Ye Jing and Xiaofang were now walking along the corridor of the Goddess Palace that was hidden in Tranquil City. They had recently returned from the Willow Winds Manor and had bid farewell after staying there for a few days.
Before she had left, she had appointed Chu Yunfeng as the acting Master Teacher on her behalf and also officially made him her direct protégé.
"Did you see how hidden this place is? Without me to guide you, you will never be able to find it. Also you need a special token to gain access to the illusionary portals here as well." Ye Jing was laughing.
This was Xiaofang first visit into the Goddess Palace and he was in awe of the majestic of the palace, "This is the place where the Goddess Isa stays?"
Ye Jing nodded, "It is actually a very big palace. Well, when I wake up, I didn't really see her at all. But if you do see her, you must bow to your knees for she is the Goddess of the Celestial Realm. But of course, she may well decide to strike you dead for intruding into her palace without any invite."
"..."
"You must know that I, myself is also a guest here. I'll no right to invite anyone, you know."
Xiaofang smiled weakly and tried to divert the conversation to something else, "I'm really surprised that Brother Yunfeng will be at such a desolate place and he even got married to Bihua."
Ye Jing smiled, "I guess that to Bihua, Yunfeng is more than her Brother Yunfeng. Moreover, she is pretty close to Li'Er too. It is good that he is there. I'm sure that in the past 8 years, he has been contributing quite a lot of efforts to build up the place. The people are much happier now. When I am back to the Holy Citadel City, I am going to send twenty enlighten celestials to aid Chu Yunfeng. He needs all the help that he can get. After all, that place is full of desolate monsters…"
As she continued to talk, Xiaofang was quietly looking at her subtle smiling expression. His heart was smiling because he finally got to see her again. She was still the same old her and she was as innocent as ever. He silently said, "Jing'Er, you have a good heart. This time I'll protect you and I won't let you come to harm…"
"….that's why I've decided to appoint him as the acting Master Teacher. After all, he is a more suitable leader than I am. This will give him the authority to act freely. Alas, I have lost Li'Er…who will help me get dress and groom in the future…" Ye Jing was chatting nonstop, not mindful if Xiaofang was really paying attention or not and her eyes were constantly looking at Yu'Er, "Hey Yu'Er, say something will you?"
Yu'Er who was a little red bird again was flying around Ye Jing as she chirped, "That's right, that's right…"
Ye Jing laughed softly, "Xiaofang…do you think that Yunfeng knows that we're together? That silly Yunfeng, he thought that you have only Nanyan…"
Xiaofang smiled weakly, "Sooner or later, he will know. Moreover…" He wanted to tell Ye Jing that Li'Er was smarter than she thought she was and she had probably known. Whether she did tell Chu Yunfeng, he did not know.
After a while, they had reached a golden door with silver inlaid designs, Ye Jing suddenly stopped and said. "Xiaofang, we are going to see Fan Yuqing and Feng Minyue, the two beauties of the celestial realm. Aren't you excited?"
Xiaofang stared at the door and murmured, "Fan Yuqing…" The last time that he had seen her, he had actually drawn his sword at her and had even fought with her. He was upset with her for a very long time for killing Ye Jing and he was even in a deep depression. What he did not tell Ye Jing was that his Crisis Divinity had almost killed him during this time. It was a lucky thing that Gong Nanyan was there with him all along. Later, he had even married her because he was in no condition to take care of Little Fenghuang himself…
Just as Xiaofang was about to push the large door open, Ye Jing panicky said. "Wait Xiaofang! Don't push the door like this. Remember to knock first. You never know if they are in a state of undress or anything. Maybe they are even doing something funny inside. You never know if they are hiding a man or something, you know…."
"Just come in…I've heard your nonstop babbling from a mile away…" It was the voice of Fan Yuqing.
Ye Jing had a sheepish look as she pushed the door opened, "Oh well, let's go in Xiaofang…"
Fan Yuqing and Feng Minyue were already seated and they were appraising tea when they had entered. Feng Minyue gave a faint smile at Xiaofang and Ye Jing when they had entered the hall while Fan Yuqing did not even look in their direction as she simply said gently, "So you're finally thinking of coming back."
