Chapter 923: Red-Hot Temptress

The atmosphere in Fallen City was peculiar at that moment. Countless eyes, filled with a mix of emotions, were fixed on the entrance of the Nine Provinces Manor. Their feelings were incredibly complex. They had initially expected the main event of the day to be between the Heavenly Abyss Region and the Demonic Puppet Region. But who could have imagined that Su Youwei and Wu Yao would appear one after another, instantly captivating everyone?

In Hunyuan Heaven, these two women were highly sought after. Countless prodigies were captivated by them, trying every possible way to gain their favor. Yet, over the years, there had never been a single rumor of either woman being inappropriately close to any man. This only made their radiance shine even brighter.

As they grew increasingly outstanding, they truly became the unparalleled dual prodigies of the Divine Dwelling stage in Hunyuan Heaven. Even some from an earlier generation, who were now prominent figures on the Heavenly Sun Ranking, paid considerable attention to them. This clearly showed how astonishing their charm was in Hunyuan Heaven. In the minds of many, they were like untouchable fairies.

However, today... At the entrance of the Nine Provinces Manor, Su Youwei completely disregarded the potential offense to Xu Ming and the Demonic Puppet Region, directly intervening to help Zhou Yuan. From their interaction, it was clear there was a history between them. And after Su Youwei, Wu Yao also appeared... Her remark, "No wonder you've been so hostile towards me," instantly caused a huge stir in countless hearts.

Because in Hunyuan Heaven, everyone knew that Su Youwei of the Purple Cloud Region had a gentle disposition and spoke politely to everyone. Yet, whenever she met Wu Yao, she became remarkably confrontational. Many had originally thought this was merely a rivalry between two equally outstanding women. But now, it seemed... this was all because of Zhou Yuan?!

Furthermore, why would Su Youwei target Wu Yao because of this? Was there something between Wu Yao and Zhou Yuan as well?! The curiosity in countless hearts was practically about to explode.

Of course, it wasn't just the people in the city who were shocked. Inside the Nine Provinces Manor, in the various tall buildings, even the top prodigies, who held considerable renown throughout Hunyuan Heaven, fell silent for a moment.

At the tall tower of the Myriad Ancestors Region, Liu Qingshu's mouth couldn't help but gape open. She hadn't expected the day's spectacle to be so explosive. "Su Youwei and Wu Yao actually both know that Zhou Yuan?" Liu Qingshu couldn't help but exclaim. "And judging by this, there's probably quite a story behind it."

As she spoke, she subtly glanced at Zhao Mushen, whose expression remained indifferent. Having spent many years with him, she naturally knew that he was always proud and confident. The only women in all of Hunyuan Heaven who could even remotely catch his eye were Wu Yao and Su Youwei. Perhaps it wasn't romantic admiration, but merely an appreciation for exceptional women. However, at some point, that appreciation might very well transform into something more.

This made her quite jealous, but she never dared to show it in public. Now that Wu Yao and Su Youwei were involved in this situation with Zhou Yuan, Zhao Mushen surely wouldn't be as indifferent as he appeared. This filled Liu Qingshu with a mix of relief and schadenfreude. While Wu Yao and Su Youwei were undoubtedly outstanding, their taste was poor; to get entangled with that Zhou Yuan was truly foolish. In her view, only Zhao Mushen, by her side, was the true king of the Divine Dwelling stage in this generation of Hunyuan Heaven. Compared to him, Zhou Yuan was like the difference between the bright moon and a firefly! Su Youwei and Wu Yao were certainly talented, beautiful, and charismatic, but their judgment seemed lacking.

Zhao Mushen's gaze was indifferent as he distantly watched the three figures at the entrance, who were the focus of everyone's attention. A moment later, he lowered his eyes slightly and said, "The favor of beauties is not always a good thing. An incapable person only brings disaster upon themselves. The Nine Provinces Grand Meeting hasn't even begun... yet Zhou Yuan has already made countless enemies."

Jiu Gong's teacup slipped from her hand at that moment, shattering into pieces. But she paid no mind to it, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment as she gazed at the distant commotion. "Who exactly is this Zhou Yuan? How is he involved with Su Youwei and Wu Yao?!" Jiu Gong was somewhat shocked. She had always considered Wu Yao and Su Youwei her rivals; after all, she was also an exceptionally outstanding individual, but their presence had consistently kept her suppressed, so it was inevitable she felt some resentment.

