Chapter 91: Chapter 91: The Two Beauties Meet

After the meal.

Fang Cheng returned to the Dragon Spine Archipelago alone. He continued to watch over the Vajra Gu Pit, preparing to refine a Tier Two Vajra Gu in one go.

Now that his Nameless Gu Technique had reached major completion, he was confident the result would not be too bad.

Ye Yan, on the other hand, went to meet someone.

As for who she was meeting, the husband and wife had a tacit understanding.

...

Cangshan Pavilion of the Ye Family.

In an elegant, antique-styled room, Ye Yan sat alone, savoring her tea.

Before long, the Shopkeeper’s voice sounded from outside the door. "Miss, the guest has arrived."

Ye Yan set down her teacup and smiled. "Please, show her in."

The door to the elegant room slowly opened, and a beautiful young woman with a graceful face and a dignified air walked in.

Her skin was fair and delicate, and her figure was stunning. Upon seeing her, Ye Yan couldn’t help but offer a silent word of praise in her heart. ’She really is a top-tier beauty.’

’My husband’s taste... isn’t half bad.’

"Fellow Daoist Ye."

After entering, Wen Qianqian gave a graceful curtsy, bowing in salute to Ye Yan.

Ye Yan smiled sweetly. "Please, sit, Sister."

Wen Qianqian returned the smile and sat down opposite Ye Yan.

Both women were as beautiful as flowers, and sitting together, they seemed to be vying for splendor.

Ye Yan poured a cup of tea for Wen Qianqian and said, "I hope you can forgive me for taking the liberty of inviting you here, Sister."

Wen Qianqian replied in a soft voice, "Fellow Daoist Ye, you’re too kind. If not for your secret assistance, this one would have already fallen prey to the three Honored Guest Elders of my shop. My situation would be precarious."

Ye Yan said coolly, "Since my husband has agreed to take you as a concubine, it is only natural for me to help ease his burdens and handle these trivial matters for him."

Wen Qianqian thanked her again.

If she hadn’t used Fang Cheng’s name a few days ago to thwart the schemes of Li Yan Nian and the shop’s Honored Guest Elders, she likely would have lost both her wealth and her life, becoming Li Yan Nian’s caged bird.

In the Cultivation Realm, with the exception of a few exceptionally talented Female Cultivators, the common perception among Cultivators was that men were trees, and women were the vines that clung to them.

If a vine chose the right tree, it could flourish as well.

But if it chose wrong, it would only be consumed and exploited, ultimately withering away prematurely.

Fang Cheng was, without a doubt, an ideal tree.

The two fell silent for a moment, each drinking their tea.

Ye Yan spoke again. "Since I was young, I’ve had a fondness for the study of fate. I have some small understanding of complex divination and physiognomy. The day I first met my husband, I had a premonition that his future was limitless. This matter is mysterious and profound, and utterly without proof, so I have never mentioned it to anyone."

Wen Qianqian looked with her beautiful eyes at this Female Cultivator from a great family, who was five or six years younger than her. She did not sense the cold, proud arrogance one might expect, but rather an air of detached, free-spirited wisdom.

"It is Fellow Daoist Fang’s good fortune to have married you," Wen Qianqian offered as a compliment.

Ye Yan let out a light laugh, seeming to appreciate the sentiment.

Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she stared at Wen Qianqian. "I wanted to meet you today for two reasons. First, to see if your beauty is worthy of my husband. And second, to ask you: if you join my husband, what value can you bring him?"

"If you cannot convince me, then even if you manage to enter the Fang Family in the future, I will sweep you out the door."

Her voice was crisp and melodious, light and pleasant to the ear, but her words were utterly blunt. This direct, straight-to-the-point approach caught Wen Qianqian completely off guard.

A Loose Cultivator like Wen Qianqian always had to consider social nuances and conduct herself with tact and caution. She had never encountered anyone as direct as Ye Yan.

