373: Chapter 373 The "Old Friends" of the Yunyan Sect

The mountain gate of the Yunyan Sect was imposing, with ancient stone steps winding upwards, disappearing into the mist-shrouded peaks.

The scene before her overlapped with Yue Xinxi's long-sealed memories, evoking countless bitter memories of the past.

The gatekeepers were two young Disciples. Seeing that Ling Hao and his two companions possessed an extraordinary bearing—especially the man in the lead, whose aura was as deep and vast as the ocean—they dared not be negligent and bowed respectfully.

"May I ask what business brings the three Seniors to our Yunyan Sect?"

Yue Xinxi's lips moved, and just as she was about to speak, a sharp, piercing female voice suddenly rang out, shattering the tranquility before the mountain gate.

"Oh! Who do I see? Isn't this Junior Sister Yue, that 'Jinx' who cursed her parents to death and made the whole Sect restless back in the day? What's the matter? Couldn't make it out there, so you've come crawling back with your tail between your legs?"

A middle-aged female Cultivator wearing the attire of an Inner Sect official with a mean-spirited face walked out from the side gate. With her arms crossed, she glanced askance at Yue Xinxi, her face full of disdain and schadenfreude.

Zhou Cuie stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over Yue Xinxi. She passed over her cold, stunningly beautiful face, surprised by the unique allure that seemed to have become more pronounced after years of tempering.

A flash of jealousy crossed her eyes, and she clicked her tongue twice, saying sarcastically:

"Tsk, you've grown into something resembling a human, haven't you? What a pity, a Jinx is a Jinx. No matter how good your skin is, it can't change the bad luck in your bones! What's wrong? Didn't you manage to curse yourself to death out there too?"

Yue Xinxi's eyes turned cold as she looked at Zhou Cuie coldly:

"Senior Sister Zhou, all these years have passed, and that foul mouth of yours hasn't changed a bit. I still haven't settled the score with you for stealing Senior Sister Li's Green Jade Pill and framing me for it back then. What, did you think that because I died, this dirty deed would rot in the ground?"

Zhou Cuie's face instantly flushed red like a pig's liver. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she shrieked:

"Bullshit! You jinx, how dare you spout blood and slander me? Gatekeepers! Are you blind? Why haven't you kicked this bringer of misfortune out yet?!"

The gatekeeping Disciples looked at each other, their hearts filled with bitterness.

Although they didn't know Yue Xinxi, they had heard of her. The nickname "Yue the Unlucky" was widely circulated among the Inner Sect Disciples.

After she had been missing for hundreds of years, even the Outer Sect Disciples knew this name.

They remembered that back then she was at least at the Soul Transformation Stage; how could the two of them, who were only at the Golden Core stage, possibly deal with her?

The two stood rooted to the spot, cold sweat pouring down, not daring to move.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Seeing that the two did not move, Zhou Cuie understood. She cursed in shame and anger, her Soul Transformation Stage spiritual power surging around her,

"It seems I have to clean up the Sect myself!"

She was about to pounce, but Yue Xinxi didn't even glance at her, merely tilting her head slightly to look at Ling Hao beside her.

Ling Hao had a faint smile on his lips, nodding slightly with a gentle gaze as he said:

"Follow your heart; do as you please, even if you want to overturn this Sect. I am behind you."

Having received this promise, Yue Xinxi had no more reservations. She casually waved her sleeve backhanded.

A terrifying, irresistible force erupted instantly.

Zhou Cuie felt as if she had been hit head-on by an invisible giant mountain. Her whole body flew backward like a kite with broken strings, and with a loud "bang," she slammed heavily into the hard stone pillar of the mountain gate.

Stone debris flew everywhere. She vomited blood, collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with extreme fear and disbelief.

"You... you... Body Integration Stage?!"

Zhou Cuie's voice was hoarse and broken, as if she had seen a ghost.

The Disciples who had already been alerted by the commotion were instantly in an uproar, gathering from afar and looking at this scene in shock.

Yue Xinxi then slowly turned around, looking down from a high position at Zhou Cuie, who was like a pile of mud, a cold arc curling on her lips:

"So many years have passed, Senior Sister Zhou. Why is your cultivation still stuck at the Soul Transformation Stage? Really... you haven't made any progress at all."

