An Xiaolin never expected her to realize just how monstrous her talents were. Staring at the great formation, he said, "Since you have no intention of unifying the lower realms, then there's no need to bother with those Spirit Realm cultivators appearing elsewhere."
"Mhm, Master is right, I won't concern myself with them."
Yao Ranran lazily stretched, her whole posture relaxed and unrestrained.
An Xiaolin smiled. "After so many tiring days, tonight you can finally rest well."
Yao Ranran dropped her hands and gave a languid yawn. "Yes, I'll just live my own life and let others say whatever they want."
Behind her, An Xiaolin shook his head with a low chuckle. "Who in this world would even dare to gossip about you anymore?"
At the front of the Daoist temple, Yao Ranran reclined in her Grand Tutor's armchair swaying it leisurely as her eyes drifted closed.
An Xiaolin swept his sleeve, summoning a gentle breeze. The soft wind brushed across her face, making Yao Ranran's lashes tremble in comfort.
In the jagged caverns of the Eastern Wilderness.
A streak of rainbow light slammed into an unseen barrier. A human figure emerged at the top of the cave.
Mo Rui's eyes widened. "What's going on?"
He cast a thread of spiritual power, but it was instantly bounced back at him. His pupils contracted sharply. "Could it be a formation was laid here? But how could they possibly predict that I would leave from this path?"
Scanning his surroundings, all was still. Not even the faintest rustle disturbed the silence—he could hear nothing but his own breath.
"Perhaps I just stumbled into it by accident. Such petty tricks cannot hold me back!"
Mo Rui did not take it seriously.
So long as those few cultivators holding Immortal Artifacts did not appear together with Mu Xin, he was confident he could cut them down with ease, without suffering the slightest harm.
In a blink, he appeared at the other end of the cavern.
Yet again, his rainbow light struck the invisible barrier. After several collisions, Mo Rui chose another direction.
But after toiling for hours, he finally touched the formation's wall and was stunned to realize—this grand array enveloped the entire Eastern Wilderness.
Every single exit was sealed. There was no path of escape.
"How can this be? Who is manipulating this from the shadows?"
Mo Rui stared in disbelief at the massive formation. He had roamed the Spirit Realm for years, and as a sect master in the lower realm, he had never once found himself helpless before a formation.
"The Eastern Wilderness… something is wrong here! No wonder Mu Xin stood together with those cultivators. Behind this land, there must be a far more terrifying power pulling the strings!"
The realization struck him cold, but he was already trapped within the Eastern Wilderness. He could not move a step beyond its borders.
Anxiety surged as he paced restlessly. "No, I still haven't resolved the matter with the Bei Ming. But compared to the Holy Maiden, the hidden master behind all this is far more important.
When I first entered the Eastern Wilderness there was no array. Now, as I try to leave, the formation appears… They already knew I would come here. This is a trap!"
The thought made cold sweat stream down his back.
"Who in this world could wield such power? Who have I offended?"
But Mo Rui's dread never reached Yao Ranran's peaceful world.
She was curled comfortably, sipping fragrant spirit tea, smiling as she admired the scenery.
"Ever since the little black dog arrived, Gu Ling Mountain has become so much more beautiful."
"Right, Boss, you're amazing! This fruit is tasty too, Boss, have a bite!"
Xiao Rong fawningly offered her a spirit fruit.
Yao Ranran bit into it, the sweet juice bursting instantly in her mouth. She swallowed with a satisfied sigh.
"Delicious. Where did these spirit fruits come from? The flesh is even better than the one I ate yesterday."
Xiao Rong gulped down his own fruit without chewing. "I think Qin Louzhu sent people from the Central Domain to pick them. She said cultivators there were too scared by the Spirit Realm invaders to even leave their houses. Only one shop from Suohong Tower is still open!"
Yao Ranran clicked her tongue. "If their shop alone is open, doesn't that make it too conspicuous?"
"Those are all Qin Louzhu's problems, Boss. You don't need to worry!"
Xiao Rong cheerfully rolled another basket of spirit fruits his way, eating with even greater gusto.
In his mind, "If anyone dared cause trouble for Qin Louzhu, Boss could just kill them. Kill one or two, and the rest would fall in line."
But Yao Ranran had no idea his thoughts were that bloody.
She chewed her fruit, crossed her legs, and gazed lazily up at the sky.
"Someone seems to be striking at my grand formation, but he's far too weak. This kind of attack doesn't even amount to a drizzle."
Xiao Rong roared with laughter. "Which blind fool would dare?"
That blind fool had no idea every move of his was already clear as day.
Mo Rui's temples throbbed, veins bulging across his arms as he glared at the unchanging formation wall in front of him. His fury boiled over.
"Forget it! I won't break you today.
But this message must be spread. The disappearance of the Nan siblings is far too strange. Their clan must be told to investigate. Hopefully, they weren't seized by whoever lurks behind the Eastern Wilderness."
The thought made his unease grow heavier, as though something dire was about to descend.
"The message must go out!"
Fixing his gaze on the formation, he pressed both palms into the earth. Red threads of blood seeped from him, winding deep into the ground.
Longyin Village.
With a flash of white light, Qin Lüsha stepped out of the teleportation array.
Her face shone with joy as she rushed straight toward Gu Ling Mountain.
"Ran Ran Xiānzhǔ, several of the elders supporting Ye Nantian in the Central Domain have all fallen. The Ye clan's situation is now dire. We no longer need to wait for them to deliver the goods. We can seize them directly!"
Yao Ranran blinked in surprise. "So Ye Nantian is no longer the young clan lord? He's worthless now?"
"Yes. He's a cripple now. No one cares if he lives or dies."
Qin Lüsha spoke with absolute certainty.
Yao Ranran once more sensed how treacherous the Central Domain was becoming.
"Then keeping him serves no purpose. He only wastes food. We may as well drag him along to find the Ye clan's treasure vault."
Qin Lüsha laughed. "That was exactly my thought. If he refuses, killing him is no problem."
But Yao Ranran shook her head. "Slaughtering too heavily is not good."
Qin Lüsha froze. "Then… we release him?"
"Mhm. A good deed for the day. His cultivation is abolished, so we only need to break his legs and let him leave."
Yao Ranran's words were calm and unshaken.
But Qin Lüsha felt a chill rise from her soles to her scalp.
Was this truly considered a good deed?
A cultivator unable to cultivate, crippled in both legs—if he was not killed outright, he would surely take his own life. Still, she dared not refute Yao Ranran and immediately nodded obediently.
Yao Ranran didn't bother to watch her depart. She simply ate the spirit fruits Xiao Rong handed her.
Moments later, the broken figure of Ye Nantian staggered before her, his eyes hollow.
"You've been told everything. Have you decided what to do?"
Ye Nantian raised his empty gaze. "This… this isn't real…"
Qin Lüsha's voice was cold and merciless. "The facts are laid before you. How can it not be real? Do you want to go to the Central Domain yourself and see how your clansmen were slaughtered by the Spirit Realm cultivators?"
===
太师椅 (Tàishī yǐ) is a classic, ornate Chinese wooden armchair with a high back and often elaborately carved designs. Historically, it was associated with high-ranking officials or scholars (hence the name "Grand Tutor's chair"). It symbolizes status, elegance, and traditional craftsmanship.
Key Features:
Solid wood construction (e.g., rosewood, mahogany).
High backrest for support.
Armrests and often curved designs.
Typically used for relaxation or receiving guests in formal settings.