Chapter 1627: Envy, Jealousy, Hatred

A beautiful figure, clad in a red top and black skirt, walked onto the field. Her charming peach-blossom eyes and warm, cheerful smile immediately endeared her to all who saw her. What truly caught the eye, however, was her remarkably ample figure as she moved, leaving onlookers to wonder how the thin fabric managed to contain it.

Zu An was both surprised and delighted. He recalled complaining when the emperor first sent him to Purple Mountain, but now, not only had he reunited with Chu Chuyan and Yan Xuehen, he had also unexpectedly encountered Pei Mianman. It was a truly pleasant surprise.

Even Yan Xuehen couldn't resist taking a closer look at the young woman in the arena. As Chu Chuyan's master, and given what had transpired between her and Zu An in the Demon Royal Court, she had been inadvertently gathering information about all aspects of Zu An's life, and naturally, she was aware of Pei Mianman's existence.

She had to admit that Pei Mianman and Chu Chuyan were two extremes: one as cold as ice, the other as fiery as passion. It was a mystery how they had ever become such close friends. If Chu Chuyan hadn't been in secluded cultivation at the villa and unable to attend the venue, Yan Xuehen would surely have lectured her. Chu Chuyan truly showed poor judgment in befriending such a woman; it was clearly inviting trouble. Gazing at the vibrant figure in the arena, Yan Xuehen couldn't help but furrow her delicate brows, wondering what the young woman had eaten to grow so… well-endowed at such a tender age.

"Oh, she's also from the Nine Daoist Sects?" Qiu Honglei, standing nearby, murmured with a peculiar expression. The unexpected appearance of another familiar face added an unforeseen variable to the situation.

"Is this woman part of the Bovine Clan?" Yun Jianyue felt an inexplicable irritation. She had always been quite confident in her own figure, but now it seemed there truly was "a mountain beyond a mountain." "Why are your romantic rivals more formidable than the last?" she grumbled to Qiu Honglei.

Due to their long and candid conversations, Qiu Honglei had always been completely unguarded with Yun Jianyue, sharing almost everything related to Zu An. Naturally, Yun Jianyue was already aware of Pei Mianman's existence. Now, having seen Pei Mianman in person, even Yun Jianyue, the formidable leader of the Demonic Sect, felt a subtle, inexplicable pressure.

"I'm quite helpless about it," Qiu Honglei sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "But from another perspective, this simply proves how charming A'Zu is, and that I haven't chosen the wrong person."

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but turn and stare at her for a long moment. "How did I end up with such a foolish disciple?" she muttered. This girl used to seem so clever, but lately, she appears to be getting dumber the more I look at her. She has absolutely no guard against me and tells me everything.

"Isn't it enough to have a smart master like you to shield me from the wind and rain?" Qiu Honglei giggled, her expression completely relaxed.

"What if one day your master also becomes your enemy?" Yun Jianyue suddenly asked.

Qiu Honglei paused, startled, but quickly shook her head. "No, that won't happen. No matter the circumstances, I'll always be on Master's side."

Yun Jianyue was speechless.

Meanwhile, the other disciples in the arena reacted even more intensely, excitedly asking each other about this great beauty whose looks rivaled Chu Chuyan's, and whose features were so remarkably prominent. After discovering her identity, many eagerly declared themselves "Miss Pei's loyal dog," dismissing "Fairy Chu" as an absolute heretic in comparison.

Chu Chuyan's popularity within the Nine Daoist Sects had been somewhat affected due to her marriage. However, there were also some who not only saw no issue with her being married but were, in fact, even more excited by it. Thanks to her dazzling debut, Pei Mianman instantly soared to become a popular goddess within the Nine Daoist Sects, rivaling Chu Chuyan.

"I've truly fallen for Miss Pei! Her smile is so... big! Ah, no, so... round! Err, wait, so wonderfully warm!"

"Is that 'liking'? You're just lusting after her body, you pervert!"

"And you're not?"

"My 'liking' is different from yours!"

However, the lively chatter was soon replaced by gasps of astonishment as Pei Mianman placed her hand on the testing crystal. A dazzling light emanated from it, displaying: Ninth Rank! This seemingly delicate young woman had actually reached the Ninth Rank! Countless disciples, usually full of self-importance, were utterly crestfallen, wondering if all their years of cultivation had been wasted.

Even sect leaders like Wang Wuxie couldn't help but give her another look. The Misty Palace, besides Wan Guiyi, possessed another disciple of such exceptional talent. Could this mean the Misty Palace was destined to become the foremost among the Nine Sects in the future? Only Abbess Huoling proudly lifted her chin, her face beaming with satisfaction as she basked in the envious glances from the various factions.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but mumble, "Master, is there something wrong with our Holy Sect's 'Heavenly Demonic Allure Sound' cultivation method?"

Yun Jianyue looked perplexed. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Before, to cultivate, I had to go into seclusion and couldn't see Brother Zu. I even nearly suffered a cultivation deviation several times just to reach my current level. Yet, she doesn't seem to have gone through any of that, and still reached a similar level with ease," Qiu Honglei said, her face betraying her suspicion that the Holy Sect's mental cultivation method was inferior to the orthodox Xuanmen sects.

