Chapter 260: Lu Xuanyin

The woman in the dark dress walked slowly into the mountain gorge, holding a sharp, long sword. As she passed, disciples respectfully made way, their eyes filled with awe. They could feel the incredibly sharp sword qi emanating from her. Furthermore, the golden sash around her slender waist clearly indicated her status. She was a Gold Sash disciple of the Inner Mountain.

Most Inner Mountain disciples who came to the Outer Mountain to teach origin techniques were merely Black Sash disciples, their status far inferior to that of the woman in the dark dress standing before them. The woman in the dark dress, however, paid no attention to the numerous disciples around her. Her eyes held a cold arrogance; these Outer Mountain disciples were clearly beneath her notice.

She continued through the gorge, eventually reaching Zhou Yuan and Gu Hongyi. Zhou Yuan watched her with a hint of wariness. This woman was Lu Feng's older cousin, and her sudden appearance from the Inner Mountain at this moment likely meant trouble. But even as Zhou Yuan remained wary, Lu Xuanyin, with her cold, arrogant eyes, merely cast an indifferent glance at him before turning her attention to Gu Hongyi.

A smile finally appeared on Lu Xuanyin's cold, beautiful face. She stepped forward, took Gu Hongyi's hand, and said with a beaming smile, "Hongyi, I heard from Lu Feng that you also came to the Cangxuan Sect. I've wanted to find you for ages! This is wonderful; once you enter the Inner Mountain, we'll have so much more time to see each other."

Gu Hongyi felt slightly uncomfortable with Lu Xuanyin's sudden enthusiasm. They were indeed acquainted, as their families were on good terms and they had some connection in childhood. However, over the years, as Lu Xuanyin had been cultivating in the Cangxuan Sect, their bond had faded. Consequently, she felt a little awkward with Lu Xuanyin's unexpected warmth.

Gu Hongyi subtly withdrew her hand and asked, "Senior Sister Lu, what brings you out from the Inner Mountain so suddenly?"

Lu Xuanyin smiled faintly and replied, "Didn't I hear you'd arrived? I just wanted to see you. I just called Lu Feng; let's all get together. I remember you and Lu Feng were quite close when you were little."

Gu Hongyi's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Being intelligent, she realized that Lu Xuanyin was actually here for her, not Zhou Yuan. Indeed, it was just as she had suspected. Lu Xuanyin's purpose was to help Lu Feng find an excuse to get closer to Gu Hongyi. According to Lu Feng, Gu Hongyi had recently become increasingly distant from him, and was instead getting quite friendly with a "country bumpkin" from another continent.

This was somewhat unacceptable to Lu Xuanyin. The Gu family patriarch was the highly prominent Peak Master of Hongya Peak in the Cangxuan Sect. If Lu Feng could establish a good relationship with Gu Hongyi, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous advantage for their Lu family. Moreover, even their own Peak Master of Jianlai Peak had personally inquired about the matter.

In Lu Xuanyin's view, Lu Feng was outstanding in every way, with exceptional talent, making him and Gu Hongyi a perfect match. The sudden appearance of a "country bumpkin" who threatened to ruin everything was truly repulsive. Therefore, upon hearing the news, she set aside her cultivation and hurried to the Outer Mountain, clearly intending to find an opportunity to bring the two together.

Gu Hongyi shook her head, explaining with some difficulty, "Senior Sister Lu, the Selection Ceremony is approaching, and I simply want to focus on my cultivation."

Lu Xuanyin quickly smiled and replied, "Cultivation also requires balance. Proper rest won't hinder your progress."

Gu Hongyi felt a headache forming; such a woman was truly difficult to deal with. She politely refused again, "I'm currently practicing the Vanishing Art with Zhou Yuan, and his time is limited each day, so I truly have no free time."

Lu Xuanyin paused slightly, then her eyes, which held a hint of coldness, turned to Zhou Yuan. She smiled faintly and said, "This must be Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, I presume? Even in the Inner Mountain, we've heard about your recent affairs in the Outer Mountain."

