Having thoroughly enjoyed his plundering spree in the treasury, Zhang Mingyuan headed to the Immortal Lord's Peak of Myriad Snow Palace to report back.
The main hall of the Immortal Lord's Peak, Myriad Snow Palace.
“Little Xuexue, I'm here!”
A streak of light flashed, and Zhang Mingyuan appeared at the hall's entrance with a beaming face, his voice carrying an undeniable, heartfelt joy.
Having plundered so many treasures from Su Jinxue, he was in an exceptionally good mood. Far from resenting the “drudgery” of preparing medicine for Bai Yao, he was actually quite enjoying it.
So what if she was a junior?
As elders, they were supposed to show more care and concern for the younger generation!
Especially a promising young seedling with a tragic past and a resilient mind—she absolutely deserved full support!
He strode into the hall and immediately saw Su Jinxue seated high upon the main throne.
Today, she was still clad in a red dress, reclining lazily on her seat.
Her long, slender, straight legs were casually crossed, her skirt draped to the side, revealing a sliver of her snow-white, jade-like calf and a delicate, exquisite foot.
The crimson nail polish on her toes was as red as blood, looking exceptionally enchanting in the dim hall.
At this moment, she was quietly watching him with her cold, crimson eyes.
Zhang Mingyuan felt a shiver run down his spine under her gaze, and his smile froze for a split second.
Could she... have found out?
No, impossible!
He had been so discreet, and the treasury was vast. How could she possibly monitor it every single second?
Yes, it had to be his imagination!
He frantically reassured himself, but on the surface, he acted completely nonchalant as he took out the spiritual herbs he had retrieved, preparing to concoct the spiritual liquid for Bai Yao.
“Ahem, this Nine-Transform Glazed Flower is extremely yang in nature. It needs the neutralizing power of the Rootless Profound Water to balance it, and then the vital energy of the Dragon Blood Bodhi Fruit to supplement it...”
Zhang Mingyuan mumbled the medicinal principles while expertly processing the ingredients, trying to use his professionalism to mask his guilty conscience.
He placed a massive jade cauldron in the center of the hall, channeled the earth vein fire, and began the refinement process.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Inside the grand hall, aside from the crackling of the flames and the sizzling of the merging medicinal liquids, there was only a dead silence.
Su Jinxue remained silent throughout. However, her gaze felt like needles on his back, making Zhang Mingyuan feel as though he had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow.
His heart fluttered with anxiety, yet the expected thunderous wrath never came.
Had he really just overthought it?
Two hours later, the spiritual liquid inside the jade cauldron was finally complete.
A cauldron full of emerald-green liquid shimmered with radiant light, sending out a fragrant aroma. Its grade had shockingly reached the peak tier.
Zhang Mingyuan wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.
It was finally over!
He poured the spiritual liquid into a jade bottle and respectfully presented it to Su Jinxue with a broad smile on his face.
“Well, Little Xuexue, the spiritual liquid is ready. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave! Bye!”
With that, he turned around, eager to slip away.
“Wait.”
The cold, clear voice wasn't loud, yet it exploded like a clap of thunder in Zhang Mingyuan's ears.
His heart skipped a beat, and his feet froze instantly. Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
It's over, it's over, it's over! She's settling the score now!
If he had known, he shouldn't have been so blatant!
Alas, greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant!
No, if he had known, he should have eaten them as he took them, swallowing them all into his stomach.
He didn't believe Su Jinxue could dig out what he had already digested!
Countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Mingyuan's mind in an instant, and his face was already beginning to contort into a pleading expression.
However, Su Jinxue's next words left him completely stunned.
“You did well.”
She pointed at the bottle of spiritual liquid. Her voice was still cold, but it seemed... to lack that bone-chilling frostiness?
“For today, you are permitted to leave Myriad Snow Palace. You have one day of free time.”
“Huh?”
Zhang Mingyuan suspected he had misheard.
She wasn't here to interrogate him? She was even giving him a day off?
