Chapter 2541: Lotus Enters the City

"Greetings, Pavilion Master Lian..."Inside Yuanxi City, Lu Ye cupped his fists in a salute.He had never imagined that Yuanxi's trip to the Hehe Realm would actually bring out Pavilion Master Jinrui! He hadn't noticed her before because Lian had remained hidden in the central hall, likely on Yuanxi's instructions. Only after the city had moved far away from that problematic area did Lian suddenly appear.

Yuanxi's purpose in going to the Hehe Realm this time was to address the city's shortage of Harmony Path cultivators. Lian's presence here clearly indicated her intention. This was undoubtedly excellent news. Lu Ye was unsure of Lian's exact strength, but given that she was a close friend of Yuanxi and owned her own establishment in the Hehe Realm, she was certainly not to be underestimated.

"From now on, we are colleagues. There's no need for formality, fellow Daoist," Lian said with a slight smile.Although Lu Ye had somewhat anticipated it, he was still pleasantly surprised when Lian confirmed it herself. He turned to Yuanxi beside them, "Did you truly manage to invite Pavilion Master Lian?"Yuanxi laughed heartily, "Of course! With me personally making the trip, how could I not bring her back?"Lian shot Yuanxi a look. "It was all your persistent pestering..." She added that being in the Hehe Realm had become quite boring, and the current conflict in the Snowfield was the most exciting event the Inner Realm had seen in years, so she wanted to venture out and see it for herself.

Of course, the most crucial point was that this conflict had been instigated by Qin Feng! Had it been any other commotion, she might not have been so willing to get involved. As for Jinrui Pavilion, with Third Mistress looking after things, her presence there made little difference.

"Excellent!" Lu Ye exclaimed, overjoyed. "With the Pavilion Master joining us, our city will no longer be restricted."Yuanxi City had always suffered from a shortage of personnel, but with the Mirage's secret technique now providing a boost, the lack of Fusion Path cultivators was no longer a major issue. Unless they were as unlucky as they had been recently, precisely located by that Supervisor using special means, their movements would remain largely undetected while concealed, so the defensive requirements weren't high.

However, the shortage of Harmony Path cultivators urgently needed addressing. Taking the previous battles as an example, if they had one or two more Harmony Path cultivators, they could often handle situations with ease, and neither Lu Ye nor Yuanxi would have had to struggle so intensely against their opponents.

Yuanxi raised her arms, putting one around Lian and the other around Lu Ye, pulling them both close with an air of immense pride. "I have my Grand Commandant, and now I have Lian. Vast as this Snowfield is, who can be my enemy?"Lian gave her an exasperated yet charming look. "Don't be so arrogant. You'll stumble sooner or later."

Lu Ye had never been embraced like this by a woman before, nor had Yuanxi ever shown such intimacy towards him. This clearly indicated her current exhilaration. Feeling no unease, Lu Ye replied with a smile, "This subordinate is honored to follow you, my Lord."

Yuanxi then looked up at You Die beside them. "Xiao Die, can you still move?"You Die nodded. "That City Lord Zhao struck with considerable restraint. My previous injuries were only temporary; I'm much better now.""Good!" Yuanxi nodded. "Then let's launch a surprise counterattack!"Lu Ye stared at her in astonishment.

Yuanxi explained, "It's rare to encounter a 'Lotus Seed,' so of course, we can't miss this opportunity. Let's try. Even if we don't get it, there's no loss."Lu Ye immediately understood her intention.

You Die darted into the central hall and activated the secret technique enhanced by the Mirage, disguising the city as they returned along their original path. The city's defensive array had been breached earlier, and Fan Wu and others were currently working on repairing and reinforcing it. The city had previously conquered many Harmony Path cities, acquiring a large quantity of materials, so there was no shortage of supplies for repairing the array. Yuanxi was also assisting; her mastery of array formations was profound. Meanwhile, Lu Ye stayed and talked with Lian.

"When Yuanxi first said she wanted to establish her own Harmony Path city, I thought she was just speaking casually. Who would have thought that in just a few years, her Harmony Path city would become Flood-rank? This is a height many City Lords struggle to reach in a lifetime," Lian remarked, gazing at the busy Yuanxi with a sigh of admiration. Her close friend and she had even made a bet about this back then, with Lian wagering that Yuanxi's Harmony Path city would never surpass the Desolate-rank. As it turned out, she had lost that bet.

"Lord City Master's strength is extraordinary, making it effortless to conquer cities and strongholds. We are extremely fortunate to be sheltered under her wing," Lu Ye responded.Lian smiled faintly. "Yuanxi and I share everything, so I know why her city was able to advance so quickly. Don't worry, any secrets she wishes to keep, I would never reveal to outsiders."

Lu Ye slightly raised an eyebrow."However, I am quite curious about how you employ your special methods. If there's an opportunity, could you show me?" Lian asked, turning her crystalline gaze towards Lu Ye. To be honest, her agreement to Yuanxi's invitation was partly due to Lu Ye's methods. Everyone possesses curiosity, and having lived for so many years, Lian had truly never encountered such techniques. Hearing Yuanxi's description, she found it hard to believe unless she witnessed it herself.

