It was a good thing that they had found a cave as a shelter in a nick of time for a thunderstorm had just broke out and there was a heavy downpour.
"..."
"Did someone say that there is no lightning storm inside the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth?" Ye Jing asked.
Xuan Danfeng smiled faintly, "I didn't exactly say there is no storm inside. I just say the outside is a lot worse than the inside…"
Fan Yuqing looked somewhat amused when she had regained her consciousness as she leaned against the cave wall. It seemed that the party had suddenly turned into a noisy lot.
Ye Jing and Xuan Danfeng were bickering but it did not seem like they were actually in a serious quarrel. It was more like they want to talk and was just finding a way to do so…
She had no idea what happened earlier as she had just awaken from a deep slumber.
She saw that Xiaofang was quietly meditating with his immortal sword and there was a weird and wondrous glow that was enveloping him…
Feng Minyue was immediately by her side as she asked gently when she saw that she had opened her eyes, "Sister Saintess Yuqing, are you alright? You…you've…lost so much blood that I am anxious for your condition…"
Fan Yuqing was suddenly awkward from the attention that Feng Minyue was giving her. She knew that Feng Minyue was the Heavenly Fragrance Princess of the Heavenly Fragrance Villa. The protégés of the Heavenly Fragrance Villa had a lofty and forbidden reputation in the celestial realm; they were all icy maidens without emotions for the feelings of the others. It was more so for their masters.
But now Feng Minyue was actually helping her to wipe away the dirt on her face with her handkerchief and enquiring after her wellbeing. It was really hard to believe even for Fan Yuqing.
Is it because she desperately needs the Rainbow Saint Pill to cultivate into a sacred saint?
Did she think that she was serious about making her a servant of hers?
No, it can't be right…
It was because Fan Yuqing had suddenly noticed that the eyes of Feng Minyue were filled with idolization and there was an earnest genuine display of her sentiments.
Could it be?…
Fan Yuqing whispered to Feng Minyue's ears, "I've heard that the Heavenly Fragrance Villa is a celestial clan that consists wholly of only female protégés. It is uncommon for the protégés in such a clan to develop an unnatural feeling for each other. But I'm really not into this."
When Feng Minyue had heard her, her ears had turned flustered and her eyes were suddenly brimming.
It was as though Fan Yuqing had suddenly struck her into her heart with her heartless words. But she did not want her to think otherwise.
Feng Minyue usually beautiful voice turned a little coarsely as she said in a low voice, "Sister Saintess Yuqing, you have misunderstood. I'm just trying to get into your good books so that I can obtain the Rainbow Saint Pill."
Her eyes had suddenly turned red as she averted her glances…
Ye Jing suddenly said as she looked in their direction, "Our Sister Yuqing seems to be alright now. But poor Xiaofang, he has expended so much of his own cultivation strength at the risk of his detriment. I really feel that it is not worth it. This is a debt that you cannot repay him enough. I hope that there won't be a next time."
Yuqing smiled feebly as she looked at Ye Jing, "Isn't it because of all of you that I am in this state?"
Ye Jing looked at her intently before she gave her a courtesy half-bow, "Sister Yuqing, I am only teasing you. We're all in your debts…"
Xuan Danfeng and Feng Minyue were all nodding quietly at Fan Yuqing…
"If it isn't for you, we can well imagine what our fates will be by those two old freaks. For this, we are really grateful. Moreover, you have almost lost your life for us all. This is a heartfelt gratitude that I'm afraid that we will be forever in your debt."
In that instant, Ye Jing and Fan Yuqing had quietly locked eyes with each other. It was as though they were silently giving their approval of each other…
Feng Minyue immediately said quietly, "Sister Saintess Yuqing, from now onward, your Sister Minyue is at your bidding."
Fan Yuqing smiled weakly to herself as she thought, "It looks like this Feng Minyue is not the type that will give up so easily…"
She quickly pointed at Xiaofang and asked curiously, "What is he doing? What is this wondrous aura that I'm sensing now?"
Xuan Danfeng had a miserable look on her countenance as she sighed regretfully, "We have found a sanctorum relic in the vicinity earlier and Xiaofang has it now. So he is trying to cultivate it now into his sword."
Fan Yuqing was truly startled as she stared at Xiaofang, "You have all found a sanctorum relic?! That is a most lucky occurrence that can happen…"
Xuan Danfeng smiled weakly, "That isn't the whole truth. The sanctorum relic is also a never seen before rare heaven-step sanctorum relic."
"..."
Fan Yuqing was also smiling awkwardly now, "And all of you allow him to take the heaven-step sanctorum relic? I don't believe…"
It was because Xiaofang had the lowest cultivation level among the five of them. She knew that with Xiaofang current condition, even if he had an immortal sword, he was definitely not their match. He had really expended plenty of his inner core life force energies to treat her internal injuries. She was well aware of what Xiaofang had done for her even though he did not say anything…
Slowly Fan Yuqing asked, "For such a rare heaven-step treasure to appear, I wonder what manner of a monster or deadly celestial formation that you have encountered to chance upon it?"