Precisely because of this, when she saw the two women were actually involved with Zhou Yuan, she felt a sudden discomfort. It was as if her perfect rivals had, because of Zhou Yuan, acquired some flaws. If that were the case, even if she were to defeat them in the future, it wouldn't feel as complete or satisfying. She knew that her reasoning ultimately stemmed from considering Zhou Yuan unworthy. If Zhou Yuan were replaced by someone of Zhao Mushen or Wang Xi's caliber, perhaps she wouldn't feel such discomfort.

Jiu Gong bit her lip, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the water droplets from her hands. Finally, she muttered in annoyance, "Where on earth did this Zhou Yuan come from?"

On the top floor of the Martial God Region's pavilion, Lan Ting's expression was unsightly. He gazed into the distance, his voice laced with anger: "What is going on?! How does Junior Sister Wu Yao know that Zhou Yuan?"

Zhao Yunxiao, who had been observing for a while, suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not what you think. That Zhou Yuan does have some connection to Junior Sister Wu Yao, but to be precise, it's the relationship of enemies."

Lan Ting was startled, asking, "You know that Zhou Yuan?" Zhao Yunxiao casually replied, "When I accompanied Junior Sister Wu Yao to Cangxuan Heaven, I encountered this person. I even struck him with a palm at the time. If he hadn't been so lucky, I would have killed him then and there. However, Junior Sister Wu Yao said she wanted to deal with him herself, so I spared his life."

"Heh, I didn't expect this guy to come to Hunyuan Heaven, and even become the Chief Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Abyss Region. Tsk-tsk, quite impressive." Although he said this, his expression was quite dismissive. His ranking on the Divine Dwelling List was nineteenth, indeed much lower than Zhou Yuan's ninth place. But rankings didn't mean everything; like Lan Ting, he was part of the Martial God Region's hidden power. When it came to true strength, he believed Zhou Yuan wasn't much stronger than him.

Hearing this, Lan Ting's expression finally relaxed. "I thought wrongly. How could Junior Sister Wu Yao, with her standing, have a special relationship with such a person? It's just that Junior Sister Wu Yao was a bit impulsive today. Appearing like this will inevitably lead to gossip."

As he spoke, a chill flashed in Lan Ting's eyes, directed at Zhou Yuan. Wu Yao was equally perfect in his heart, and Zhou Yuan was now like a toad, marring that perfection with a blemish. It was simply unforgivable.

Lan Ting looked at Zhao Yunxiao and said, "During the Nine Provinces Grand Meeting, if there's an opportunity, it would be best to get rid of him." Zhao Yunxiao smiled and replied, "Then let's make a bet: whoever deals with him will get to stay by Junior Sister Wu Yao's side for the next year?" Lan Ting calmly said, "Staying by Junior Sister Wu Yao's side doesn't necessarily mean anything useful. However, I accept this bet."

The two exchanged smiles, as if Zhou Yuan's fate had already been decided in their casual conversation.

Unlike their casual bet, over at the Purple Cloud Region's pavilion, Xue Jingtao's face had turned ashen the moment Su Youwei appeared. His gaze, sharp as a blade, was fixed intently on Zhou Yuan's figure. The Purple Cloud Region disciples beside him also remained silent, most with anger in their eyes.

It was the kind of fury one feels when their cherished swan suddenly flies into someone else's arms. Xue Jingtao took a deep breath, suppressing the raging anger within him. The flames of jealousy filled his heart with searing pain. His gaze turned cold as he glanced at the like-minded disciples beside him.

He lowered his voice and said, "If there's an opportunity, eliminate this person." Regardless of any past history between Su Youwei and Zhou Yuan, he absolutely could not tolerate their relationship being so close. Therefore, it would be best for Zhou Yuan to die here!

Just as Zhao Mushen had said, while today's events brought Zhou Yuan countless attention, they also gained him numerous enemies. If he wasn't strong enough, this blessing might well turn into a disaster. The saying "beauty is a curse" seemed to fit perfectly.