"There will be an opportunity," Lu Ye nodded, then quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I also need to thank Pavilion Master for your previous gift." Although Yuanxi was willing to share this secret with Lian, and Lu Ye trusted that Lian wouldn't spread rumors, his method had appeared out of nowhere. He hadn't fully understood how it worked himself, only vaguely feeling that it was most likely related to the voice he heard when he first left the Hehe Realm. Therefore, he wasn't keen on discussing the matter further.

"You mean Huan Qing..." Lian nodded. "Yuanxi told me about her. I didn't know she was from the Fan Clan, but if I could help you, then my intentions weren't wasted.""Pavilion Master, you're truly generous!"Lian pursed her lips. "I'm not so generous. If I had known she was from the Fan Clan, I wouldn't have given her to you." She paused, then continued, "However, I think it's best to let her leave. The Fan Clan has some connections with that individual from Blood Drink City. Now that she's used her Fan Eye, the blood curse in her veins should have activated. When the time comes, that person from Blood Drink City will surely sense it."

"Lord City Master likely won't agree," Lu Ye shook his head. Huan Qing had made significant contributions to the city. Without her Fan Eye, they wouldn't have been able to locate the Mirage's true form, nor would they have been able to restrain its illusions. After that, they obtained a large number of Harmony Path Orbs from it, enabling the city to advance to Desolate-rank in one fell swoop and even forcing it to leave a secret technique for the city. Given Yuanxi's character, she would never abandon someone who had served their purpose. Moreover, this time, it was also thanks to Huan Qing's timely assistance that Lu Ye was able to kill the Supervisor so easily.

"She certainly has that temperament," Lian nodded slightly."Pavilion Master, perhaps you'd like to find a residence first?" Lu Ye suggested. Since Lian had come, she would undoubtedly stay for a considerable period, at least until the conflict in the Snowfield concluded. There were many vacant buildings in the city now, and she could choose according to her preference.

"Alright," Lian replied, then departed.Lu Ye stood pondering for a moment, then turned and walked in another direction. Soon, he arrived before a building. Before he even reached the entrance, the door suddenly opened, evidently sensing his arrival from within.

Lu Ye stepped inside. He immediately saw Huan Qing sitting calmly, her expression indifferent. This woman had always exuded a sense of lifelessness, but only after this incident did Lu Ye realize how perceptive she truly was. This was evident from her sudden intervention to help Lu Ye kill the Supervisor; at that moment, there had been no discussion between them, yet Huan Qing had acted almost simultaneously with Lu Ye.

Her quick wit was further demonstrated afterwards when Lu Ye entered the Desolate-rank city alone; Huan Qing immediately piloted Yuanxi City to retreat, acting with decisive efficiency. Now that Yuanxi City had Lian, the predicament concerning Harmony Path cultivators had eased, though only slightly. If Huan Qing could recover, she would undoubtedly be another significant asset to the city!

Previously, Lu Ye had been reluctant to help her because their time together was short, he didn't know her character well, and Huan Qing hadn't fully committed to Yuanxi City. However, after this battle, Lu Ye felt he could harbor some expectations for her. Sometimes, trust needs to be cultivated, and one party always has to take the first step.

Without a word, Lu Ye walked directly to Huan Qing. Under her bewildered gaze, he sat before her and held out his hand, saying, "Give me my hand!"Huan Qing was initially puzzled, then seemed to realize something. Her lifeless eyes suddenly brightened for an instant, and she slowly raised her small hand, placing it in Lu Ye's palm.

Holding her seemingly boneless hand, Lu Ye immediately activated the power of his Talent Tree. Invisible root-like tendrils spread out, probing into Huan Qing's body from the contact point of their palms. Huan Qing couldn't help but frown. She faintly sensed something extra within her body, yet no matter how she tried to examine it, she couldn't detect the slightest trace. Even more perplexing to her was that these mysterious entities didn't seem to have much impact on her.

Only... a slight tension. It was an anticipation for the future, a yearning to escape her predicament, and the apprehension that things might not turn out as desired."It will be a little uncomfortable. Bear with it," Lu Ye said, looking up at her.

Before Huan Qing could nod, she suddenly felt as though her entire body had been plunged into a fiery furnace. Intense heat emanated from every inch of her flesh, making her scorching hot. Involuntarily, a soft groan escaped her throat. Huan Qing quickly lowered her head, a rare expression appearing on her usually lifeless face, her earlobes tinged with red.

Even when she had appeared naked before Lu Ye for him to examine her blood curse, she had never felt this embarrassed. Her body began to tremble slightly. It was hard to say whether it was discomfort or something else, only that it was an immense torment.

But soon, an expression of surprise appeared on her face because she clearly felt that something within her bloodline was disappearing. It was as if it were being incinerated. Indeed... the glimmer of possibility she had seen when she first activated her Fan Eye might have been real. This human before her, with only a Fusion Path cultivation, truly had the ability to resolve her troubles!

Gritting her teeth, she endured the soul-searing pain, her clothes quickly becoming drenched with sweat. Physically, it was excruciating, but mentally, it was different; she felt as if she were stepping out of a dark abyss and moving towards the light.