Xiaofang immediately greeted, "Saintess Fan, Saintess Feng. Dugu Fang pays my respect to you."
Feng Minyue smiled, "Xiaofang, why are you suddenly so polite? You used to address us as Saintess Yuqing and Saintess Minyue. You're so distant nowadays."
Xiaofang muttered, "I…Saintess Minyue, how have you been?"
Feng Minyue smiled, "I'm good. I see that you have regained your golden eyes now. Your cultivation seems to have improved. You look a little different now."
When she had said that, even Fan Yuqing took a subtle glance at him before she returned to sip her hot tea. There was a slight flush on Fan Yuqing's cheek as she looked away…
Fan Yuqing said coldly, "Ye Jing, why did you bring a stranger here? Do you know that this is the Goddess Palace. Who gives you the permission to bring him here?"
Ye Jing turned to rebuke Xiaofang gently, "I told you so but you insist that I bring you here…"
Xiaofang: …
Then Ye Jing waved her fingers, "But since you are already here and we can't reverse the time anyway, you may stay here for the time being."
Fan Yuqing groaned softly, "I'm talking about you, Ye Jing. I know that it is your idea."
Xiaofang bowed with his hands respectfully, "Saintess Fan…Yuqing…I thank you for saving Jing'Er. There is no way that I can repay you but if you need me to do anything, I will do my best to accomplish it."
Fan Yuqing did not look at him as she lowered her glances as she silently said, "You still owe me three tasks…"
Ye Jing laughed, "Since we are all going to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, we are going to need a strong help like Xiaofang. Am I right? He is bound to be useful and he can repay you with helping you to wash your clothes and washing the dishes. He can be our maid…"
Xiaofang, Fan Yuqing, Feng Minyue: …
Fan Yuqing said coldly, "I never say that I'm going to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth with you."
"Eh?!" Ye Jing was startled, "Sister Yuqing, you're…not going? You have promised me…"
Fan Yuqing turned to look at Ye Jing, "When did I promise you?"
Ye Jing huffed softly, "But you never say you won't go when I say we're going to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, am I right? Moreover, it won't be fun without you."
"Fun?" Fan Yuqing was groaning softly. "It is a life and death trial inside the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. Haven't you died enough already to be afraid of dying?"
Ye Jing giggled softly, "That are two different types of dying. The inside of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth is so wondrous and beautiful that I haven't seen enough of it."
Fan Yuqing said with a displeased tone, "We're not going there for sightseeing."
Ye Jing laughed, "Did you just say we? Then as long as we are going there together, you can say whatever you want. So where can we find Xuan Danfeng?"
Fan Yuqing groaned softly before she said gently, "Although it is not possible to know where Xuan Danfeng is at the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth but the Goddess Isa has secretly told me that she is still in the library of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. Had she gone into the trials of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth then this won't be possible for us to find her anymore."
Ye Jing asked, "I thought that her name is in the heavenly decree? How come she is in the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth? And what is this library?"
Fan Yuqing said nonchalantly, "That is her choice. I have no idea. Why are you asking so much? Just follow me and you will know."
Ye Jing was smiling, "Thank you Sister Yuqing!…"
Then she looked at Fan Yuqing and Xiaofang with a suspicious look, "Did something happen to the two of you lately? Don't tell me that you have a lover's quarrel or something?"
Xiaofang: …
Fan Yuqing turned to stare coldly at her, "Ye Jing, why don't you die again?"
–
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Xuan Danfeng was in the library of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and she was giggling. There were endless cultivation slips in the library of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and she was trying to absorb as much as she could.
Her original intention was to spend just six months here. As soon as she could regain her spiritual strength, she would set off for the trials of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and to lay her hands on finding many treasures as possible.
But once she had arrived at the library of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, she had found herself unable to pull away her eyes from the cultivation slips that were here.