Yun Jianyue was nearly infuriated. "First, her current cultivation is still not as advanced as yours. Second, she must have had some kind of fortuitous encounter to progress so quickly; such cultivation speed is absolutely unattainable for a disciple of the Misty Palace." Someone like Wan Guiyi, who had been nurtured by the full might of his sect since childhood, could naturally achieve such a feat. However, Pei Mianman had not been with the Misty Palace for long, so logically, it was impossible for her to have reached this speed without a unique and special encounter.

"Oh," Qiu Honglei sighed, clearly unconvinced by the explanation.

For a while, no other tested disciple surpassed Pei Mianman's cultivation level, until Zhi Yin from the Li Hentian sect.

"Ninth Rank Peak!" Even Feng Wuchang, Peak Master of Guanxin Peak, couldn't help but take a second look at him. Though the young man had the appearance of a pretty boy, his talent was truly exceptional. Among the younger generation of the Zhengyang Sect, no one, save for Wu Xiaofan, could compare to him.

"The chief disciple is indeed worthy of his title." The surrounding disciples also began to chatter, discussing who might emerge victorious in this competition.

"I'm rooting for Brother Zhi Yin!"

"I think Lou Wucheng has more potential. He inherited the true teachings of the Everlasting Sword, and this time we'll get to witness its power firsthand."

"Isn't Wu Xiaofan considered the top young talent among the Nine Daoist Sects?"

"Please, that's just because the Zhengyang Sect is currently the most powerful, so they hype him up. I believe Wan Guiyi of Misty Palace is in no way inferior to him."

Soon, the chief disciples from each of the nine sects made their appearances.

Lou Wucheng of White Jade Capital: Ninth Rank Peak;Liang Ling of Kunlun Void: Ninth Rank Peak;Luo Dongjiang of Luofu Mountain: Mid-Ninth Rank;Qiu Chanzi of Qingxu Mansion: Mid-Ninth Rank;Peng Wuyan of Kongming Island: Mid-Ninth Rank;Shi Dingtian of Taixuan Cave: Mid-Ninth Rank.

Among them, Peng Wuyan of Kongming Island caused quite a stir. As cultivators gather the essence of heaven and earth within themselves, they generally possess excellent skin and complexion; even if not all are handsome or beautiful, they are certainly never ugly. Yet, Peng Wuyan was remarkably ugly, so much so that people averted their gaze after a single glance. Having been accustomed to seeing beauties like Fairy Chu of White Jade Capital, Miss Pei of Misty Palace, and even Princess Caidie of Li Hentian recently—all first-rate beauties—the audience found the stark contrast with Peng Wuyan jarring and painful to behold.

Zu An felt a flicker of confusion. He had subtly noticed Peng Wuyan glancing at him several times without revealing anything. He had never met her before, so why was she paying him such close attention? Could it be because he was handsome?

However, another wave of gasps soon erupted in the arena as Wu Xiaofan of the Zhengyang Sect stepped forward for his test. Wu Xiaofan had thick brows, large eyes, and an ordinary appearance, looking like the epitome of an honest person in everyone's minds. Yet, his cultivation was anything but ordinary.

A Grandmaster! To be a Grandmaster at such a young age was astounding; this cultivation speed was likely unprecedented and would remain unmatched. Several sect leaders and accompanying elders from the Nine Sects promptly congratulated Wang Wuxie, their envy and jealousy practically overflowing. While Wang Wuxie feigned modesty and downplayed the achievement, he was secretly blooming with delight, eager for more praise.

Only Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue remained impassive. While they would have been astonished by such cultivation speed in the past, after witnessing Zu An's monstrous talent, Wu Xiaofan simply fell far short. Both women instinctively glanced at Zu An. At that moment, Zu An was secretly comparing these elite human disciples to the young people of the demon race. The demon race's cultivation levels were clearly higher; being a Grandmaster was not such an insurmountable hurdle for them. However, a significant portion of the demon race's power relied on bloodline awakening, which inherently allowed for faster strength progression than humans. In contrast, humans advanced through gradual learning and accumulation. While their initial speed couldn't match the demons', their potential ceiling in the later stages was somewhat higher.

Just then, another collective gasp swept through the arena. It turned out that Wan Guiyi of the Misty Palace had also tested as a Grandmaster. Wu Xiaofan had previously been trending as the number one young talent of the Daoist sects, so his Grandmaster realm wasn't entirely unexpected. However, the revelation that there was another individual of equal strength made the upcoming competitions much more exciting.

Now it was Wan Tongtian's turn to proudly puff out his chest, accepting congratulations that were outwardly enthusiastic but secretly laced with envy. "But it doesn't matter," he thought. "The more envious they are, the happier I become!"

Even Wang Wuxie felt a pang of jealousy. Wan Tongtian truly had a talented son. If he and Xuehen had ended up together back then, their child's innate talent would surely have surpassed even Wan Guiyi's. A shadow fell over his heart at the thought. He instinctively looked towards Yan Xuehen, but then froze in surprise, realizing she was staring intently at Zu An.