Prostrate on the ground, Huyan Yazhi wore a cold, sinister smile as he thought to himself: ‘Stupid woman, you’ve been fooled by me. Once you believe me and let down your guard completely, I’ll take the opportunity to ask for your techniques. You’ll definitely be too embarrassed to refuse. Once I’ve learned all your tricks and surpassed you, I’ll step on you and humiliate you to avenge today’s disgrace. It won’t be too late!’
Lin Huanhuan snapped out of her shock. Her desire to humiliate Huyan Yazhi further had vanished. She waved her hand and said, “Alright, alright, you can get up. No need to kneel anymore. What kind of bizarre kneeling posture even is that? Being able to kneel that quickly… you’re quite a character. It actually makes me feel bad about continuing to mess with you.”
Huyan Yazhi stood up without a care, patting his slightly disheveled robes and ignoring the strange looks from the people around them. He said flatteringly, “Respected Miss Lin Huanhuan, I wonder if you could teach me something about formations? I’m willing to pay a large sum of spirit stones as tuition. If that isn’t enough, you can order me around however you like during this time.”
As a noble formation master, even though he was only at the First Rank, Huyan Yazhi’s family wealth could certainly be described as substantial—significantly more than Lin Huanhuan’s.
Before this, Huyan Yazhi had been boundlessly arrogant, but now he suddenly wore such a disgusting smile. Lin Huanhuan instinctively furrowed her brows. ‘So he wants to learn my techniques. No wonder he’s acting like this. What a pity.’
“We aren’t fated for that. Back off,” Lin Huanhuan rejected him without hesitation.
As she said this, her heart bled. ‘Dammit, if the Inner Demon hadn’t made it impossible to teach others, I really would have liked to squeeze a fortune out of him.’
Despite being rejected, Huyan Yazhi didn’t give up. He continued to plead, though he dared not come within a 2-meter radius of Lin Huanhuan, fearing she would use “polluting the air” as an excuse to never teach him.
Others wanted to come over to flatter her and build a connection, but they were wary of Lin Huanhuan’s fearsome reputation. Moreover, they weren’t familiar with her and worried about offending her, so they hesitated and eventually gave up.
After the tenth merciless rejection, Huyan Yazhi finally quieted down a bit because Lin Huanhuan’s face was now radiating killing intent. If he continued to pester her, he might be beaten to death.
‘Being beaten to death is one thing, but if I can’t learn her formation techniques and fail to improve my cultivation in the Dao of Formations, that would be truly bad!’
The others put away their magical artifacts. Shangguan Muqing felt a bit depressed and didn’t even bother to retrieve her Water-Fixing Pearl, planning to grab it later when she left.
“Senior Sister Lin is truly amazing. To think you even know about this; it really makes me see you in a new light.” Yijia leaned in again with a grin and suggested, “It’ll still take some time for the Profound Water to finish gestating. Since we’re idle anyway, why don’t we hold a party to celebrate? There are also many local specialties in this Profound Water Secret Realm. I’ve heard they taste quite good. We should gather some to eat. The sect surely won’t mind.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, and a flurry of discussion broke out.
“I think it’s a good idea. We spent so long repairing this broken formation; I’m exhausted. Taking a break is fine.”
“I heard the Water-Bearing Flowers here taste good. I’ve wanted to try them for a long time, and today is the perfect opportunity.”
After some discussion, most people felt it was a good plan. Their gazes eventually converged on Lin Huanhuan, treating her as the leader of the group.
Earlier, Huyan Yazhi would have been the center of attention. But after she demonstrated a higher level of formation cultivation than him, combined with her status, this shift was only natural.
A deeper look appeared on Lin Huanhuan’s face, and she nodded casually.
The party began. A crimson warming mat was spread on the ground, causing the surrounding moisture to recede immediately. Tables and chairs were set up on top, and some daily food items were placed upon them.
Lin Huanhuan couldn’t help but remark, “You certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. This is quite nice.”
Others went to different parts of the secret realm to gather specialties, placing them on the table for the upcoming feast.
Throughout this process, Lin Huanhuan was the only one sitting the entire time, which left her very satisfied. ‘Excellent. It turns out I’m naturally suited for slacking off. From now on, I should leave these kinds of tasks to others.’
Before long, they had set up the venue near the Yin Profound Pool, filling it with an abundance of food.
For a while, the area was filled with laughter and cheerful voices. People drank and played guessing games, having a wonderful time.
Of course, not everyone was so happy.
Lin Huanhuan found it rather taxing to deal with Yijia, who was acting like a little firecracker of joy.
“Senior Sister Huanhuan, when did you learn the Dao of Formations? You’re so incredible—even that Huyan Yazhi couldn’t compare to you.”
“I just learned it for fun. I suppose I have a bit of talent for it.”
“Wow, that’s even more amazing! If you’re this good just from playing around, imagine if you were serious. Is this what a true genius is like?”
“It’s just so-so. After all, look at who I am.”
Yijia’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she gasped in awe repeatedly. Lin Huanhuan couldn’t help but lift her chin, looking like a proud little white goose.
‘No wonder people love being flattered. This feels great. I kind of understand those foolish rulers from my previous life now. If they heard people praising them like this every day while the “loyal ministers” just cursed at them, anyone who didn’t chop off the loyal ministers’ heads would be a saint.’
Lin Huanhuan shook her head inwardly, swearing she wouldn’t be fooled by such words, but the smile on her face grew uncontrollably.
Lin Huanhuan sat on a soft mat and took a bite of a Water-Bearing Flower, a specialty of the Profound Water Secret Realm. It didn’t have much flavor, but it felt refreshing as it went down her throat. Not bad.
Lin Huanhuan nodded and continued listening to Yijia’s boasts, thinking about driving her away once she was finished.
Suddenly, at that moment, she felt a hand lightly pinch her waist. Lin Huanhuan’s somewhat dazed consciousness snapped into sharp focus. ‘The audacity! Who is it?!’
Lin Huanhuan turned her head abruptly, only to lock eyes with a somewhat resentful-looking Ye Jinxiu. For a moment, she was stunned.
“Why is it you?”
“Who else would it be but me?” Ye Jinxiu asked in return, her voice carrying a hint of melancholy. “Senior Sister Lin is truly something. You only went off to collect some materials with a little girl, and yet you managed to turn her into your little fangirl. Quite impressive.”
“What kind of talk is that? Do I need to report everything I do to you?”
Lin Huanhuan’s brows furrowed slightly. Her eyes darted around before she spoke with a mischievous, mocking tone, “So what? I’m bored of the old one. What if I find someone new? I’ve long since lost interest in your body. If you know what’s good for you, get lost right now, or don’t cry later.”
‘Dastardly Ye Jinxiu, trying to pit me again. Just you wait, I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine!’
Lin Huanhuan laughed inwardly, though she forgot her current situation.
A trace of coldness flickered in Ye Jinxiu’s eyes upon hearing those words. Her expression remained unchanged, but her hand slid down from the waist and grabbed that pert buttock, giving it a squeeze.
Lin Huanhuan, who was about to continue her mocking, turned pale. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to prevent a moan from escaping.
Yijia, sitting opposite her, noticed something was wrong and asked in confusion, “Senior Sister Lin, what’s wrong? Weren’t you just chatting happily with Senior Sister Ye?”