Chapter 310: Chapter 201: Liu Ying Ziyi: We’re All Good Besties, So Opportunities Should Be Shared...

「Yuzhou, the Wentian Mountain Range.」

This was the main stronghold of Lu Hua Palace, one of the three great Hidden Sects of Yuzhou.

The main peak of the mountain range, soaring over ten thousand li, pierced the heavens. From the White Jade Steps before the Sect’s grand council hall, those with sufficiently high Cultivation could see a multitude of magnificent, majestic peaks rising from a boundless sea of clouds.

There were 1,024 of these great peaks, and together, they formed a natural Grand Array of infinite power, equally adept at offense and defense.

From above, the Grand Array drew upon the power of the celestial stars and the essence of the sun and moon. From below, it gathered wind, absorbed qi, and harnessed the feng shui of the earth’s ley lines, nourishing the main peak day and night.

After tens of thousands of years of evolution, this place had become the most auspicious location in all of Yuzhou. The benefits of undertaking Cultivation in Seclusion here year-round were truly too numerous to count.

By now, the Female Cultivators of the Liu Ying Clan had arrived at the sect’s stronghold.

They were led by their Matriarch, Liu Ying Ziyi, accompanied by several Core Elders at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level. In addition, there were dozens of Female Cultivators, including Flow Shadow Ice Cicada and Liu Ying Meng Luan, who had marriage contracts with Ling Changqing.

On the Lu Hua Palace side, Elder Sect Leader Qin Mengxuan led the sect’s high-ranking members, including Su Qinglian, to greet them. The reception was exceptionally grand.

"...Sister, it has been many years since we last met!"

Clad in a grand, deep-cyan palace gown embroidered with phoenixes amidst patterns of wind, thunder, and clouds, her jade-green hair piled high like a cloud, the Matriarch Liu Ying Ziyi looked noble, radiant, and majestic. She took the fair wrist of the peerless beauty opposite her and spoke with a beaming smile.

Lu Hua Palace’s Grand Palace Master, Qin Mengxuan, had a face that looked no older than eleven or twelve, yet her figure was graceful, bewitching, and sinfully alluring. The towering, snow-white peaks of her chest dwarfed all others with a strange, domineering presence that even her wide, ornate, and brightly colored ceremonial gown could not conceal.

A reserved, elegant smile graced the Grand Palace Master’s youthful, innocent face as her soft, melodic voice, like the music of the heavens, rang out:

"My dear sister, there’s no need for such ceremony. We were once the closest of friends, facing life and death together on numerous occasions. There’s no need to be so distant now."

"That’s right, we are the closest of friends,"

Liu Ying Ziyi nodded. "Which is why, with this great calamity upon us, we should stand together and share whatever opportunities arise. Wouldn’t you agree, Sister?"

"..."

Qin Mengxuan’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she sized up the woman before her, the smile on her face never wavering.

"You speak the truth, Sister. In that case... shall we go inside to talk?"

Liu Ying Ziyi nodded with a gentle smile. The Female Cultivators from both sides then entered the magnificent, imposing grand hall together.

Instantly, the hall was filled with ravishing, bewitching beauties. Women of every shape and size, from slender to curvaceous, adorned in fine hairpins, rings, and colorful gowns, their vibrant jade-and-vermilion attire complementing their peach-blossom complexions. The sight was simply breathtaking.

For any man in his right mind, such a sight would be a paradise he could only dream of.

However, within the stronghold of Lu Hua Palace, one could not find a single male creature—not even a Spirit Beast mount.

A grand and ceremonious welcome banquet had already been prepared. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the Female Cultivators from both sides took their seats and began to drink and converse merrily. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Thousands of colorfully dressed Female Cultivators danced gracefully as elegant music filled the air. Dazzling displays of minor Magic appeared from time to time, creating a delightful spectacle.

Qin Mengxuan frequently raised her cup in toast, and Liu Ying Ziyi returned the gesture often. The atmosphere at the banquet was quite congenial.

Truth be told, the two factions of Female Cultivators had deep-rooted historical ties and maintained a close relationship. They had collaborated on many occasions, both openly and in secret, setting them apart from the other Eight Great Families.

’Therefore,’ Liu Ying Ziyi thought, ’when it came to the matter of the Child of Destiny, the two sides should have plenty of common ground.’

’Anyway, the man had only just arrived in this world; his passions and desires are still strong. And the one thing neither of our families lacks is peerless Female Cultivators. We can easily cater to his tastes.’

She thought this, and Qin Mengxuan thought the same. They both believed that once Ling Changqing set foot in the Lu Hua Palace stronghold, he would become so enthralled by the endless parade of peerless beauties that he would never want to leave, losing himself completely.

A few hours later, the welcome banquet finally drew to a close.

Qin Mengxuan rose gracefully and elegantly invited Liu Ying Ziyi to the rear hall. The Core Elders from both sides followed closely behind, while the younger disciples retired to a side hall to rest.

Only then did the real talks between the two factions’ leaders begin.

Inside the Secret Hall, the two parties exchanged salutations once more before taking their seats.

As layers of the Shielding Array’s Restrictions were activated, Qin Mengxuan, seated in the place of honor, grew solemn. Her stunning eyes fixed on Liu Ying Ziyi as she spoke:

"Within the Sect, the Celestial Secret Mixed Cave Origin Array is ready. As long as eight Nascent Soul True Monarchs work together to power the Array, we can pinpoint the Child of Destiny’s location."

This Celestial Secret Mixed Cave Origin Array was one of Lu Hua Palace’s greatest assets, an opportunity their founding ancestor had chanced upon in the ruins of some Ancient Immortal Mansion. It was designed specifically to target the chosen of the heavens—those with Celestial Grade Spirit Roots or individuals who possessed immense Destiny.

