The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

But after that...

As night falls, mist rises from the surface of Lake Poseidon, reflecting the bright silver moon.

Ning Tian stood by the lake, gripping the hem of her skirt with slight nervousness.

During the time Yu Tianhuang was in seclusion, she stayed in the female student dormitory area on Seagod Island and witnessed the grand confrontation between Yu Tianhuang and Ye Guyi above the Seagod Pavilion.

On the entire Seagod Island, only Ye Guyi and Yu Tianhuang possess the power to project the light and shadow of the Angelic Martial Soul and the Thunder-attribute Dragon Martial Soul.

Sure enough, she received a telepathic message from Yu Tianhuang not long ago.

Ning Tian knew that meeting Ye Guyi again was inevitable, but the nervousness in her heart just wouldn't go away. At the previous Sea God's Fate matchmaking event, she almost had an emotional breakdown because Yu Tianhuang chose Ye Guyi.

It's like she was jealous of her boyfriend's older sister on their very first meeting.

"What should I do? Will this leave a bad impression on Sister Gu Yi?" This thought kept echoing in Ning Tian's mind.

As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion. The usually composed and elegant woman began to feel anxious and insecure.

Ning Tian closed his eyes, focusing on the technique of distraction control, attempting to calm his emotions. Distraction control was a secret technique passed down through their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School; only by using it in conjunction with other methods could the powerful auxiliary abilities of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul be maximized. At the same time, this technique also had the effect of calming the mind and focusing the spirit.

But just as she had become calm and opened her eyes, her heart was in turmoil again.

Because Yu Tianhuang and Ye Guyi had appeared before her at some point, and Ye Guyi was observing her with great interest. Their faces were so close that her long eyelashes could even touch the delicate skin of Ye Guyi's cheek.

Ye Guyi was taller than Ning Tian, ​​and Ning Tian's eyes were level with Ye Guyi's face.

Startled, Ning Tian instinctively took a step back.

She quickly came to her senses, a mixture of shyness and annoyance instantly washing over her. This was the second time in a row; she was certain she hadn't made a good impression on Ye Guyi this time either.

Ning Tian, ​​what on earth are you doing?!

However, being a scion of a prominent family who had experienced various occasions, she quickly performed a courteous gesture commonly used among noble ladies in the northern part of the Heavenly Soul Empire towards Ye Guyi.

"Hello, Sister Gu Yi, my name is Ning Tian."

Ye Guyi was slightly taken aback. From Ning Tian's accent and manners, she vaguely saw the shadow of Xu Zihuang's mother, Yu Qing'er.

Due to its unique geographical location, the customs and etiquette of the various noble families and long-established Soul Master families in the central and northern regions of the Heavenly Soul Empire have been well preserved from the Heavenly Dou Empire era ten thousand years ago.

However, Ye Guyi quickly came to her senses and smiled as she reached out her jade-like hand to lift Ning Tian's fair and delicate chin.

"Don't be so nervous, I won't do anything to you. You're so beautiful, and Tianhuang likes you so much, of course I, as your older sister, won't have any objections. It's just that I've been in seclusion for two months, and I've neglected you a bit. I hope you don't mind."

"That's not true. For us Soul Masters, it's extremely rare to gain insights into cultivation, and we should seize such an opportunity."

Ning Tian shook her head at Ye Guyi, her pretty face slightly flushed, her eyes filled with shyness. But Ye Guyi's words reassured her greatly.

"Sister Gu Yi, I have already had a banquet prepared at the Nine Treasures Pavilion..."

"Then I won't refuse. I happen to have a lot to talk to you about." Before Ning Tian could speak, Ye Guyi readily agreed. Her face was smiling, but there seemed to be a strange light in the depths of her eyes.

Xu Zihuang, who keenly noticed this, twitched at the corner of his mouth. He just stood there watching as the two women quickly became acquainted.

Considering that having Yu Tianhuang carry him across the Sea God Lake might give Ye Guyi some ideas, Ning Tian used his flying soul tool to leave this time.

Xu Zihuang and Ye Guyi, on the other hand, flew through the air using their powerful soul energy.

The three landed one after another on the lakeside path. Ye Guyi and Ning Tian walked hand in hand intimately, chatting and laughing. Xu Zihuang, on the other hand, became an outsider, silently following behind the two women.