Happiness had come so suddenly that he was left somewhat at a loss.
He carefully raised his head to confirm, “Really? You're not tricking me?”
Su Jinxue did not answer, only giving him a faint glance.
“Alright!”
Zhang Mingyuan instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she wasn't talking about his plundering of the treasury.
Immediately after, a wave of ecstasy surged in his heart.
Hey, he could go out! That was simply fantastic!
Without another word, he cupped his hands to Su Jinxue in gratitude, and then impatiently made a sweeping motion with one hand!
Tear—
Space tore open to reveal a pitch-black rift. He stepped through, and his figure vanished without a trace instantly, fearing that Su Jinxue would change her mind the next second.
...
Qingyun Heaven Sacred Ground.
When that familiar aura descended upon Qingyun Heaven once more, the entire place erupted in excitement.
Their Sacred Lord had returned!
The moment Zhang Mingyuan steadied his footing, he impatiently extended his divine sense into his portable small world and waved his hand grandly!
Rumble!
In the next instant, countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures, shimmering with brilliant, multicolored light, poured out of the void like a mountain collapse or a tsunami, instantly filling the entire plaza of the main peak!
Million-year-old Star Tears were piled up into small hills, emitting a dreamlike starlight.
A massive block of Gengmetal Gold, comparable in size to a grand palace, exuded a sharp aura that soared into the heavens, causing the surrounding flying swords to hum in submission.
There was also that bald Dao Source Yellow Fruit tree. Although its fruits were gone, the trunk itself was a priceless treasure. It flowed with Dao charm, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to gather around it!
For a time, the entire main peak was enveloped in spiritual energy and treasure light so thick it seemed almost tangible.
The elders of Qingyun Heaven, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, were all dumbfounded by the sight, their jaws dropping to the ground.
They all knew that ever since the day Su Jinxue attained immortality, their Sacred Lord had been forcibly “invited” to Myriad Snow Palace, even earning the title of “Sword-Bearing Attendant.”
These past few days, they had been worrying that their Sacred Lord was being mistreated or suffering out there.
But what was this situation before them?
Had the Sacred Lord... cleaned out Myriad Snow Palace's treasury and brought it back?!
Sure enough, the relationship between their Sacred Lord and Immortal Lord Su was exactly as the rumors suggested. What on earth had they been worrying about?
After a brief moment of shock, a white-haired elderly female elder looked at the mountain of treasures, then at her own Sacred Lord, and her eyes instantly grew red.
“Sacred Lord... You... You must have suffered so much in Myriad Snow Palace!”
The old woman's voice choked with emotion, and she knelt down with a thud.
“Even though the Sacred Lord is imprisoned, he still holds the sect in his heart! We... we are so useless!”
“Sob, sob, sob... Sacred Lord, you must have lived a very exhausting life in Myriad Snow Palace! These heavenly materials and earthly treasures must have been scraped together bit by bit from that fe... Immortal Lord Su while you endured humiliation!”
“Sacred Lord, you must take care of your health! You have sacrificed far too much for the sect!”
For a moment, the plaza was filled with the sound of weeping. Several elders burst into tears on the spot, bowing deeply to Zhang Mingyuan in a scene that was deeply moving.
Of course, these were just superficial words. Many of the elders exchanged glances, revealing “we all understand” looks.
What “enduring humiliation”?
On the surface, he was a Sword-Bearing Attendant, but in private, they must have been playing some wild games, right?
Judging by this haul, Immortal Lord Su must have been... highly satisfied!
The Sacred Lord was truly worthy of being the Sacred Lord. His skill in “serving” was definitely at the peak of the Mahayana Stage!
Zhang Mingyuan had originally been immersed in the joy of returning home in glory, preparing to receive the worship and adoration of his elders. But seeing this bizarre scene before him, he was completely dumbfounded.
Wait, I just brought some stuff back. What's with those looks?
Why are you fake-crying while winking at each other so sleazily?
Rate on N.U.
