Not only were shrine maidens bustling about here and there, but Shishen Shizhe wearing Sacred Tree Masks were also active, bowing to the Misty Sakura Priests as they passed.
The seedbeds were harvested for fruits, and the Ruogen Mansion also had a secret passage leading here. The divine attendants were responsible for irrigating the seedbeds. If a “fortunate” shrine maiden was chosen by the lord to leave, it meant the False Luck Fruit inside her body had matured.
That was the moment of their death…
“These people are utterly insane. If Shiyu had foolishly come here alone to seek the Divine Tree Fortune, what would have happened? I dare not even think about it.”
Ao Tian squinted, the aura here making his entire body uncomfortable.
“Better to let those Dao companions die than to let oneself perish. Before the temptation of ascension, what mortal cultivators can do is beyond your imagination.”
Yun Liu would eventually burn this place to the ground and help the Imperial Divine Tree sever these filthy, corrupt roots—but not now.
Yushen Longyi’s assigned task was to do everything possible to increase the seedbed yield, and the Hazy Sakura Crowd would continuously bring suitable young girls from Divine Tree Shoal and the Wulang Sea for Young Master Ji to “taste” all kinds of Divine Path Water.
The previous Misty Sakura Priest who had colluded with them had fallen over a decade ago, greatly delaying the fruit progress. The Heavenly Cherry Pavilion was recruiting alchemists everywhere precisely to select a successor.
The Divine Tree Fortune was within easy reach. For an ordinary Elixir Cultivator, such conditions would be impossible to refuse. Unfortunately, Yun Liu himself also possessed Extreme Destiny and knew the correct way to consume Luck Fruits.
Yun Liu was pretending to inspect the growth condition of the Root Nectar, pondering how to sabotage it, when a Shishen Shizhe quietly came up behind him.
“Lord Priest!”
Just from the voice, he recognized who it was.
Yushen Longyi’s lackeys all wore identical masks, making them hard to tell apart at first.
“So it’s Mr. Yamamoto. To gain the Patriarch’s favor, I have you to thank for the recommendation.”
“Young Master Ji, long time no see. No, now I should call you Priest.”
Since they had to put on a full show, Yun Liu, who had just sampled the Divine Path Water, was glowing with energy and enjoying himself so much he forgot home. This was arguably the most enticing position among the Hazy Sakura Crowd.
Being able to throw one’s weight around under the name of Lord Divine Dragon and enjoy all the shrine maidens made Shan Ben’s eyes gleam with envy. There was more than one person coveting the position of Priest.
“Not at all, not at all.”
Shan Ben patted Yun Liu on the shoulder, pulled him into the shadows, and suddenly leaned in close.
Just as he became alert, the other party actually let out a seductive female laugh.
“Little Holy Son learns pretty fast, huh? Already getting the hang of it?”
“You!?”
‘This voice… The Fake Princess!’
Yun Liu and Ao Tian both tensed inwardly, their eyes filled with shock.
This demonic woman actually had the ability to infiltrate the core secrets of the Yushen Clan as well.
That’s right. Shan Ben had most likely been killed, his blood probably drained dry by the demonic cultivator. No one could see through her disguise.
“Genuine, no refunds.”
Some people had quickly hooked up with the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Star and seemed to be getting along famously with the big blonde. No doubt they used the extraordinary abilities of the Minghuang Holy Body to serve the long-neglected resentful woman comfortably.
The Little Demoness had taken note of all this, sizing up the handsome and pleasing fake blonde.
Whenever she thought about her future Holy Partner flirting around everywhere, she felt a strange sensation in her heart that she couldn’t quite describe.
“Oh ho, the Resplendent Fourfold Realm. From the looks of it, you’ve not only infiltrated the shrine but also gained Yushen Longyi’s trust. I thought you were scared.”
Yun Liu neither confirmed nor denied, sneering coldly.
