Chapter 1410: Little Xian Mountain

Recalling his past accounts, Yun Jianyue couldn't help but exclaim, "Just hearing your stories before, I didn't fully grasp it, but now that I've experienced it firsthand, I understand how incredibly difficult it was for you to emerge successfully from the Unknowable Land."

"And you even deciphered several Unknowable Lands," Yan Xuehen remarked, gazing at him with a complex expression. When she first met him, she had dismissed him as a frivolous philanderer. Yet, the longer she spent in his company, the more she recognized his exceptional qualities. His only drawback, perhaps, was that he was the man of her disciple...

"Haha, praise me more; I have a thick skin, I can take it," Zu An chuckled, feeling utterly pleased by the admiring glances of the three women.

"Pah!" Yan Xuehen scoffed, realizing he was as shameless as ever.

"A'Zu, I still feel this was far too dangerous," Yu Yanluo said with deep concern. "The figures that person described earlier seemed like beings who could ascend to immortality at any moment. Even Zhao Hao or the Demon Emperor might not be able to accomplish what you did."

"The Unknowable Land is unique; brute strength alone isn't always effective. It also relies on wisdom and luck," Zu An said with a slight smile, looking at the three women. "The Demon Emperor has a fool like Prince Golden Crow by his side, whereas I have all of you, who are intelligent and resourceful. This is more than enough to bridge any power disparity."

The three women's faces flushed faintly as they inwardly marveled at how his words seemed dipped in honey, no wonder he was so skilled at winning women's hearts.

Yun Jianyue was the first to regain her composure, scoffing, "Our intelligence is self-evident, but are you truly so confident about your luck?"

"Of course, if I had bad luck, how would I be surrounded by such stunning confidantes as yourselves?" Zu An replied, his gaze softening as he looked at the three women.

This time, even Yun Jianyue couldn't help herself. She reached out and pinched his ear. "You little rascal, daring to tease your own master? Have you no fear?"

"Ow, ow, ow, Master Sister, mercy!" Zu An's plea for mercy quickly echoed.

Yu Yanluo couldn't help but smile at Zu An's "agonized" expression as he walked hunched over, his ear still pinched.

Yan Xuehen, however, had a peculiar expression. That demoness still viewed him as a mere junior. Once he truly dominated her, she'd realize just how overbearing and powerful he was. Oh, what am I even thinking...

The group thus ventured into the vast mountains. Along the way, they encountered several fierce beasts, but given their collective strength, they dispatched them with ease.

They soon reached a barren mountain, devoid of even a single blade of grass, let alone trees.

"How peculiar," Yun Jianyue mused. "From a distance, this mountain looked lush and even greener than the others, but up close, there's no vegetation at all." "It's likely because of this," Yu Yanluo replied, lifting her skirt slightly as she knelt to pick up a jade-green stone.

"What is this?" Yan Xuehen asked, taking the stone to examine it. While it contained a faint trace of spiritual energy, it wasn't a true spirit stone and couldn't be used for cultivation.

"Judging by its color and shape, this should be the legendary Azure Jade Stone," Yu Yanluo explained. "It's a valuable material used for crafting artifacts, and it's also rumored to assist certain unique cultivators in their breakthroughs."

Knowing she was formerly the head of the human race's largest jade-trading family, they understood her expertise in this field was exceptional.

"Oh, so this is the Azure Jade Stone! What a find!" Yun Jianyue exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with eagerness as she began searching the vicinity. She quickly discovered that the Azure Jade Stone was abundant here, and a satisfied smile spread across her face as she collected more. "It'll be useful when we get out."

"Look at your avaricious expression," Yan Xuehen remarked, her delicate brows furrowing. She clearly found such greedy behavior unbefitting of a Grandmaster.

