On the road back to the Snow Diva Ruins, snow fog twined around everything like a white sanctuary.

Ahead, the Snow Lineage Diva, Si Ji, melded with the landscape. Her white hair and the snow became one, her pale pink serpent tail fluttering in the air, her crystal gown billowing... Such a scene was nothing short of celestial splendor.

Feng Yao, so different in essence from her, couldn't help but envy that pure, lotus-like aura which seemed so elevated.

Unbeknownst to Feng Yao, the devil blood within constantly refined her own natural beauty. Now, her visage and demeanor captivated more onlookers than the varied charms of the Three Divas, making others feel utterly sullied in comparison.

Especially when her emotions surged and the devil blood roiled, a rosy blush blooming over her snow-white skin made her a rare beauty, unparalleled in the world.

“That...” Watching the back of the Snow Lineage Diva, Feng Yao felt awkward for a long while but decided to exert some effort for her and Yun Xiao's predicament.

She caught up and whispered into the ear of the beauty with white hair and pink eyes, “Diva, regarding what Yan Feixue mentioned, I assure you, it's utterly baseless.”

“Baseless?” The Snow Lineage Diva glanced over as she soared through the sky, her expression ghostly.

“Yes, just idle chatter… no, not even that!” Feng Yao coughed, embarrassed, “I mean, I assure you, that guy is absolutely clean, no trace of sin or taint.”

“Be silent.” The Snow Lineage Diva gave her a look of utter speechlessness, “Refrain from vulgar speech.”

“Yes.” Feng Yao herself was frazzled, wondering where her speech had turned

vulgar

.

“Yao Yao.” The Snow Lineage Diva suddenly stopped, her pink eyes solemn, saying, “I trust you, so you should understand how precious your assurances are.”

“Rest assured, if you really don't believe me, I’ll strip him for you to see with your own eyes,” Feng Yao said earnestly.

She had been with Yun Xiao long enough to lie without even blinking. Her acting skills had truly been honed.

The Snow Lineage Diva’s pretty face immediately turned cold, a wave of nausea hitting her. With her exalted status, a mere slave, clean or not, was a desecration just by catching her eye.

The problem was, once the Ice Lineage Diva made her verdict, the Snow Lineage Diva could no longer let her subordinates inspect Yun Xiao. After all, he had already entered the Snow Diva Ruins. Should it turn out he wasn’t cleansed, on one hand, the sanctity of the Snow Diva Ruins would be tainted; on the other, the credibility of the Three Divas would suffer.

So it was a sickening matter, and it troubled the Snow Lineage Diva deeply.

The crux of it all was that the Snow Lineage Diva and the same slave shared a secret pact, unseen and unspeakable!

Before she became a Boundless Immortal, no one was to deal with him.

So, in the end, the secret was confined to just the two of them—or at most, three.

"Yao Yao, I ask you once more, are you truly certain?" the Snow Lineage Diva demanded, gripping her arms, her voice measured and deliberate.

She couldn't bear to check herself, not even at his soul. It represented the root of all evil in the eyes of all those born in the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, an embodiment of sin, a venom of desire.

"I am, absolutely, one hundred percent certain. If I lie, you may take my life!" Feng Yao declared.

She only had to wait until tomorrow, then she and Yun Xiao could leave this land of women. What was there to fear?

"Alright then..." The turmoil within the Snow Lineage Diva finally settled.

This clearly meant that the recording carried by the flying talisman held no proof of Yun Xiao’s impurity, the young girl had only suspected based on scent… And recordings carried no scent.

"But…" The Snow Lineage Diva’s eyes narrowed, fixing Feng Yao with a stern look. "I did see that you and him were unusually close, beyond the usual bounds of mistress and slave. And, you seem to care for him deeply."

That was the true revelation of the flying talisman!

Yan Feixue and her two sisters intended to use the disclosure of such intimacy to urge the higher-ups of the Harmony Divine Palace to seize Yun Xiao and verify the truth on the spot... But they didn’t know, with the Snow Lineage Diva present, it was simply impossible.

As for the issue of intimacy, Feng Yao had her explanation ready.

"It's like this," she reflected. "When I was a child, I once nearly lost my life while out playing, and he saved me at great personal risk. I am grateful to him, and perhaps I have indeed treated him a bit too kindly. I know my status has changed now. So, from now on, I will be sure to maintain a proper distance!"