Ye Guyi suddenly turned around and glanced at Xu Zihuang, then said to Ning Tian teasingly, "Let me tell you, don't be fooled by Tianhuang's current appearance. When he was little, he actually loved to cling to me and act spoiled. I always had to coax him to sleep."

Ning Tian's eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent. He turned to look at Xu Zihuang and smiled charmingly.

"Tianhuang, I never knew you had this side to you?"

Just imagining her beloved's childhood self, acting spoiled and affectionate, melted her heart. It's a pity she met Yu Tianhuang too late to witness it firsthand.

"That was all when I was a child," Xu Zihuang replied frankly.

This scene inevitably stirred something within him. If it weren't for that palace coup years ago, his fate might not have been so tumultuous. With his talent, coupled with the resources of the Sun Moon Empire's Purple Emperor Royal Palace, he could have easily become the strongest in the Sun Moon Empire, or even on the continent.

Even if he had someone he loved by his side, he would never have such an almost pathological obsession with power.

His obsession stems purely from the profound trauma he suffered in his childhood. Moreover, given his personality and current position, he feels compelled to do so.

However, he also saw through it all; it was all just hypothetical. His past experiences had shaped him into who he was today. He could feel some regret, but he mustn't wallow in it. Hypotheticals are ultimately just hypotheticals, constructed by the weak to escape reality—all mere illusions, bubbles.

Ye Guyi and Ning Tian's melodious laughter echoed in Xu Zihuang's ears, jolting him out of his reverie. Although the two women mostly talked to each other and rarely allowed Xu Zihuang to join in as he had before, their conversations were actually inseparable from him.

They walked out of the east gate of Shrek Academy while chatting all the way.

As they entered the bustling commercial district of Shrek City's southern part, their group attracted frequent stares from pedestrians. The silence only subsided once they reached the Nine Treasures Pavilion in the center of the southern city.

Ning Tian arranged for the banquet to be held on the rooftop above the main hall of the Nine Treasures Pavilion.

The Thunder Beast was left on Seagod Island, leaving only Xu Zihuang, Ning Tian, ​​and Ye Guyi sitting around a table laden with delicious food.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the harmonious atmosphere, the colorful soul-guiding lamps along the edge of the Nine Treasures Pavilion rooftop twinkled, bathing the entire rooftop in a dazzling halo.

As Xu Zihuang savored the food on his plate, he finally realized Ye Guyi's intentions.

Ye Guyi and Ning Tian drank quite a bit of fruit wine with a high alcohol content. Ye Guyi drank normally, but every time she gave Ning Tian a glass, she would subtly soak it with the Heart of Qiluo.

The Heart of the Fragrant Silk Fairy can cure all poisons, and its fragrance is also extremely beneficial to human soul masters. However, inhaling too much of it will cause one to fall into a deep sleep.

After downing two glasses of fruit wine, Ning Tian's eyes began to glaze over. Before he even finished the third glass, he slumped onto the crystal dining table and fell asleep.

Xu Zihuang stopped chewing, dumbfounded, and looked at Ye Guyi.

Ye Guyi glanced at Xu Zihuang with annoyance, but the burning intensity in her cold eyes was so intense that it was impossible to look directly at her.

"What are you looking at? Take her to the main hall!"

"Oh." Xu Zihuang nimbly picked Ning Tian up in his arms, but he was a little uneasy.

He had just placed Ning Tian on the sofa in the living room and covered him with a blanket when a warm, delicate body pressed against him from behind.

Xu Zihuang turned around. Although he had some suspicions beforehand, his expression was still incredibly interesting when the event actually happened.

"Sister Lingyi, are you serious?"

"Otherwise, why do you think I would do this?" Ye Guyi sneered, placing her right hand on Xu Zihuang's chest and slightly raising her chin, like a proud female knight.

"Stop talking nonsense and lie down properly."

Ye Guyi pressed her right hand against Xu Zihuang's chest and pushed Xu Zihuang down onto the sofa.

Chapter 376 Departure and the Eternal Jade Bird

The next morning, Ning Tian woke up with a dazed look in her eyes. She felt as if a faint, sweet fragrance lingered in her nostrils, refusing to dissipate.

After fully waking up, her mind became incredibly clear, she felt refreshed and indescribably comfortable.

These are all effects of that beautiful heart.

