“Senior, that was truly eye-opening,” Yu Yi said in admiration.
Since all of Yu Yi’s own techniques were large-scale killing moves capable of altering the environment, she had bent down earlier to whisper to Ji Hongye, asking to see her display a move—just so the mountain forest wouldn’t be damaged.
As a result, Ji Hongye had used a single small branch to instantly kill the black-robed man, who possessed Martial King cultivation.
“My body has shrunk, and my strength is far from what it once was,” Ji Hongye said, shaking her head.
“In terms of power, the current Little Sister Yu is the strongest.”
Ji Hongye’s expression was exceptionally serious, causing Yu Yi to suspect that she had already seen through the fact that Yu Yi had broken through to Martial Emperor.
As expected of the Sword Emperor—her insight far surpassed that of ordinary Grandmasters.
Of course, Yu Yi could not comfortably accept the title of “strongest.”
Her power was still incomplete; only by gathering all seven of her disciples—not Dragon Balls, disciples—could she recall her complete cultivation method and display her strength without restriction in any environment.
After the black-robed man was smashed to nothing but dust by the twig, the remaining demonic cultivators finally snapped out of their daze.
Trembling as they retreated, they threatened Yu Yi and Ji Hongye:
“You… you dare interfere with the plans of the Yin Wind Sect! The Ancestral Master of Yin Mountain will never forgive you!”
“The Ancestral Master of Yin Mountain, is it? This seat remembers,” Yu Yi said calmly.
“To dare target this seat’s disciple—he must be tired of living. This seat should even thank you for so straightforwardly selling out your own master.”
“D-Disciple?”
“Could it be that you are…”
Several of the demonic cultivators instantly realized just who this peerlessly beautiful mature woman standing before them really was.
A rush of heat surged downward in their bodies; their limbs began to tremble as visions of their own gruesome deaths flooded their minds.
But Yu Yi merely said lightly,
“Senior, I’ll have to trouble you once more.”
“No trouble at all,” Ji Hongye replied readily.
Just then, a falling leaf drifted down from above.
Ji Hongye reached out and pinched it between her fingers.
She focused her mind and took a deep breath.
The leaf spun sharply out of her hand, tracing a perfect arc through the air.
It silently sliced open the throats of the demonic cultivators, harvesting their lives.
As a true pinnacle expert of the Martial Dao, even without her specialized weapon, she could borrow the myriad things of the world to unleash the full might of techniques honed through a thousand refinements.
Ji Hongye had merely demonstrated the basic motion of “flying sword.”
With one branch and one falling leaf, she annihilated the Yin Wind Sect demonic cultivators who had trapped Ye Qingluan.
This was the strength of a Martial Emperor standing at the absolute peak of the Martial Dao.
It was, more or less, a bit of bullying the weak.
When the surroundings finally returned to silence, the “tree pupa” hovering in the air slowly began to unfurl.
The next second, a bare foot wearing a jade bracelet around the ankle extended outward.
Accompanied by a lazy yawn, Yu Yi looked upward.
Long azure hair longer than her entire body, a childish face and frame, yet paired with an absurdly oversized chest.
The loose single garment barely covered her, and it was still possible to tell she wore nothing underneath.
At last, Yu Yi laid eyes on this “third disciple” she had never met before—Ye Qingluan.
“Yaaawn… so those guys finally gave up and left?”
Ye Qingluan finished yawning, then suddenly noticed the two extra people below her.
She looked down and met Yu Yi’s gaze.
The air fell into a brief silence.
Then Ye Qingluan leaped straight down from the sky!
“Maa— ster—”
She landed directly in Yu Yi’s arms.
Though small in stature, her weight was surprisingly substantial.
“Master~ Why did you come hereee~”
Ye Qingluan buried her face in Yu Yi’s chest, rubbing back and forth as she asked.
She acted as though she had completely ignored Ji Hongye standing right beside them.
Yu Yi was about to answer when Ye Qingluan started chattering again: “Master, why does it smell like wine here? Sniff sniff~”
Yu Yi: “…”
“Qingluan, behaving like this in front of outsiders—where are your manners?”
Yu Yi said helplessly, lifting Ye Qingluan up and setting her on the ground.
Ye Qingluan licked her lips with lingering satisfaction, then finally noticed the white-haired loli standing beside Yu Yi, holding a silk parasol.
Seeing this girl who was even smaller than herself and completely flat-chested, Ye Qingluan asked curiously,
“Master, who’s this little runt?”
“Qingluan, mind your manners,” Yu Yi said seriously.
“This is the Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion—the current Sword Emperor.”
Ye Qingluan let out an “Ohhh~” but showed no other reaction.
Whether it was because Ye Qingluan was exceptionally adaptable or simply because that was her personality, she accepted the fact that the Sword Emperor was a loli with surprising calm.
Then she demonstrated her astonishingly unique train of thought.
“I’ve heard for a long time that the Sword Emperor has never married in her life. Looks like no one really likes this kind of childlike body type after all.”
Ye Qingluan clapped her hands.
“Sigh… it seems the Sword Emperor and I are kindred spirits in suffering…”
“Qingluan, mind your manners…”
Ji Hongye herself didn’t seem particularly bothered, but Yu Yi—as the “parent” in this situation—felt a rather complicated mood.
Ye Qingluan had always been capable of savage roasts.
But her later self-revelation made Yu Yi sense a faint trace of inferiority regarding her current appearance.
At that moment, memories of the past with Ye Qingluan surged into Yu Yi’s mind.
Just as Yu Yi had guessed, Ye Qingluan had no idea she had already “died once.”
She believed she had contracted some illness that caused her physical development to halt permanently.
In an attempt to change her condition, Ye Qingluan began studying medicine.
During that time, she discovered that her mastery over the “treasure” within her body had reached the pinnacle.
If she wished, she could turn any barren land into a thriving forest or heal nearly any injury or illness.
Although she ultimately failed to cure herself and resolve the “stunted development” issue, Ye Qingluan came to enjoy the feeling of healing others.
Later, she left Among the Colorful Clouds.
Even now, Ye Qingluan did not know that the treasure inside her was no longer the former plant-attribute artifact—it was the Azure Wood Jade that granted her eternal life.
The Azure Wood Jade bestowed immortality upon her, yet it also froze her body in the past, gradually causing her to develop feelings of inferiority toward her own form.
If Yu Yi revealed the truth, asked her to accept the Azure Wood Jade, and take on the mission of wielding the Everlasting Tribulation Sword—would she agree?
If Yu Yi ordered her as Master, she might have no choice but to obey.
But Yu Yi was not that kind of person.
After careful consideration, she decided to tell Ye Qingluan the truth and seek her own opinion.
“Qingluan, the reason Master came to find you this time is to tell you something extremely important.”
Yu Yi’s expression turned solemn as she spoke to Ye Qingluan: “Your decision will affect the safety of the entire world.”