Xuan Danfeng said in a trembling voice as she began to recall her shock earlier, "We have encountered none other than the Divine Lord of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, the Brahman Behemoth!"
"..."
Fan Yuqing blinked her eyes, "And you've killed it?"
She had only been in slumber for a little while and she had missed such an interesting thing!?
Xuan Danfeng smiled bitterly, "Of course not! Xiaofang took the sanctorum relic while the Brahman Behemoth is away."
Feng Minyue said quietly, "Let me explain to sister saintess…it is like this…"
"...."
Fan Yuqing stared at Xiaofang in disbelief, "He actually sacrifices a divine sword to switch with the sanctorum relic…and take it under the watch of the Brahman Behemoth…"
She chuckled softly, "It's no wonder why none of you are contesting for the sanctorum relic. I see now. Since he had got it through his own effort then he definitely deserved to get it."
Xuan Danfeng nodded and said, "Since we are all here in the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth now, we should think on how to overcome the labyrinth together. Right, sisters?"
Ye Jing suddenly said sheepishly, "You know. I have heard that we will be expulsed automatically by the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth after six months. Why don't we just stay here in this cave and meditate for the next six months?"
She was really unwilling to risk her life over some silly treasures. After all, she was still young and had a long future.
Fan Yuqing shook her head, "We have to take our risks with the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and grow even stronger than what we are now. There is only one way out of here and the two old freaks or the other protégés of the Devil Isle are probably lying in wait for us out there."
She smiled mysteriously, "Moreover the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth isn't that hard. I know one person that had already completed it."
Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng were shocked when they had heard her. It was because they had thought that it was impossible to do so.
Ye Jing smiled weakly, "Don't tell me it is you? I so happen to know one other person that had completed the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth as well."
This time it was Fan Yuqing who had a look of surprise on her face. She slowly said, "No, that is not me. Who is the other person?"
When Ye Jing saw the surprise look that was on her face, she could not help smiling. The expression on her face was golden to her. She played out her voice in drama before saying, "This is my Celestial Teacher Saintess Yi Si. She is a celestial senior so maybe you juniors have not heard of her name."
When Fan Yuqing heard her, she began to laugh so jovially that she was bending forward.
"What's wrong? How dare you laugh at my celestial teacher in this manner…" Ye Jing was really unhappy and immediately censored her.
Fan Yuqing tried to stop laughing but she could not help smiling, "I really don't know that my elder sister has accepted you as her disciple…"
Ye Jing was flustered, "Huh? You and my celestial teacher are sisters?!"
Fan Yuqing smiled, "She is my half-sister but we are real sisters nevertheless. She is the only person that I've ever known to have completed the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth."
Ye Jing thought, "Don't tell me that her sister from the Melancholy Valley that she had mentioned before is my Celestial Teacher Yi Si?!"
Then she looked intently at Ye Jing before she said slowly, "Maybe I know now why she has picked you as her successor. You are purer at heart and closer to her nature unlike…me. I am always the wayward sister of hers and we seldom talk in recent years."
She looked away as though she was pondering upon something…
Xuan Danfeng and Feng Minyue did not know who Saintess Yi Si was. They could only guess that she must be a highly attained celestial. They did not dare to ask too many questions because Fan Yuqing had suddenly become quiet. From her expressions, it was obvious that she was not really very close to her sister at all.
Feng Minyue looked at Ye Jing and said, "Sister Jing, we should really take the opportunity to explore the place so that we will not have regrets or missed opportunities in the future."
She was actually thinking, "Maybe I can find a way to overcome my golden celestial level here. It is better than waiting for my demise."
That was why she had taken the initiative to speak.
"I totally agree with Sister Minyue," Xuan Danfeng said before she added. "Sister Jing, this is a once in every 500 years opportunity to get some decent treasures. Now that Xiaofang has got a sanctorum relic, don't you want to help us get some decent treasures as our compensation?"
Ye Jing smiled weakly, "What compensation? Sister Saintess Xuan, that is Xiaofang's share of the loot and it isn't mine. If I am in to help then I must have my own share of the loot."
Xuan Danfeng quickly protested, "Then this means that the Holy Citadel City has a double share in the loot. Is that considered to be fair?"
Feng Minyue smiled faintly, "Let's forget how the patriarch clans distributed the loots. By that definition then Sister Saintess Yuqing is also considered a member of the Holy Citadel City. We are five individuals now and we need each other."