"You... why... pfft..."

Zhou Cuie spat out another mouthful of blood. She felt that her Dantian had been completely shattered, and she would likely never be able to Cultivate again in this life.

She couldn't understand why this "Jinx" in her eyes had gone from Soul Transformation to Body Integration in just over a thousand years.

Back during the Sect assessment, she had lower-grade profound Aptitude, even lower than her own!

Zhou Cuie was going crazy!

Why?! Why?! Why?!

A trace of surprise flashed in Yue Xinxi's eyes; this strike hadn't killed her. It seemed her Senior Sister Zhou hadn't spent these years idly after all. A cold light flashed in her eyes, and she seemed to want to deliver another blow.

"Who is so bold as to commit violence and injure my people at the mountain gate of my Yunyan Sect?!"

A cold shout filled with anger exploded like thunder.

Several streams of light arrived in an instant. In the lead was a young man wearing a luxurious brocade robe, with an arrogant expression between his brows.

Behind him followed several old men with profound auras, one at the Void Refinement Stage, two at the Body Integration Stage.

Zhou Cuie, as if she had seen a savior, struggled and wailed:

"Saint! Saint, you must uphold justice for this Disciple! It's that traitor Yue Xinxi! She betrayed the Sect back then, and now, having had some stroke of blind luck to reach the Body Integration Stage, she has returned and is wantonly injuring Disciples! I beg the Saint to punish her severely!"

Accusing someone by first pinning a "betrayal" label on them—so practiced, she probably didn't know how many times she had used it.

The Saint is here; let's see you die!

Zhou Cuie roared madly in her heart with resentment.

Zhou Yuanlang's gaze was like lightning as he swept toward Yue Xinxi.

When he saw Yue Xinxi's appearance and figure, the anger in his eyes was instantly replaced by awe and greed.

The woman before him was stunningly beautiful with a cold and elegant temperament.

That unspeakable, enchanting allure (the mature charm after being thoroughly developed by Ling Hao) was something he had only seen once in his life.

And the woman next to her, with her pure yet charming demeanor, was also a top-tier beauty.

His heart warmed, and most of his original anger instantly dissipated.

A wave of jealousy surged in his heart; these two flowers clearly already had owners and had been watered to such a delicate and vibrant state.

Shifting his gaze slightly, Zhou Yuanlang noticed the dashing man next to the two women.

The object of his jealousy was found; it must be this damn man!

He admitted he was more handsome than himself, but so what?

The Yunyan Sect was his turf; wasn't it up to him to decide?

As for whether he might kick an iron plate or something, a Mahayana Supreme? How could he be so lucky?

And he knew all the famous Cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage in Baiyan Prefecture. As long as it wasn't the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, what was there to fear?

Today he was going to play the homewrecker!

He raised his hand to stop the Elder behind him who was about to step forward to make an arrest, replaced his expression with a smile he thought was gentle and refined, took a step forward, and bowed to Yue Xinxi:

"So it is Junior Sister Yue! It has been many years, and Junior Sister's grace is even better than before; it is truly admirable. The matters of the past were surely just some misunderstandings. If Junior Sister doesn't mind, why not stay in the Sect and join my Saint Peak?"

"As long as Junior Sister Yue nods, I, this Saint, will take charge and write off today's matters, along with all past grievances! In the future, there will be a place for you at Saint Peak."

He turned to Xia Yingying, his gaze burning.

"Of course, as for you, young lady, the Yunyan Sect welcomes you too!"

His words carried a sense of superiority as if he were bestowing a favor, and he stared burning at Yue Xinxi and the other woman, the implication obvious.

Once these words were spoken, the many watching Disciples, especially the female Cultivators, revealed looks of either envy or jealousy.

To be personally recruited by the Saint to join Saint Peak and face the Saint every day was, in their view, a huge blessing!

Yue Xinxi glanced at Zhou Yuanlang with a cold expression.

"Saint! You... how could you do this?!"

A sharp female voice filled with thick jealousy suddenly rang out.