Chapter 140.2: How Can a Violet Palace Cultivator Change the Entire Situation?

In a secluded cave mansion, Iceberg Empress tilted back a wine flask and downed the crystal-clear liquor in one gulp.

She sighed helplessly. "What a pity... If only Ling'er were from the Eastern Lands. She’d easily get top ten in the Eastern Lands Prodigy Ranking, or maybe even enter Moonwatch Continent. Then, this family would have another place to go.”

Times were changing. Even the Bright Palace couldn't resist making early preparations. Naturally, she had to plan for her own future as well.

***

On Seven-Colored Peak, Qi Yuan had finished reading through all the cultivation manuals he looted.

He seemed helpless. "These Nascent Souls don't deserve to be my White Moonlights."

Despite having taken more than twenty Jade-tier manuals and three Profound-tier ones, they were only useful for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. As a Core formation cultivator living in a brick-tile house, he wasn't impressed anymore.

"Sure enough, as your strength grows, your standards grow too. Back in the village, the widow next door and the village beauty could count as White Moonlight. Once you get to the county, only a high-school beauty can qualify."

Now, his tastes had risen again. Only Violet Palace cultivators from the Bright Palace could be his White Moonlights.

"Senior Brother, my older sister is here!" Jiang Lingsu called out ecstatically.

Qi Yuan lazily walked out and saw two women standing outside the courtyard. They were a striking contrast.

One was thin like a bamboo pole, plain and unimpressive. The other had curves that could topple kingdoms, ample and stunning.

Qi Yuan found it unbelievable. "She's your older sister?”

The woman beside Jiang Lingsu was the bamboo-pole girl he'd met on the boat last night. The gap between the two was just too great.

"This is my sister Jiang Ya, she is ranked fifteenth on the Eastern Prodigy Ranking, and is a Core Formation cultivator!" Jiang Lingsu clung to Jiang Ya's arm, excited. "Sister Yaya, this is Senior Brother Qi Yuan. Don't let his silly attitude fool you, he's really good and talented. He can totally make it onto the Eastern Prodigy Ranking!"

Only now did Jiang Ya study Qi Yuan seriously, a trace of surprise in her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of my sister these days."

"No, if anything, she's been taking care of me," Qi Yuan said sincerely.

He'd gotten so many techniques and spirit stones from his junior sister. Every night, his vegetable knife went to rummage through the trash pile outside her house for spirit stones. He owed her too much.

Jiang Ya didn't waste time. She went straight to the point. "The Bright Palace has begun the Hundred Nations Blood War. Great Shang is about to become a disaster zone."

Jiang Lingsu's brows tightened. She knew very well why her sister had come.

"Lingsu, you ran off to the Hundred Nations without saying goodbye. Some people in the clan complained, but I suppressed it. I've always supported your choices. But with the war starting, and Great Shang falling into the demonic camp, it's no longer safe for you to stay."

Jiang Lingsu quietly peeked at Qi Yuan, looking pitiful and wronged.

"Don't worry, I'll protect Junior Sister!" Qi Yuan said confidently.

He'd promised her before, after all. When he became a great immortal, he'd even capture a few Violet Palace cultivators with Water Spirit Roots to cure her illnesses, all to repay his rich lady patroness.

Hearing Qi Yuan's earnest declaration, Jiang Lingsu felt warmth blooming inside. He was always unreliable, but also strangely trustworthy. And very handsome.

Jiang Ya smiled. "Qi Yuan, don't refuse yet. I believe you'd risk your life for Lingsu, I don't doubt your character. Lingsu's judgment has always been better than mine."

Qi Yuan froze.

Risk my life? When did I ever

—?

Jiang Ya explained, "Since the war can't be stopped, I suggest relocating Seven-Colored Peak. In fact, the entire Divine Radiance Sect can move. If my Heavenly Ascension Pavilion steps forward, the Bright Palace won't block you."

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It was an enormous concession purely for Jiang Lingsu's sake. Normally, she'd just forcibly take her sister home, without listening to some random lower-sect disciple.

Qi Yuan lifted his head, looked at the peak's pagodas, then at his newly-built brick-tile home. "Seven-Colored Peak can't be moved."

His resolve took Jiang Ya by surprise.

"Besides, the Bright Palace is about to be destroyed. They're nothing to fear," Qi Yuan said.

His One Hundred Days to Annihilate the Bright Palace Plan was progressing beautifully.

Jiang Ya was momentarily stunned, then seemed to realize something. "So the Hundred Nations are placing their hopes on the Blood-Clothed Sword God."

"Blood-Clothed Sword God?" Jiang Lingsu blinked. What did he have to do with this?

"Honestly, producing a Violet Palace realm cultivator in the Hundred Nations is impressive. Still, even if he were at the peak Violet Palace realm, he still couldn't affect the Bright Palace's Blood War," Jiang Ya said.

The appearance of a Violet Palace cultivator would normally have been a shock of joy. After all, it meant the region had its own true powerhouse and foundation. However, appearing during the Blood War was just terrible timing. The Bright Palace was overwhelmingly powerful. Without a Yin Spirit, no one could contend with the Bright Palace.

Jiang Lingsu was confused. She didn't understand anything. "Violet... what?"

"Yesterday, the Bright Palace met the Blood-Clothed Sword God at Lingfeng Ferry, and they clashed. The Blood-Clothed Sword God unleashed his Origin Divine Technique and slaughtered the Bright Palace's Nascent Souls. Before leaving, he declared war on the Bright Palace." Jiang Ya sighed. "It's admirable for one man to challenge a sect with ten thousand years of heritage. Still, it won't affect the outcome."

Jiang Lingsu covered her mouth, sneakily glancing at Qi Yuan.

Blood-Clothed Sword God is at the Violet Palace realm? He killed Nascent Souls? Blood-Clothed Sword God...

She had a thousand questions she wanted to ask her senior brother, but with her sister here, she couldn't.

Qi Yuan really wanted to say. "Please, I'm not Violet Palace. I'm a baby Core Formation newbie!" Yet he couldn't break his disguise, hence he stayed silent.

"I know you can't accept it for now," Jiang Ya said. "Once the result between the Blood-Clothed Sword God and the Bright Palace is out, I'll persuade you again."

With that, she said her goodbyes to Qi Yuan.

She and Jiang Lingsu entered the wooden hut.

Jiang Ya frowned slightly at the simplicity of the place, but said nothing. Sitting down, she looked at her distracted sister with a teasing smile. "Not happy I came?"

Jiang Lingsu's mind was full of the Blood-Clothed Sword God. "No..."

"I took a look at the techniques you sent me last time." Jiang Ya said. "The revisions... are a complete mess."

"What?" Jiang Lingsu stiffened. "It won't hurt me to cultivate, right?"

Isn't that the manual Senior Brother modified?

"In theory, if you practiced it, you'd suffer mental distortion, memory loss, and maybe even completely forget who you are."

Jiang Lingsu shot to her feet, panicking. "What?

That

serious?”

There's no way Senior Brother cultivated that, right?!

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Ya smiled. "Don't worry about your senior brother. That incomplete manual only works in theory, no one can actually cultivate it."

Hearing that, Jiang Lingsu finally let out a breath of relief.

Good, Senior Brother couldn't cultivate it.

"I won't stay for long this time," Jiang Ya said. "The Prodigy Contest of the Eastern Lands has been moved up. I need to participate. Once it's over, I'll take you home."

This contest was important. Her master hadn't said so directly, but Jiang Ya could feel it.