Xuan Danfeng smiled weakly as she looked at Ye Jing, Feng Minyue and Fan Yuqing, "I guess that will be the new arrangement then…"
She had quickly surrendered her opinion when she noticed that Ye Jing seemed to have agreed with Feng Minyue and was nodding when she had suggested that they kept it down to the individual level.
She suddenly looked at Fan Yuqing, "Sister Saintess Yuqing, there is something that is bothering me. How did you remove the seal from the portal to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth?"
Fan Yuqing sighed softly as she looked at everyone, "I guess that you will ask me sooner or later. So I may very well explain it first. My blood has the special ability to nullify the aura on an object temporary. Do you understand?"
Ye Jing was startled as she asked, "Is that your special bloodline?"
She thought, "If her elder sister is from the Melancholy Valley then she must have own special bloodline as well…"
Xuan Danfeng weakly said, "I saw you using Xiaofang's immortal sword and even enter the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. No matter how unique your blood is, it is quite impossible to imagine that you can unseal the portal to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth…" she paused for a while to find words before adding, "The portal of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth can only be opened through the alignments of the constellations. No matter how unique your blood is, surely you can't affect the constellations. That is something that belongs to the divine…"
Fan Yuqing smiled gently, "Just my blood alone is not enough. I have to burn my life essences in order to make it work. In short, without my will to enact upon it, just my blood alone is not sufficient enough to do the task."
Feng Minyue, Ye Jing and Xuan Danfeng looked at each other. They had never heard of this special bloodline or ability before. They could not even describe if she was telling the truth. Anyone can burn their life essences in an attempt to gain possession of another's divine sword but it would always be in vain. It was more likely that the outcome of such of an attempt would be death itself. But Fan Yuqing had not only seized control of Xiaofang's immortal sword but in her last desperate act, she had also gatecrashed into the portal of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth…
But other than that, were there any other possible explanations?
Feng Minyue herself had the Icy Divine Body. This was not a bloodline ability but her Icy Divine Body had made her suitable to cultivate the most extreme and formidable profound arts of the Heavenly Fragrance Villa.
But even to her, Saintess Yuqing's special blood defied logic.
Suddenly Xiaofang gave a delighted outcry as his immortal sword began to glow brightly, startling all of them.
The aura of his immortal sword had suddenly grown denser and his half-step immortal sword had evolved into an earth-step immortal sword right before their very eyes!
"It has become an earth-step immortal sword…" Feng Minyue was gasping.
Xuan Danfeng muttered, "I wonder how powerful an earth-step immortal sword is…"
But before she could finish speaking, a burst of startling light had once again enveloped around the immortal sword…
As they watched, the spiritual force of the immortal sword continued to grow even denser and suddenly the earth-step immortal sword had become a heaven-step immortal sword, shocking them with even more looks of disbelief!
Ye Jing was shocked, "Heaven-step…immortal sword…"
Her heaven-step divine sword was already inferior to Xiaofang half-step immortal sword. An immortal sword was a class above divine swords and was the highest possible sword class tier. Even the most inferior of the immortal sword was like a saint grade divine sword…
Now Xiaofang's immortal sword had become a heaven-step immortal sword. Ye Jing simply could not believe her very eyes as she stared with her eyes opened widely.
Even Fan Yuqing had unconsciously opened her mouth with startled shock…
"This…heaven step sanctorum relic is really such a wondrous catalyst…" Feng Minyue said with astonishment.
Xiaofang slowly got up as he began to appraise his immortal sword with great excitement. All of a sudden he noticed that there were four pairs of eyes that were staring at him…
He smiled weakly to them as he proudly announced, "I have successfully used the sanctorum relic on my Stellar Lights…"
But when he saw that they were still staring at him, he was flustered. "Do you want to help me test my sword?" Obviously he knew that he had attracted too much of an attention but he did not know what to say at this time.
Ye Jing smiled lightly, "No thanks…"
Fan Yuqing lit a smile at Xiaofang, "Do you know that in the future, you will be the number one hero in the celestial realm?"
Cough. Cough. Ye Jing was suddenly coughing…
Fan Yuqing quickly said, "Xiaofang, do you mind leaving the cave for a little while?"
Xiaofang was puzzled, "Why?"
Fan Yuqing smiled as she turned her body around, "I am still wearing this ugly wedding gown and moreover it is a little uncomfortable. So I will like to change into something more comfortable." She looked intently at the flustered Xiaofang as she pointed at her ripped gown, "So, do you get me? So why don't you help us to keep a watch outside?"
Xiaofang immediately got it and he had made a dash to the entrance of the cave.
Xuan Danfeng giggled as she watched Xiaofang made a hasty run for the entrance. She sighed softly, "I am also in need of an outfit change."
When Xiaofang was outside the cave, he could see the slim and curvy shadows of the four maidens against the wall as they slipped off their clothing. He gulped his saliva as he stared blankly…