She had even tried to steal the cultivation slips by putting them all into her spatial storage but a mysterious force prevented her from doing so. Dejected, she tried to copy the cultivation slips but she cursed herself for not bringing any brush and paper. Therefore she could only try to memorize as many useful cultivation slips as possible.
But there were simply too many cultivation slips that she had wanted to commit to memory…
Soon, she had even lost track of the time that she was here.
She was constantly lamenting, "Ten years are too short. If I can stay here for a thousand years, I don't mind at all…"
This day, she had found an interesting cultivation slip that could boost the spiritual strength of the icy practitioners and just as she was about to practice the methods that were in the cultivation slip, three maidens and a man had suddenly emerged from a portal that had suddenly appeared.
She was startled because she had recognized the four of them and even more startled because anyone that had entered the library of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth was supposed to be in their isolated spaces and would not be disturbed by anything or forces.
Xuan Danfeng was smiling as she immediately walked to Xiaofang, "Isn't this Xiaofang? You look like such a fine young man now. You look a little taller now but why are you still so thin?"
Xiaofang muttered awkwardly, "Saintess Danfeng, it has been such a long time. I hope that you are well."
Ye Jing groaned softly, "Sister Danfeng, how come you are greeting Xiaofang first and not us? It looks like you have not seen a man for a very long time."
Xuan Danfeng was laughing as she looked at Ye Jing, Fan Yuqing and Feng Minyue. "That is because I know nothing good will come from the three of you. How come you can be here and how did you find me?"
Fan Yuqing said, "We have come specially to look for you to take the trials of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth together."
Ye Jing was giggling, "Aren't you glad? Aren't you excited?"
Xuan Danfeng smiled weakly, "Then you can go now because I'm not going. I am going to stay here until the ten year period is over. Well, don't forget to watch your backs and take good care of yourself while you are at the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth…"
Ye Jing was groaning, "You are not coming with us?"
Xuan Danfeng laughed gently, "Look at these cultivation slips here. Since you are here, why don't we start to research these cultivation slips together?"
Fan Yuqing said, "These are classroom stuff. If you truly wish to improve upon your cultivation, you should go and experience the trials."
Xuan Danfeng chuckled softly, "Now I don't even need to take any risk and I got all these cultivation slips. Who needs to take a trial when I am a great saintess now?"
Fan Yuqing interrupted, "Have you forgotten who is the one that has helped you to overcome your lightning tribulation to become a great saintess?"
Then she had taken out a torch and she was already torching the shelves, "Fine then. But before we go, I will first burn all the cultivation slips here."
Xuan Danfeng was stunned, "This…you can't do this to me…I…"
Xuan Danfeng suddenly stared at Ye Jing as she muttered, "Wait a minute. Aren't you dead? Are you a ghost? I…must be afflicted from deviation phenomenon and hence is experiencing hallucinations now. I must have been going too deep into some of the cultivation slips that I am not supposed to…all these are not real at all…"
Ye Jing made a ghostly face and wailed, "Huhuhu, I am indeed a ghost and I've come to take your soul away…"
But when Ye Jing made the ghostly face, Xuan Danfeng had quickly regained her composure. "Sister Ye Jing, you aren't dead, aren't you?"
Ye Jing giggled, "How did you know that I'm not a ghost?"
Xuan Danfeng smiled weakly, "You are the fakest ghost that I've ever seen in my entire life…"
Ye Jing laughed, "Well, it doesn't matter. Aren't you glad that I'm alive and kicking?"
Xuan Danfeng groaned softly, "It isn't funny, you know. I've almost thought that I have a deviation phenomenon. Tell me how come you are suddenly alive?"
Then she turned and looked at Fan Yuqing who was torching the shelves, "You are really burning down the library…"
Fan Yuqing looked at her coolly and smiled, "So are you coming or not?"
Xuan Danfeng cursed them silently before she smiled, "Of course I am with my sisters. I miss all of you so much…" But her eyes were on the cultivation slips that were scattered around the place…
Everyone: …