Chapter 1570: Is My Painted Brow in Fashion

The two of them were already standing very close, shoulder to shoulder. Seeing Li Yan’s somewhat embarrassed expression, Mu Guyue suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around his waist. Li Yan’s heart instantly tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to retreat, but Mu Guyue’s devastatingly beautiful face was already moving closer.

Li Yan immediately realized a certain possibility, and in his brief moment of hesitation, her hot, crimson lips pressed against his.

Boom!

At that moment, Li Yan’s entire being felt as if it had caught fire. The un-metabolized intoxication from the wine instantly rushed to the crown of his head. Mu Guyue’s cheeks, in turn, were flushed as if she had drunk too much Nu’er Hong wine, and her phoenix eyes were closed. Subsequently, Li Yan felt his mouth fill with saliva as a hot, fragrant tongue darted in…

Li Yan’s entire body froze on the spot, his mind filled with countless unknowns and a dizzying vertigo. ‘De… Demoness!’ And then, Li Yan was lost.

He was no so-called gentleman of integrity; he too had passions and desires. And as a body cultivator, his desires were actually even stronger, it was just that he was usually more rational. His relationship with Mu Guyue had always been something Li Yan didn’t know how to handle, especially after learning that she had borne him a son. As someone who had grown up in a small mountain village, the imperative to carry on the family line was deeply ingrained in Li Yan’s bones.

It was precisely because of this that Li Yan, after learning the truth, was even more at a loss as to what to say each time he faced Mu Guyue. He was afraid that a single word from him might be perceived as an insult by the extremely proud Mu Guyue, so he tried his best to help her break through. This was a form of compensation from him. In reality, regarding what happened in the underwater Cave Residence that time, Li Yan was the one who had been implicated. But to have him simply take advantage and walk away, he found it very difficult to do.

However, due to the existence of Zhao Min and Gong Chenying, Li Yan didn’t dare to truly face Mu Guyue, trying to maintain his distance from her each time. But his repeated assistance, from her most desolate moments to her gradually improving circumstances, and finally even walking out of the “Earth-True Domain”… And then, Li Yan had taken out a supreme treasure like the Great Nothingness Fruit. This had long since caused a fundamental shift in Mu Guyue’s feelings for him.

Especially at the moment she successfully reached Spirit Transformation, she had seen Li Yan, also acting as her Dharma protector. The Demon Clan was the Demon Clan; love and hate were often two extremes. So, once Mu Guyue’s feelings were stirred, she would not suppress them but let her inner thoughts emerge. What she wanted to do, she would not consider anything else.

Mu Guyue went from initial shyness to becoming more and more like fire, like a demon. The intoxication of the immortal wine also caused the two of them to gradually lose themselves. Li Yan only remembered being entwined by two long legs. The string in his heart, in its hesitation, had already snapped. All that remained was a familiar, repeated descent into oblivion… And each time, it was that flushed, slightly drunk, nation-toppling face that took the lead, venting the accumulated primal desires of her heart…

An unknown amount of time passed. Amidst the disarray on the floor, upon the spread-out clothes, a perfect, demonic body was curled up on Li Yan’s strong chest. Her long, perfect limbs were stretched out, her cloud-like black hair fanned out like a waterfall. Li Yan’s heavy breathing also gradually calmed down. The intoxication in their meridians also dissipated from their bodies. Mu Guyue’s beautiful face was flushed, and she lay on Li Yan’s chest.

Li Yan’s mind also slowly returned to normal from a state of intense heat. Li Yan felt the person lying on him, her heart still beating rapidly and her body still hot. But neither of them spoke. There was only a long silence.

“I… I also have a Dao companion in the lower realm!” Li Yan’s voice was strange.

“Mm!” Mu Guyue, with her black hair fanned out, concealing most of her face, and one delicate ear pressed against Li Yan’s chest, just let out a soft hum. After that, the two of them fell into silence once again. Li Yan didn’t know what else he should say. Time seemed to slow down, marked only by the sound of their breathing…

Suddenly, Li Yan felt a coolness on his chest, followed by a light, tingling itch. Mu Guyue had lifted her head, and the tips of her long hair still brushed against his chest. Her pair of gorgeous phoenix eyes looked at Li Yan. “You don’t need to worry about anything. I will not have any Dao companion in this life. You are just the father of that accident, Mu Sha!”