"Hmph, Ice Stone Woman, do you think everyone lives detached from worldly affairs like you?" Yun Jianyue retorted, caressing the Azure Jade Stone in her hand, her usually sharp phoenix eyes now soft like crescent moons. "I don't have your good fortune, with everything handled for you by those people from White Jade Capital. Our Holy Cult has always been impoverished. For its development, I naturally have to be meticulous with every single thing. Besides, this is hardly a trifle."

Zu An walked over to Yan Xuehen. "You should collect some. While Azure Jade Stone is plentiful here, it's quite rare in other places."

"No need," Yan Xuehen said faintly. At any other time, she might have actually started collecting, but after Yun Jianyue's recent taunts, she simply couldn't bring herself to. Collecting now would be tantamount to stooping to her rival's level, and she didn't want to imagine the gossip that would follow.

Zu An was amused; this woman usually appeared so aloof and unbothered, yet she possessed such an unexpectedly prideful and stubborn side.

"Hmph, Ice Stone Woman, you'll regret this sooner or later," Yun Jianyue scoffed. "Don't come asking me for Azure Jade Stone when you need it; don't blame me if I refuse then."

*Why would I ask you? Doesn't Zu An have some?* Yan Xuehen mused inwardly.

The moment that thought surfaced, her heart fluttered, and a faint blush spread across her fair, jade-like cheeks, making her look exceptionally alluring.

Yun Jianyue cast her a strange look, wondering, *Why is this Ice Stone Woman suddenly behaving so suggestively?*

She had to admit, however, that the woman was undeniably stunning; if she were a man, she wouldn't be able to resist her allure either.

Soon, Yun Jianyue had collected nearly her fill. Even as a Grandmaster, the space in her personal storage pouch was limited.

Yu Yanluo, conversely, showed no inclination to stop. Yun Jianyue immediately understood this was due to her "Thousand-Mile Mountain and Sea Map." Since it could absorb the spiritual spring from Yu Mountain, collecting some Azure Jade Stones was naturally effortless.

While it couldn't literally contain a thousand miles of mountains and seas, its capacity was far greater than that of ordinary storage spaces.

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but marvel, "The Libationer's mastery of spatial techniques is truly terrifyingly potent."

Yan Xuehen also wore a solemn expression. They both knew that, given Yu Yanluo's current strength, she could not possibly have crafted such an intricate item herself. It could only have been the Libationer.

Yu Yanluo's face flushed faintly. "This is a treasure I acquired years ago in an ancient secret realm. My master later helped me refine it, which is how it became this Thousand-Mile Mountain and Sea Map."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue finally relaxed. It was an ancient treasure, after all. If it had truly been entirely the Libationer's creation, that would have been despairingly powerful.

Just then, Zu An suddenly had a thought. "This must be Shaoxian Mountain, which Shun just mentioned."

The group recalled the mysterious voice's description: "Shaoxian Mountain, without plants, rich in azure jade." Wasn't this precisely the same?

"Everyone, be cautious," Zu An warned. "We should now be in Yayu's territory."

The group ceased collecting Azure Jade Stones and vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

"Have you noticed that we haven't encountered a single fierce beast since entering this mountain?" Yu Yanluo pointed out.

"That's quite normal," Yun Jianyue replied. "Other creatures usually steer clear of powerful beings' territories." She, too, scanned the surroundings with her divine sense but detected no sign of Yayu.

"Huh, is that a temple over there?"

Following Yan Xuehen's slender finger, they spotted a solitary small temple nestled halfway up the mountainside.

The group quickly hurried to it, finding the small temple incredibly dilapidated. It was riddled with holes, appearing so precarious that it looked ready to crumble with any gust of wind.

"There's writing here," Yu Yanluo observed, looking up at the space directly above the temple's main entrance. A plaque hung there at an angle. Whether it had decayed over time or been destroyed, only a small, skewed portion remained. While one character was clearly legible, the rest were incomplete, with only faint strokes, making them impossible to decipher.

"Er?" Zu An muttered, recognizing the first character but looking utterly bewildered. What kind of plaque would begin with "Er" (meaning "two")?

It almost felt like a taunt or an insult.