25: Chapter 25 Asking for Clarity

After speaking, Palace Master Li Huainan's figure vanished from where he stood, leaving Fairy Meng and the other two to look at each other in dismay.

Eventually, the two of them cupped their hands in salute and departed, leaving only Leng Yanshuang standing silently in place, saying nothing.

It was only after everyone had left that she spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed heavily to the ground.

[Ding-dong, temporary mission issued: Rescue the severely injured Leng Yanshuang outside the city. Reward: Upgrade the demon-slaying blade.]

Several days later.

Death Fishing Village, inside the divine blood pool.

Leng Yanshuang, who had been on the verge of death with only a thread of life remaining, had essentially recovered from her injuries after soaking in the divine blood pool for three days, and even showed faint signs of a breakthrough.

Beside the divine blood pool, watching Leng Yanshuang with her eyes tightly shut, her beautiful face stunningly gorgeous, Kang Dalei was uncharacteristically serious for once.

"The divine blood pool may assist cultivators in forging their path as a Divine Venerable, but whether you can use this to break through to the Undying Realm depends on your own fortune."

"As for Palace Master Li Huainan, don't worry, this matter cannot just end like this."

Kang Dalei thought to himself with a sinister glint in his eyes.

He had originally felt quite embarrassed about ransacking Yuyang Palace, but now that he saw how badly Leng Yanshuang had been beaten, that shred of embarrassment was completely gone.

However, since Palace Master Li Huainan was a Great Sun Realm Divine Venerable, he would need help if he wanted to mess with him.

After much deliberation, Kang Dalei eventually settled on the Divine Venerable from the Yun Family in Dongning Prefecture, Commander Yun Wanhai.

An old man whose lifespan was nearing its end must surely want to keep living.

If Palace Master Li Huainan, this Great Sun Realm cultivator, were to die, and another Great Sun Realm cultivator were to take over as the manager of Dongning Prefecture, that didn't seem like a problem at all.

However, all of these prerequisites would have to wait until Leng Yanshuang woke up.

Outside Death Fishing Village, the arrival of three riders on fast horses made this originally thorny matter seem much more straightforward.

"Kang Dalei, you bastard!"

Upon meeting, Ruan Mi, dressed in a delinquent style with a short skirt, high boots, a long braid, and a black mesh vest, immediately began berating Kang Dalei, who looked surprised with a cheeky smirk on his face.

The reason was simple: if it weren't for this bastard, how could she have been required by Prefect Leng Feng of Xining Prefecture to enter the East-West Joint Demon Slaying Competition?

That's right, Palace Master Li Huainan of Dongning Prefecture had agreed.

He even dispatched Qingfeng to deliver an imperial decree to Dongning Prefecture, where both Palace Master Li Huainan and Prefect Leng Feng dripped a drop of their blood onto it, sealing the contract.

For the East-West Joint Demon Slaying Competition, both sides would have thirty quotas each, totaling sixty people who could enter Yuyang Grotto-Heaven, and the two individuals with the most demon-slaying points at the end would become the dual champions.

But the only restriction was that only those below the Divine Venerable level could enter, and yet, Leng Yanshuang's name had been crossed off.

"It seems Palace Master Li Huainan has started to fear Leng Yanshuang."

Holding the decree in one hand and pinning down the resisting Ruan Mi, who was waving her hands and trying to hit him, Kang Dalei's expression was not very pleasant.

Without Leng Yanshuang, how was he supposed to deal with that Spider Demon King?

Ruan Mi, despite her long period of cultivation, had been subdued by Kang Dalei in a single move, and she felt as if the sky had collapsed.

"You bastard, did you cheat behind my back again? Why, why can I still not beat you?"

"Are you an idiot? I'm at the fifth stage of Body Tempering, and you're at the fourth. Isn't it normal that you can't beat me?"

After Kang Dalei said this, Ruan Mi seemed to fully realize it, widening her eyes as she said:

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that? I'm only at the fourth stage of Body Tempering, and you're already at the fifth. Isn't it normal that I can't beat you?"

"You idiot!"

Releasing Ruan Mi, Kang Dalei shook his head speechlessly.

But the moment he let go of Ruan Mi, his foot was stomped on hard.

Ruan Mi tilted her head up and snorted coldly:

"Next time, remember to say it sooner."

Walking out of the divine blood pool, Ruan Mi came to the edge of the Death Fishing Village pool, remembering what wonderful uses this pool had.