As she spoke, she stood up. It was a picture of a peerlessly beautiful demon goddess. However, after a moment of stupor, a complex expression appeared on Li Yan’s face. Between him and Mu Guyue, it was definitely an accident. And then came another accident, and the Immortal Spirit Realm was an accident within an accident… This reminded him of the oath he had once made to Zhao Min and Gong Chenying. But clearly, the appearance of Mu Sha had already created a breach in that oath.

If Li Yan were to abandon Mu Sha and Mu Guyue for the sake of his oath, from his own heart, he would also find it unacceptable. If there were no Mu Sha, then after he had rescued Mu Guyue, their past would have become just that—past events, like dust. They would owe each other nothing, and if they met again, they would be strangers…

“I… after I leave the Northern Pastoral Realm, I will return to the Black Demon Clan. A Dao companion, to me, is just a fetter…” Mu Guyue raised a hand, and as her crimson lips parted slightly, the scattered robes on the floor flew up and draped over her body. She was of the Demon Clan. What her heart desired, she would do. Too many fetters would become her shackles. Her emotions ended here.

Li Yan’s expression froze as he looked at the loneliness and pride emanating from Mu Guyue!

Li Yan suddenly sat up and, with a single motion, grabbed her long arm. With a forceful pull, he once again pulled Mu Guyue into his embrace. Then, facing her somewhat astonished beautiful face, he kissed her. And Mu Guyue’s robes, once again, slid down her silk-like skin, her curves breathtaking…

Four months later, someone from the Pure Yang Hall arrived at the Broken Army Sect. The visitors were Chongyangzi and a youth with a demonic and handsome appearance. Both were Void Refining Realm elders of the Pure Yang Hall, personally delivering the content of the assessment that would take place in over a year. At the same time, they would conduct a final evaluation of the qualifying conditions of the sects being assessed.

For two Void Refining cultivators to come at once was enough to show the importance the Pure Yang Hall placed on the promotion of its subordinate sects. Soon, Shangguan Tianque and the others also learned that the demonic-looking youth was surnamed Zhou. It was said that the situation with the Bright Flame Sect was the same; two Void Refining Realm elders had also gone there.

Chongyangzi and the other had come to personally verify, face-to-face, the Spirit Transformation cultivators who would be participating in the assessment. After all, Chongyangzi had vouched for them last time. And for promotion to a third-rate sect, Spirit Transformation cultivators were the most core condition. That Chongyangzi could come to the Broken Army Sect’s side was clearly an intentional act on his part.

The two were quickly welcomed into the Broken Army Sect’s council hall. Inside the hall, besides Chongyangzi and the other, only the four Spirit Transformation cultivators—Shangguan Tianque and his group—remained. Even Yu Banjiang and the two Guest Elders were not qualified to enter and listen.

When they learned that Mu Guyue would also be participating in this assessment, neither Chongyangzi nor the demonic youth felt the slightest surprise. After all, they had come precisely because they feared that the Broken Army Sect might have invited additional Guest Elders in these years to prepare for the promotion. This was all within their expectations.

As for Mu Guyue being able to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm in just a few short years, Chongyangzi was not too surprised. To be honest, in the Immortal Spirit Realm, advancing from Nascent Soul to Spirit Transformation, though still not easy, was in no way comparable to the difficulty in the lower realm. The last time he saw Mu Guyue, he had already seen that her cultivation had reached the peak of the Late-stage Nascent Soul, and her tribulation could come at any time.

Afterward, the assessment and evaluation of Mu Guyue was also quite fast. This was precisely because of Chongyangzi’s involvement. Mu Guyue’s relationship with Ting Lan was enough for him to draw a conclusion for her. What’s more, this woman, Mu Guyue, had also been brought into the Broken Army Sect by Li Yan, so the whole process was very smooth.