As the morning sun rose, her large, light blue eyes instinctively narrowed slightly, her long eyelashes trembling. When her gaze focused, she saw Yu Tianhuang and Ye Guyi sitting opposite each other not far away.

Ye Guyi sat on the opposite sofa, elegantly picking up an exquisite porcelain cup and savoring the warm, fragrant black tea inside. Noticing Ning Tian regaining consciousness, a faint smile appeared on her usually cool face.

"woke up?"

Recalling what happened yesterday, Ning Tian blushed slightly and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, Sister Gu Yi. Last night..."

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

Ye Guyi smiled and shook her head.

"You probably don't drink much normally."

"Mm." Ning Tian nodded slightly. Unless it was a special circumstance, she rarely drank alcohol, especially the kind of strong liquor she drank yesterday. In all these years, she had never been drunk.

Unaware of the truth, Ning Tian believed this was his true alcohol tolerance. Here, "true alcohol tolerance" refers to the level without using soul power to neutralize the alcohol.

"Actually, it's good for girls to drink less alcohol. They shouldn't be easily taken advantage of by certain people when they're not on guard," Ye Guyi replied with a smile, but a strange light flashed deep in her eyes as she glanced at Xu Zihuang.

Xu Zihuang, who had just picked up his teacup, trembled slightly as his gaze met Ye Guyi's in mid-air.

Ning Tian, ​​unaware of the scene that Yu Tianhuang and Ye Guyi were simultaneously recalling, sat up beside Xu Zihuang. As she accepted the cup of hot tea from Xu Zihuang, she overheard Ye Guyi's last words, her cheeks flushing, and she leaned shyly into Xu Zihuang's arms.

Ye Guyi's seemingly self-destructive words had a completely different meaning to Ning Tian.

Although Xu Zihuang appeared calm on the surface, he felt extremely helpless inside.

After a brief silence, he took the initiative and said, "Sister, Ning Tian and I have already—"

"Heavenly Emperor!"

Ning Tian's eyes widened instantly, and she tightened her grip on Xu Zihuang's arm, stopping him in time. Her face flushed with shyness and surprise, she was exceptionally charming at that moment. She had never expected Yu Tianhuang to reveal such private matters in front of Ye Guyi.

However, Yu Tianhuang's candor was essentially a way of seeking Ye Guyi's approval for her. Despite her shyness, her heart was filled with warmth.

"Oh?" Ye Guyi feigned surprise as she looked at Ning Tian. Then her gaze shifted downwards, landing on Ning Tian's flat stomach.

Ning Tian felt extremely uncomfortable under Ye Guyi's gaze.

"Speaking of which, I haven't had a proper chance to explore Shrek City since I arrived. Ning Tian, ​​will you keep me company for a while?"

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Guyi smiled and took the initiative to change the subject, which made Ning Tian's shyness dissipate a little.

Ning Tian smiled sweetly at Ye Guyi.

"Okay, Sister Gu Yi. I'll have someone bring breakfast first. Let's eat first and then go."

After having breakfast together, the three left Jiubaoge and strolled around the commercial district in the south of Shrek City. Ye Guyi and Ning Tian seemed to have an exceptionally harmonious relationship, walking hand in hand ahead, their pretty faces occasionally beaming with smiles as they chatted.

Xu Zihuang, who was following behind, had become nothing more than a tool. Whenever the two women bought something, he would step forward to pay for it.

He would be content as long as Ye Guyi stopped causing trouble.

From that day on, Ye Guyi became an integral part of Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian's daily lives. Of course, during this time, she also stole from their homes countless times behind Ning Tian's back.

Poor Ning Tian was completely manipulated. He even had to go to great lengths to please Ye Guyi.

After his secluded training ended, Xu Zihuang replaced Wang Qiu'er again and began to integrate the new Shrek team.

More than a month has passed quietly, and the All-Continent Youth Soul Master Competition is just around the corner.

Eager to make the Tang Sect famous at this year's All-Continent Youth Soul Master Tournament, Bei Bei and Tang Ya led the Tang Sect team on their journey two days ago. The tournament is being held in Mingdu, the capital of the Sun Moon Empire, a long distance away, necessitating early planning.

The Shrek team delayed their departure because Xu Zihuang wanted to verify something, so he went to the Star Dou Great Forest again.

……

At Shrek Academy, in the open space outside the East Gate, a group of fifteen people gathered.