Thus, she quickly took off her shoes, socks, and coat, revealing a pair of fair, small feet, and without much hesitation, dived straight into the pool.

As she entered, the black water in the pool began to wrap around her body, and before long, Ruan Mi quietly sank to the bottom of the pool.

At this moment, at the bottom of the pool, countless streams of black water, as if possessing life, kept winding around and striking her slender body.

Using black water to temper the body was much faster, fiercer, more intense, and more complete than the slow, grinding effort on land.

The black water not only tempered the body but could also cleanse the meridians and marrow, consolidate the physical body, and strengthen the primordial spirit.

First day: middle stage of Body Tempering level four.

Second day: late stage of Body Tempering level four.

Third day: Body Tempering level five.

Almost at the same time, Ruan Mi and Leng Yanshuang opened their eyes in the fishing pool and the divine blood pool, respectively.

Ruan Mi breaking through to the fifth stage of Body Tempering in three days was truly lightning fast.

But compared to Leng Yanshuang, it was like a minor wizard meeting a major one.

At this moment, Leng Yanshuang's aura was completely no weaker than Fairy Meng and Commander Yun Wanhai at that time, and the vitality within her body was even several levels stronger than theirs.

Leng Yanshuang was at the peak of the Danyun Realm, just one step, one small step away from breaking through Danyun and entering the Undying Realm.

"Husband."

"You're awake." Kang Dalei smiled.

Although Leng Yanshuang had not broken through to the Undying Realm, relying on her own talent and strength, most people in the Undying Realm would not be her match; it could be said she was already very strong.

While she was getting dressed, Kang Dalei told her about the situation in Dongning Prefecture.

Upon hearing that Palace Master Li Huainan had actually crossed off her name and added a temporary restriction that no one above the Divine Venerable level could enter, Leng Yanshuang's reaction was almost the same as Kang Dalei's.

"If I can't enter, then how can I become the dual champion with Husband?"

Leng Yanshuang was displeased and, as she spoke, was about to go find trouble with Palace Master Li Huainan.

Previously, she hadn't feared him even at the Danyun Realm, and now that her strength had improved further, she naturally feared Palace Master Li Huainan even less.

However, just as Leng Yanshuang was about to go find trouble with Palace Master Li Huainan, the people from the Heavenly Demon Sect had already received the news and arranged everything.

As for why Palace Master Li Huainan would not let Leng Yanshuang enter the secret realm, it was not because he feared her, but because he was afraid that she would die inside.

In the human camp, the number of Divine Venerables was too small, and he didn't want to sacrifice one, especially a Divine Venerable capable of rivaling those in the Undying Realm, just to draw out the Heavenly Demon Sect.

As for the others—the commoners and geniuses—they were not within the scope of his considerations.

In the eyes of someone like Palace Master Li Huainan, a city full of geniuses could not compare to a single Divine Venerable.

Although it was cruel, this was the reality of the Cangyuan World.

In fact, there was another more important consideration: Palace Master Li Huainan feared the retaliation of the Divine Venerable from Xining Prefecture even more.

If Leng Yanshuang were to die in his plan to scheme against the demon race, not to mention how he would get past Yuanchu Mountain, the retaliation from the Divine Venerable of Xining Prefecture alone was something Palace Master Li Huainan could not bear.

However, even so, if there were no geniuses left, the human race's future defensive power would be even weaker.

It was a case of draining the pond to catch the fish.

"Husband, let me go find Palace Master Li Huainan and ask for clarity."

Seeing that Kang Dalei was not speaking, Leng Yanshuang said with a pout.

Why did she propose holding the East-West Joint Demon Slaying Competition? Wasn't it just so she could become the dual champion of the East-West Joint Demon Slaying Competition with Kang Dalei?

Now that Palace Master Li Huainan had actually excluded her, what was the point of continuing this East-West Joint Demon Slaying Competition?

Seeing that Leng Yanshuang was angry, Kang Dalei also looked displeased.

If he had a Divine Venerable like Leng Yanshuang with him, his speed in entering the secret realm to slay demons would certainly be several times faster than if he went in alone.

Furthermore, in that Yuyang Grotto-Heaven, even that three-stage Demon King Li Xiaoxiao could enter at any time; if he discovered that he had slaughtered the Spider Demon Queen, it was hard to say whether he would go crazy and kill him.