The demonic-looking youth could also see Chongyangzi’s attitude; he seemed to be partial to the few Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Broken Army Sect. He was already a cunning old fox, so he naturally went along with Chongyangzi’s wishes. In any case, if something went wrong, with Chongyangzi’s word given first, he wouldn’t have to bear the responsibility.

After Mu Guyue’s evaluation was confirmed to be without issue, they immediately began to discuss the content of this assessment. “This time, the assessment for your two sects will have two stages. If you do not pass the first stage, the entire assessment will end, meaning the assessment has failed, and there is no need to proceed to the second stage. If you wish to apply for sect promotion again, you will have to wait five hundred years. This is also to prevent various sects from becoming impatient and eager for quick success after failure. Five hundred years, for cultivators like us, is not really anything. It’s just a few long seclusions, or one. It’s also a process for a sect to properly accumulate its foundation.”

This time, it was the demonic-looking youth who spoke. His voice gave people a feeling of being ethereal and untraceable. When he said this, he swept his gaze over the four people below. The four of them naturally listened respectfully without making a sound. He was very satisfied with this and then continued.

“For the first stage of the assessment this time, after consideration, we have decided to have the Blood Lantern Sect guard the pass, and your two sects will break through it together. The reason is simple. You are subordinate to the Blood Lantern Sect. Now that you want to be promoted, you are separating from their sphere of influence. Naturally, you must give them an explanation. So, let them guard the pass. After you successfully break through, they will naturally acknowledge it and have nothing more to say. The Bright Flame Sect was originally under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Subduing Manor. Now, it has no direct superior sect, so it will also be guarded by the Blood Lantern Sect. This way, the difficulty of breaking through for you and the Bright Flame Sect is the same, so neither of you will have anything to say. Do you understand this explanation?” After the demonic-looking youth finished speaking, his pair of long, narrow eyes swept over the four people below.

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Tianque and the others all exchanged glances. Then, hesitation appeared on the faces of Shangguan Tianque and Ren Yanyu, while Li Yan seemed to have fallen into thought. Mu Guyue, on the other hand, remained calm, as if nothing concerned her. And indeed, that was the case. She didn’t have too many worries. To put it bluntly, her acting on behalf of the Broken Army Sect was, of course, because of Li Yan, and also to repay Shangguan Tianque and the other for protecting her during her advancement. So, no matter who the enemy was, it made no difference to Mu Guyue. When she needed to act, she would fight with all her might.

But it was different for Shangguan Tianque and the others. They had originally thought that this first stage would be assessed by the Pure Yang Hall, but they had not expected it to be the Blood Lantern Sect instead. To be honest, ever since the news of their promotion had spread, the Blood Lantern Sect’s attitude towards the Broken Army Sect these past few years had not been as good as before, and they had already shown their dissatisfaction. This was actually understandable. But dissatisfaction was one thing. Right now, the Broken Army Sect was in the spotlight, and the Pure Yang Hall was also paying close attention. The Blood Lantern Sect wouldn’t be foolish enough to openly suppress them at this time. But it was a fact that they were dissatisfied with the Broken Army Sect. So, they would definitely make things difficult for them during the assessment!

“Senior, why can’t the Seven Tigers Alliance do it? That way, perhaps they would treat our two sects more impartially,” Shangguan Tianque asked, voicing his concerns after some hesitation.

“Hehehe… in fact, if the Seven Tigers Alliance were to act, the assessment would indeed be different. To be more frank, the Seven Tigers Alliance would be more than happy to see the Blood Lantern Sect’s power be dispersed! But what we want are strong generals, not just going through the motions. Having the Blood Lantern Sect guard the pass, although it will be stricter on you, the content of their defense must also be approved by at least half of all the elders of our Pure Yang Hall before it is permitted. Therefore, you actually don’t need to worry too much. Although they will target you, we will certainly also consider the difficulty of your chances of passing. Besides, it is precisely because we were afraid you would worry that we did not let the Seven Tigers Alliance assess the Bright Flame Sect. Instead, we are having the Bright Flame Sect undergo the exact same assessment by the Blood Lantern Sect as you.” The demonic-looking youth chuckled lightly and gave Shangguan Tianque an explanation.