543: Chapter 543 By What Right?

Saintess Yan Xueyuan still thought it was just the usual banter between sisters, so she slightly turned her head away, avoiding Yan Hongwei's hand: "Senior Sister Hongwei, don't joke around."

Yan Hongwei withdrew her hand, the smile on her face having completely vanished.

"I am not joking."

Her voice turned icy. "Tell me, why does the Holy Son treat you so well? Is it because your talent is high? But you cannot even learn the most basic Spell. Is it because you are beautiful? We all know clearly that His Highness the Holy Son likes men. Then why?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan frowned. She sensed that something was wrong.

The gentle, soft-spoken Senior Sister Hongwei of the past seemed like a different person before her now.

Gan Yiyi shrank her neck, not daring to let out a breath.

She could not understand at all how that approachable Senior Sister, who had always been on good terms with her mistress, had suddenly changed her face.

Yan Hongwei did not stop.

"The Old Ancestor's favoritism toward you is even more unreasonable. You are not even a member of the Yan Family—a 'bastard picked up' by my mother, yet you became a legitimate daughter, enjoying all the treatment of a legitimate daughter!"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan's pupils contracted sharply.

Seeing her reaction, a cold sneer appeared on the corner of Yan Hongwei's mouth: "Hit the mark, right? Three months ago, when I went to Mother's room to mourn her, I accidentally discovered a secret box containing the notes she left behind."

She paused, the coldness in her voice deepening a layer. "My mother passed away shortly after you became the Saintess. The notes she left behind—you are not of the Yan Family Bloodline."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan's eyes dimmed. There were few people in the Yan Family she could confide in, and after becoming the Golden Crow Saintess, those people either grew distant or died inexplicably.

She had vaguely suspected that their deaths were related to the Golden Crow Holy Son, intended to seal the secret she carried. And Senior Sister Hongwei—she had always believed Senior Sister Hongwei was different.

Yan Hongwei sneered: "Actually, I have been dissatisfied with you for a long time."

She stood up and looked down at Saintess Yan Xueyuan from a superior position.

"Your talent is mediocre, and you cannot even learn the simplest Spell, yet the Family's High-Grade Spirit Stones and Top-Grade Spirit Stones are sent to you like flowing water. Do you know that for your Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage, the Old Ancestor made the Family exhaust its resources to set up a blessed land for you—if those resources were given to me, I would have already reached Body Integration Perfection, and could even have glimpsed the threshold of Void Tempering!"

"The protective treasure in the Old Ancestor's hand, that trump card for saving one's life, was also given to you! And what about me? I, the eldest legitimate daughter, only deserve some inferior goods!"

"His Highness the Holy Son has also arranged so much for you, and even specifically established the position of Saintess for you! Why? On what basis?!"

"What is so special about you?!!!"

Yan Hongwei stared at her, the jealousy and hatred suppressed for many years surging in her eyes like a dark tide.

"It doesn't matter. Once I control you, I will know."

She formed seals with both hands, spiritual power surging at her fingertips—and then she froze.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan did not act as she had expected.

"How could this be..." Yan Hongwei's voice stiffened. "I clearly put a sufficient amount of Soul-Locking Gu and Soul-Severing Gu into both cups of tea earlier—how are you fine?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan looked at Yan Hongwei, the last bit of warmth in her eyes cooling completely. So, there was Gu hidden in that cup of tea just now. What a ruthless heart.

"Senior Sister Hongwei, I misjudged you. I didn't expect you to be this kind of person."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan got up and was about to leave: "Yan Hongwei, I will tell the Old Ancestor and the Holy Son about your actions. You had better behave yourself."

There was no help for it; although she and Yan Hongwei were in the same Realm, both at the Body Integration Stage, she did not know any Spells, and even with Gan Yiyi, she was no match for Yan Hongwei.

Gan Yiyi hurriedly followed behind her, head lowered, not daring to look.

"Leaving?" Yan Hongwei's voice came from behind. "Can you leave?"

She suddenly raised her hand, and blinding spiritual light suddenly lit up around the courtyard walls. Dense Formation patterns rose from the ground, gathering at the four corners into a pale golden light screen, shrouding the entire courtyard within it.

"Did you think I would let you leave?" Yan Hongwei's face was full of ferocity. Standing in the center of the Formation eye, she kept forming seals. "I spent a great deal of effort and resources to set up this Spirit-Locking Heaven-Trapping Formation. As long as you are not at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, don't even think about easily breaking this Formation!"

She brought her five fingers together, and a sharp crimson light struck directly at Saintess Yan Xueyuan's back.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan turned around abruptly, about to crush a token.

A pale golden circular protective shield appeared around her. The light was soft yet steady, firmly blocking that sharp attack outside, without even causing a ripple.

Yan Hongwei's face turned livid. She had chosen to use Gu insects to control her first precisely because she was afraid that Saintess Yan Xueyuan had too many protective items on her, but she had not expected the Gu insects to fail.

She gritted her teeth. "As expected, the Old Ancestor and the Holy Son treat you too well. They are even willing to give you such a protective treasure capable of resisting the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. But there is always a time limit—let's see how long you can hold on!"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan stood in the center of the shield, gazing at that layer of pale golden light, but a trace of bewilderment surfaced in her eyes.

She did indeed have life-saving items given by the Old Ancestor and the Holy Son on her, but those items required her to actively activate them with spiritual power. Yet, for that attack just now, she had done nothing.

There was only one answer.

"Could it be that you gave it?" She murmured, her voice so soft it was like talking to herself.

"That's right." A male voice with a smile fell from the gap in the Formation above. "This was originally intended to buy you time to use a Teleportation Talisman."