With one of the target’s personal belongings, or even an item merely touched by their aura, it can be used as a medium to track and lock onto their location.

Liu Ying Ziyi’s expression grew serious as well. "What do you need from us?" she asked in a low voice.

Qin Mengxuan nodded. "First, you will need to provide four Elders at the Middle stage Nascent Soul Realm to help us operate the Array."

"Second, we need to use the marriage contract as the casting medium. However, regardless of the outcome, the contract might be destroyed by the backlash from prying into a Celestial Secret."

Since this was a joint operation, both powers had to contribute. Neither could simply stand by and watch.

Lu Hua Palace would provide the Array and half the personnel, while the Liu Ying Clan would provide the catalyst and the other half of the personnel. On the surface, it seemed fair.

"The marriage contract might be destroyed?" Liu Ying Ziyi frowned at her words. "Is there no way to prevent that? That contract is of the utmost importance to the Liu Ying Clan. Its loss is unacceptable."

’If the operation succeeds and we find Ling Changqing, that would be one thing. But if the Celestial Secret Calculation fails, the Liu Ying Clan would suffer a tremendous loss, wouldn’t it?’

Qin Mengxuan nodded. "That is indeed a risk. We can promise to do our utmost to protect the contract, but even we cannot be certain what might happen at the critical moment of the Grand Array’s operation."

For the past ten thousand years, this Array has been locked away in the Secret Vault of Lu Hua Palace, never seeing the light of day. Thus, not even the Grand Palace Master herself could be sure just how effective it would be once activated.

The Vice Sect Leader, Su Qinglian, chimed in, "As long as the Child of Destiny’s Cultivation is still at the Foundation Establishment Level, eight Nascent Soul True Monarchs working together should be more than enough to track him down."

"According to the Sect’s Scriptures, our founding ancestor accomplished several great feats with this Array right after obtaining it, so..."

Liu Ying Ziyi looked taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "But what if he has already reached the Core Formation Realm? Will Nascent Soul True Monarchs still be enough?"

According to Liu Ying Meng Luan and the others, Ling Changqing was already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment when they first met him.

’After all these years, given the terrifying Destiny he possesses, his Cultivation must have advanced by leaps and bounds. He should be in the Core Formation Realm by now.’

"Well..."

Qin Mengxuan’s fine brows furrowed slightly. She mused, "If he is already a Golden Core Master, we would need to deploy eight Supreme Elders at the Divinity Transformation Level to power the Array. Only then could we guarantee we’d find him."

The casters’ Cultivation must be two Great Realms higher than the target’s to ensure a high probability of success.

At the same time, the scale of the Array and the rare resources required would increase dramatically, driving the cost sky-high.

"In that case," Qin Mengxuan said, "how about each of our families provides four Divinity Transformation Powerhouses, and we split the cost of the resources for the Array?"

Liu Ying Ziyi looked at her old friend with a faint, unreadable smile. "It feels like our side is contributing more. Shouldn’t you offer us some form of compensation, Sister?"

Even the closest of brothers must keep clear accounts; sworn sisters are no exception.

Su Qinglian frowned. "Is this not a mutually beneficial arrangement for both our families? What compensation could you possibly want?"

"It’s simple. Once we retrieve Ling Changqing, he must first consummate his marriage with the women of my clan and complete the Dual Cultivation ceremony!"

Liu Ying Ziyi had finally revealed her true intentions.

Qin Mengxuan: "..."

Su Qinglian: "..."

The expressions of the high-ranking Elders from Lu Hua Palace instantly soured.

’The Liu Ying Clan’s move was a clear attempt to monopolize the benefits of the Child of Destiny for themselves. They weren’t treating Lu Hua Palace as a strategic ally at all.’

"Sister, aren’t you asking for too much?"

After a long silence, Qin Mengxuan finally spoke in a low voice.

"Not at all,"

Liu Ying Ziyi said matter-of-factly. "He signed marriage contracts with the women of my clan. Those girls are all his Dao Companions; they simply haven’t consummated their union yet."

"If he returns, shouldn’t he complete the ceremony at once? Besides, after that, the women of your Lu Hua Palace can get close to him too. We never said we’d keep him from you."

’Once Ling Changqing is with the Liu Ying Clan,’ Liu Ying Ziyi schemed, ’the number of Dao Companions he takes won’t be his decision to make.’

’She would gather the most exceptional women of her clan and arrange an unprecedented ’consort selection’ for Ling Changqing.’

’She’d have the girls strip naked and bathe in a hot spring, then find an excuse to throw Ling Changqing right in there with them and let him have his fun.’

’Once he had seen them all naked, their purity would be compromised. Wouldn’t Ling Changqing then have to take responsibility for them?’

’The best-case scenario would be for some of the girls to become pregnant with Ling Changqing’s child. That would tie him to them even more securely.’

But as friends who had known each other for years, how could Qin Mengxuan fail to see through Liu Ying Ziyi’s scheme? It would be a miracle if she fell for it.

"Sister, this matter is non-negotiable,"

Qin Mengxuan said with a firm expression. "After Ling Changqing returns, he must reside here, in the stronghold of Lu Hua Palace. That is the only way to guarantee his safety."

"As for arranging Dao Companions for his Dual Cultivation, the women from both our families can come. He can pick whomever he likes. It makes no difference to us who he chooses!"

’As for whose women would ultimately fill Ling Changqing’s harem—Lu Hua Palace’s or the Liu Ying Clan’s—that would be a matter of their own individual skill.’