Wen Qianqian bit her red lip, pondered for a moment, and then said with a serious expression, "Though this one comes from a humble background, I am not a useless person."

"This one is already a Tier One High-grade Array Master. If I can continue my studies, I will advance to Tier Two within ten years."

She looked at Ye Yan confidently and said, "Across the entire Abyssal Marsh, you can count the number of Tier Two Array Masters on two hands."

Ye Yan nodded, then said, "That alone is not enough."

Wen Qianqian gave a gentle smile and added, "What about the Tier Two Array Master inheritance and the Marketplace Shop left to me by my father, offered as this one’s dowry?"

Ye Yan said, "Still not enough."

Wen Qianqian frowned slightly. ’This primary wife is truly difficult to deal with,’ she thought.

She pondered for a moment before saying, "This one possesses a Dual Cultivation Secret Method. If I focus on assisting Fellow Daoist Fang with his cultivation, I can, at a minimum, more than double the size of his Qi Sea..."

Hearing this, Ye Yan’s elegant brows shot up. "There is such a Secret Technique?"

To double the size of one’s Qi Sea without changing one’s Cultivation Realm would be equivalent to having twice the Magical Power of a Cultivator at the same tier!

’Such a Dual Cultivation Secret Method actually exists in this world?’

Wen Qianqian nodded in confirmation and said just two words: "Life Soul-level."

Ye Yan looked at the charming young woman, half-believing, half-doubting.

’How could a Loose Cultivator possess such a top-tier Secret Technique?’

Wen Qianqian added, "Fellow Daoist Fang has this technique as well. You can ask him to verify its authenticity."

Upon hearing this, Ye Yan seemed to think of something. Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she did not press the matter further.

Wen Qianqian continued, "This one also has a condition. You and Fellow Daoist Fang must not interfere with this one’s freedom. This one still wishes to cultivate discreetly in the marketplace and live as a free Loose Cultivator."

Ye Yan agreed. "That can be arranged."

With that, the two beauties looked at each other and smiled.

...

Dragon Spine Archipelago, Outer Sect Cave Mansion.

Inside the stone chamber’s Gu Pit, five Vajra Gu were fighting fiercely, devouring one another.

Fang Cheng sat on the edge of the Gu Pit, activating his Gu technique to constantly stimulate the ferocity and instincts of the five Vajra Gu.

Before long, one Vajra Gu was defeated and jointly devoured by the other four.

After devouring their own kind, the auras of the four Vajra Gu grew deeper and more malevolent, and the golden light on their bodies became richer.

Next, Fang Cheng continued the refinement, making the four Gu Insects fight each other. The Gu Pit seemed to contain four dazzling golden threads, constantly tangling together and BUZZING.

Suddenly, one Vajra Gu was knocked away. It fell to the ground and was about to struggle back into the air when the other three pounced and bit down with their sharp mouthparts.

In the blink of an eye, the Vajra Gu was devoured by its three companions.

Then, without pausing, the remaining three Vajra Gu continued to fight.

Each Vajra Gu had fought its way out from among countless of its own kind, a king that had emerged victorious after devouring innumerable companions.

Now, they had to compete to crown a new king!

The loser would only become sustenance for the king.

「A short while later.」

Another Vajra Gu was defeated, leaving only two at the bottom of the pit.

The two Gu Insects faced off, head-to-head. The golden light on their bodies was as intense as a flame, and their auras fluctuated violently.

Fang Cheng focused his senses, observing them intently. A look of joy suddenly appeared on his face as he hurriedly changed his spell and cast a series of glowing Dharma Seals onto the two Gu Insects.

The two Gu Insects stopped fighting and fell dormant, lying motionless and embedded in the bottom of the pit.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The auras of the two Gu Insects suddenly surged, as if they had broken through some barrier, and they began to radiate a terrifying presence that would make one’s heart pound in fear.

The two Vajra Gu opened their scarlet eyes at the same time, vibrated their wings, and transformed into two streaks of golden light, smashing against the restrictive barrier of the Gu Pit!