Zhou Yuan offered a noncommittal smile.

Lu Xuanyin said casually, "How about this, Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, you can give Hongyi a break from her cultivation today. You can always find another time to make it up later, how does that sound?" She wore a smile, and though it was phrased as a question, her tone suggested the matter was already decided.

Zhou Yuan's expression remained indifferent; he lowered his eyes and stated, "The daily cultivation time is fixed. If you miss it, you'll have to wait for the next session. I have too many disciples practicing origin techniques here, so there's no such thing as making up lessons."

The smile on Lu Xuanyin's beautiful face froze slightly. She had assumed that, given her status, Zhou Yuan, a mere Outer Mountain disciple, would be sensible enough to comply with her wishes, especially since it was just a minor request. But she hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to show no discretion at all.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan certainly has quite a personality," Lu Xuanyin remarked, her smile vanishing. She regarded Zhou Yuan indifferently, her gaze scrutinizing. When Lu Feng had spoken to her, he had naturally mentioned his conflict with Zhou Yuan, but neither he nor she had taken it seriously. As for Zhou Yuan's ambition to claim first place in the Selection Ceremony over Lu Feng, Lu Xuanyin merely scoffed, certain that this "country bumpkin" was utterly unaware of his own limitations. In her eyes, Zhou Yuan, being only at the first level of the Alpha Origin Stage, didn't even qualify to challenge Lu Feng. Therefore, her visit this time was purely because of Gu Hongyi. As for Zhou Yuan, she hadn't even considered "teaching him a lesson," as she believed that by the time of the Selection Ceremony, this "country bumpkin" would naturally be thoroughly defeated by Lu Feng and lose all standing. However, she hadn't expected that this "country bumpkin," in her eyes, would dare to show her such disrespect.

Zhou Yuan shook his head and said, "I'm simply following the rules. No matter who it is, the rules apply equally. I hope Senior Sister Lu won't take offense." His voice was calm and steady, seemingly quite sincere.

However, Lu Xuanyin was not at all appreciative. Her eyes, fixed on Zhou Yuan, were cold, and her Genesis Qi subtly vibrated around her, faintly emitting an extremely sharp sword hum. A sharp, oppressive force enveloped Zhou Yuan.

"Senior Sister Lu!" Gu Hongyi, standing nearby, was the first to notice. She immediately stepped forward, placing herself in front of Zhou Yuan, her delicate eyebrows furrowed in anger as she demanded, "What are you doing?"

Lu Xuanyin pursed her lips slightly. Noticing Gu Hongyi's anger, she immediately dispersed the sword qi around her and said with a hint of regret, "Hongyi, are you really not going to take this opportunity to spend some time with me?"

Gu Hongyi said gravely, "My cultivation has been very pressing lately; I truly can't spare any attention." Knowing how difficult Lu Xuanyin was to deal with, she conceded, "If it's truly impossible right now, then after the Selection Ceremony, let's find a time to get together."

Lu Xuanyin understood this was Gu Hongyi's final concession. She immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright then, I'll wait until your Selection Ceremony is over. Don't worry, I'll also come to observe the grand occasion." With that, she turned and left decisively. Before leaving, her cold eyes subtly swept over Zhou Yuan.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Lu Xuanyin exited the mountain gorge and found Lu Feng, dressed in white, waiting at its entrance. Lu Feng's brow furrowed slightly when he saw Lu Xuanyin emerge alone. "Hongyi didn't come?" he asked.

At this moment, Lu Xuanyin's beautiful face completely darkened. A hint of coldness flashed in her eyes as she said indifferently, "That little bumpkin is truly revolting." Clearly, she blamed everything on Zhou Yuan.

"Lu Feng, at the Selection Ceremony, if you get the chance, cripple him." Her voice carried a profound chill. "I want him to know that a bumpkin should stay in their place and not foolishly fantasize about a toad eating a swan!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Feng nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly towards the mountain gorge behind them. "Don't worry," he said, "at the Selection Ceremony, I'll make him understand exactly how formidable the person he's provoked is."