After speaking, Feng Yao stole a glance at the Snow Lineage Diva, who still wore a face as cold as ice. Grasping her arm, she swayed it gently and said, "Though a slave might be like cattle, if such a beast shows human understanding and saves one's life, oughtn't we treat it a bit better?"

The Snow Lineage Diva shook her head. "It's not the same. Cattle are mere animals, whereas slaves, cleansed of their sins, still bear taboos. They may be used or killed, but never appreciated or approached closely."

"I understand now," Feng Yao quickly nodded, secretly pleased as she had managed to curse Yun Xiao under her breath again.

It seemed the Snow Lineage Diva might actually believe her bluster.

"So, regarding my slave, I've thought of a solution. What do you think?" Feng Yao asked.

"Speak," the Snow Lineage Diva commanded.

Feng Yao continued, "After all, he did save me, and I can't just watch him suffer in his later years. Also, having him around is troublesome. Aren't we departing tomorrow for the Grand Assembly of Immortal Sects? We could take him with us and leave him somewhere to fend for himself, settling my conscience. What do you think?"

Traditionally, slaves in the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm were disposed of as they aged, regardless of their mistresses. Their lives were always short-lived.

However, Feng Yao wasn’t sure the Snow Lineage Diva would agree. It should have been a trivial matter. But with Yan Feixue's interference, Yun Xiao had become a focal point, making it inconvenient for Feng Yao to remove him alone.

So, she seized the moment to suggest it.

Unexpectedly, the Snow Lineage Diva quickly nodded. "Returning a favor is part of your virtuous nature and your spiritual path. If releasing this slave brings you peace, then let him go."

The phrase

let him go

was uttered almost as if freeing a wild animal.

"Thank you." Feng Yao smiled faintly, careful not to show too much excitement.

"There's no need to rush. The Grand Assembly of Immortal Sects will last several days. You may keep him by your side for now," the Snow Lineage Diva said somberly.

"Will you be attending, Diva?" Feng Yao asked curiously.

The Snow Lineage Diva smiled ruefully. "I wasn’t planning to, but now that you have obtained a place, the emergence of a talent capable of becoming a Boundless Immortal will surely draw envy. We three Divas must go to protect you closely."

"That's wonderful!" Feng Yao exclaimed joyfully.

The matter of leaving was finally settled.

Though happy, Feng Yao couldn't help but wonder, "What in the world did that fellow and the Snow Lineage Diva concoct? Even if they're setting him free, why insist on taking him to the Grand Assembly of Immortal Sects and keeping him close for a few more days?"

It was puzzling! A slave was scorned by all, and a Diva was one of the most exalted figures of this world of women!

How could these two, from such disparate realms, have anything in common? The slightest slip of the tongue, and any ordinary slave would have likely been frozen solid!

How did they come to be entangled?

Feng Yao's mind teemed with questions, but all she could do was offer the Snow Lineage Diva a sheepish smile.

"Diva, about the matter of purification..." Feng Yao ventured cautiously.

The Snow Lineage Diva, stern-faced, replied, "Since you have given your reassurance, let us not speak further of it. Tomorrow, when we depart, I will disguise him as one of the entourage. Focus on the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects, and leave the matter of setting him free to me."

"Oh, oh," Feng Yao's eyes sparkled, "So, are you going to have him crossdress as a woman?"

"Enough nonsense! I told you to focus!" the Snow Lineage Diva said gravely.

"Yes, yes," Feng Yao pressed down the urge to burst into laughter, thinking to herself, "This time, my baseless assurances have averted a crisis for you; tomorrow, watching your embarrassment will be no trouble at all."

Initially, the Snow Lineage Diva, with her formidable presence, had been determined to return to the Snow Diva Ruins, and Feng Yao had truly feared she might immediately dismember Yun Xiao upon arrival.

But now, it seemed the Snow Lineage Diva had no intention of seeing Yun Xiao again.

Back at the Snow Diva Ruins, she directly told Feng Yao, "I promised earlier that if you perform well at the selection for the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects, I would take you to the inner pool of the Harmony Divine Pool. Now you qualify."

Hearing about the inner pool, Feng Yao forgot all about Yun Xiao and clung to the Diva's arm, cooing, "I still need to learn more celestial techniques to prepare for the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects."

"Alright... time is pressing; I will try to teach you more tonight. You are exceptionally gifted, unlike others, and should be able to absorb the knowledge quickly," the Snow Lineage Diva said tenderly, growing fonder of her by the minute.

"That's right, I'm always good at suc… I mean absorbing!" Feng Yao declared.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

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