water, following her rhythm as they danced.
Her singing, dancing, and zither playing were all peerless. Even Ye Fan was stunned. This flawless woman, hailed as the most beautiful in the Eastern Wasteland, was truly astonishing. Everything she did was nearly at the level of the Dao, displaying a kind of unparalleled beauty.
Within the divine moon, petals fell like rain. She danced gracefully, the zither sounded, birds harmonized, and fish leaped from the water—all of it became a wondrous scene.
The zither fell silent, the dance stopped, the song faded. Heaven and earth were completely still. An Miaoyi was like a dream. It was a long time before many people woke from their trance. Everyone was captivated.
"Miaoyi is willing to discuss the Dao of pleasure with you all."
An Miaoyi, like a spirit of the night moon, lightly flew upward, entering the jade towers and buildings. There, palaces stretched in a line, and she disappeared into a jade pavilion.
Many people snapped out of their daze and scrambled to rush into the sky, all wanting to see her up close.
"It's over. This woman has moved me. She truly has a special divine charm." Li Heishui said.
"Brother Black, you haven't fallen that quickly, have you?" Ye Fan laughed.
"Little Leaf, don't act like you've seen through the world and are the only one awake at such a young age. Facing a woman like this, a young man should sink into it. Otherwise, it's abnormal."
Ye Fan revealed a hint of a smile. "Alright, then let's discuss it. Whether she truly wants to leave the Miaoyu Nunnery and become the most sacred fairy of the Eastern Wasteland, or if she's manipulating people's hearts and doing this deliberately, let's find a way to take her away. How about that?"
Li Heishui glanced at him sideways and patted him. "Let's go. Brother Black is going to win the beauty and bring her home."
In the night sky, the jade towers and buildings shone with flowing light, like pavilions from the Immortal Realm. Climbing up, one could almost doubt they were in a dream.
An Miaoyi had already entered. Outside this jade pavilion, people stood packed together, all blocked by a beam of immortal light. Only a few could enter.
"This is the Enlightenment Immortal Gate. Without comprehending a certain Dao imprint, you can't get in. Except for a few individuals, all cultivators below the Four Extremes Secret Realm will be blocked." Li Heishui was surprised.
The Great Xia Prince strode like a dragon or tiger, dragon qi soaring into the sky, his Divine Iron Battle Armor shining like a Heavenly Emperor descending to the mortal world. The Enlightenment Immortal Gate could not stop him; it parted automatically. He pulled the White-Robed Little Nun and strode in.
"Swish"
Light flashed. The young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, his purple robes fluttering, his eyes deep, entered calmly.
Next, Xiang Yifei, the Holy Son of the Dayan Holy Land, appeared on his sacred sword, flashed, and entered, leaving only a trail of holy light.
From the distant sky, a golden Divine Lion stepped on the moonlight. A man in white as snow leaped into the air, his temperament refined and ethereal. Jiang Yifei also stepped into the immortal gate.
Ye Fan's heart jumped. This man was indeed not simple. He grew even more suspicious that he was the Jiang Family's Divine Body.
"Why are these people revealing their true forms?" He pondered this question again.
"Brother Black, I'm counting on you. I can't use my divine power. I suspect that man just now might really be the Jiang Family's Divine Body. He might sense my presence."
"Alright, leave it to me!" Li Heishui stepped forward. A Dao imprint surged out, and the Enlightenment Immortal Gate opened automatically. He and Ye Fan entered calmly.
There were about a dozen people who could enter the jade pavilion. Without a doubt, they were all top experts of the younger generation, all having reached the Four Extremes Secret Realm.
Ye Fan looked around and recognized half of them. They were all people with great backgrounds.
The young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, the heir of the Golden Clan, Xu Heng, Xiang Yifei of Dayan, the Holy Son of Wanchu, Jiang Yifei, the Great Xia Prince, the White-Robed Little Nun...
Those who had arrived earlier were already chatting. Ye Fan and Li Heishui found a spot and sat down.
"Miaoyi has heard that the Primordial Saint Body's combat power is unmatched at the same level. Does anyone know the details?" An Miaoyi asked softly, her bright eyes sparkling, without any of the seductive demeanor of the Miaoyu Nunnery.