“Coming so late? And I was just saying, the Holy Son is so eager to earn merits—said he’d slay the dragon and actually infiltrated the shrine. I thought you were scared.”
“Well, a gentleman, I suppose.”
The demonic woman was also shocked. She had initially thought the young man’s claim of first destroying the Vermilion Bird and then slaying the Yinglong was a joke. She never expected the kid actually dared!
There was actually someone in this world crazier than her?
The Holy Master was truly wise. They really were a match made in heaven.
“Just don’t cause me any trouble this time, or I’ll punish you according to sect rules!”
“Mhm, this little woman will follow the Holy Son’s orders completely.”
Shan Ben covered her mouth with a snicker. For a grown man to act that way was awkward.
Yun Liu said bluntly.
“How many people did you bring?”
“Time was short, and I only managed to gather part of my forces from the Outermost Sea. However, the mist around the islands was peculiar, so only I managed to successfully infiltrate.”
“Over thirty Eight Banners Sacred Cultivators, all Golden Core realm experts, plus three Nascent Soul cultivators assisting. They are currently lying in ambush on the islands around the Outermost Sea, waiting only for the Holy Son’s command to seize the nearby harbors and launch a sneak attack on the Heavenly Cherry Pavilion.”
“A bit weak, but it should be enough to draw the Hazy Sakura Crowd into a counterattack.”
Yun Liu frowned and shook his head, clearly not satisfied.
“That’s all? And you? How is your recovery?”
“Are you concerned about me?”
The demonic woman stepped forward, intending to press against the young man’s chest, but he adroitly dodged.
“Ugh, if you have something to say, say it. Don’t act weird with a man’s face.”
“Does the Holy Son mean that using my own body is fine?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Shan Ben smiled helplessly and said.
“I appreciate the Holy Son’s concern. Thanks to your spiritual medicine, this little woman has recovered to the Golden Core Peak. I can barely fight.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but this is all the power I can mobilize. The forces in the Boundless Sea are complicated. Now that Mirage City has reappeared in the world, everyone is watching for this opportunity, including the other two Flagmasters.”
“I don’t want to alert them. You wouldn’t want someone to steal your credit either, right?”
“That’s true. Fine, I never planned to clash head-on with the Hazy Sakura Crowd anyway.”
Yun Liu’s heart beat faster. He almost added something superfluous again. If other Demon Sect officers were drawn in, the course of events would be out of his hands.
He had specifically chosen this time to steal people, in order to time it right before the opening of the Great Whirlpool in the prologue of the second volume.
“Now outside are all those freaks from Star Isle. They’re not to be trifled with. After all this, you still don’t intend to tell me your plan, dear?”
“The moment I received your secret letter, I traveled day and night, bringing all my assets to join you. And you still don’t trust me?”
Yun Liu’s eyes flickered.
‘Not only did he not trust her, he also wanted to kill her to silence her. Hopefully this bad woman really hadn’t leaked the news of the Holy Son’s appearance.’
“I don’t even know your name yet, but you know everything about me. How can I trust you?”
The demonic woman was silent for a moment, then actually became uncharacteristically shy.
‘I can’t exactly say I am your fated holy partner.’
“You can call me Nuo Nuo. That’s my nickname.”
“My real name… I can’t tell you yet. But, dear, I’ll be yours sooner or later. Why rush?”
Yun Liu rolled his eyes.
‘That was like saying nothing.’
A game character panel wouldn’t list a childhood name. How was he to know which infamous Demon Sect villain Nuo Nuo was? As a Precognition Omen Bearer, he couldn’t help but be wary of unknown entities.
“Alright, Nuo Nuo. From now on, we’ll exchange information here.”
“Although I hold the esteemed position of Misty Sakura Priest, I am tied to the shrine by Yushen Longyi and cannot leave my post. I need you to gather intelligence on the Seven Stars of the High Heavens outside, and also do some bad things.”
“Bad things?”
Nuo Nuo blinked, her smile growing.
“That’s what I’m best at.”