Huang Xiuwen walked through the Great Wulong Forest with a purposeful expression.

To those who knew her well, she always wore a serious demeanor, even in her sleep.

This earned her the nickname──Most Serious Sword Saint.

It was one given to her by her sect brothers and sisters.

Huang Xiuwen’s serious countenance was so intimidating that when assassins once broke into her home during her childhood, they were frightened by her stern sleeping face.

They believed she was aware of their presence, causing them to drop their swords and flee.

Because of her significant contributions to the Hall of Sacred Masters, she earned the privilege of being a respected elder.

In addition to that, Huang Xiuwen was also considered one of the Seven Great Saints.

Currently, she was following instructions from the hallmaster of the Hall of Sacred Masters to keep watch outside the Three Worlds Domain.

Even though Su Meirong had been sealed and most clans and sects in the Great Wulong Forest subdued, it was crucial to stay vigilant for any surprises.

Huang Xiuwen had her own reasons for searching the area as well.

Behind her were her two top disciples from the Hall of Sacred Masters.

The blonde-haired young man Xu Haocheng.

The red-haired beauty He Yaqi.

They both appeared worn out but refrained from complaining, as they aware of Elder Huang Xiuwen’s unpredictable communication style. They didn’t want to say anything that might be taken the wrong way, whether as praise or criticism.

Xu Haocheng glanced over at He Yaqi, and she shot him a look back.

Both clearly exhausted but refused to utter a word.

Then, He Yaqi’s face suddenly showed boldness, like she was about to say something. Continue your journey on empire

Xu Haocheng instantly became worried and shook his head vigorously as his eyes went wide──he was clearly trying to stop her.

But she ignored his warning.

The young woman with red hair took a big breath and puffed out her chest like a balloon. Her face was as hard as stone as she prepared to speak.

“Elder Huang?”

“Yes?” Huang Xiuwen looked back at the young lady.

In less than a breath of time, the confidence drained from He Yaqi’s face as she met her elder’s icy blue eyes and stern, yet strikingly beautiful face.

Xu Haocheng sighed, knowing he had warned her.

Now, He Yaqi was beginning to understand her mistake.

“Y-, you look beautiful today.”

“Does that mean I look ugly on other days?”

Indeed, Huang Xiuwen had completely misunderstood what was said.

He Yaqi nervously shuffled her feet, regretting her poorly chosen compliment. “I-, I mean, you always look great, Elder Huang. Today, um, especially so.”

Huang Xiuwen raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so I’m usually just great, but today I’ve upgraded to beautiful? Should I be concerned about my usual days then?”

He Yaqi stammered, trying to clarify, “No, Captain, that’s not what I meant at all. I just… I just meant…”

Huang Xiuwen nodded thoughtfully, unaware of the mental gymnastics Yaqi was performing to avoid offense.

“It’s fine. Now I understand how you feel. Thank you for your honesty, Core Disciple Yaqi.”

He Yaqi sighed inwardly, realizing the futility of explaining further.

“You’re welcome, Elder Huang.”

Silently, she vowed to think twice before complimenting Huang Xiuwen again.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

Meanwhile…

Yang Wei and Mu Lingxi strolled through a different part of the same forest.

Yang Wei held a blue medallion adorned with a silver dragon crest──the Moon Dragon Seal.

It was a utility treasure given to him by Yuehui Menglong, who mentioned that while their main quest was finding Fairy Su Meirong, they might stumble upon a Moon Nectar Flower.

This flower, born from refined divine essence, produced potent medicinal blooms of unparalleled purity.

The Moon Dragon Seal was crafted to detect the energy traces of these flowers and guide its bearer to their location──but only if such a flower existed nearby.

They had been walking for almost an hour, and Mu Lingxi noticed that Yang Wei had been fixated on the Moon Dragon Seal, waiting for it to light up.

A slight frown creased her face as she looked away.

I was hoping we could chat more, but he’s so fixated on treasure. Now I feel awful again… Shouldn’t I be equally concerned about my sister’s condition? I am, really, but I feel like my desires are messing up my priorities… my duty as an elder sister.

Sigh~ I seriously need some help…

Glancing back at Yang Wei, she asked, “Any luck?”

Yang Wei shook his head. “No, not yet.”

“You’ll find the cure, right? Try not to stress too much.”

She could tell how much he worried about Mu Lin and Ming Huiran’s spirit wounds. It pained her to see Yang Wei, with all his power. . . feeling helpless.

“Hmm…?” Yang Wei muttered thoughtfully, suddenly realizing he’d been so absorbed with the Moon Dragon Seal that he’d forgotten about the woman walking beside him.

He tucked the treasure into his robes and smiled at Mu Lingxi.

“What?” she asked, curious.

“Want something to drink?” Yang Wei replied.

Mu Lingxi raised her eyebrows, surprised by the offer, and simply nodded in response.

Yang Wei reached for his Dragon Space Ring.

“Yue’er loaded me up with resources, so there must be some orange juice here.”

As he started to access the ring, it suddenly emitted a bright green glow that momentarily blinded them both.

“Arrgh──!!”

“So bright…”

When the light faded, Yang Wei and Mu Lingxi were shocked to their core.

There sat a stunning woman with long black hair and pretty brown eyes similar to Mu Lingxi’s. She wore a black and golden qipao that matched the beauty of her shapely body. Even though she was sitting awkwardly on the ground, rubbing her sore, plumpy buttocks in discomfort, she managed to maintain a graceful appearance.

But what stunned them most was her identity──they both recognized her immediately!

“LIN’ER?!”

The two exclaimed loudly.

Indeed, it was Mu Lin.

Brushing dry leaves from her smooth hair, she looked annoyed. “Sigh~ could you two not burst my eardrums with your shouting?”she snapped in her usual salty tone.

Yang Wei knelt beside her, checking her flawless skin for any scratches. “Wh-, what in the four continents are you doing here, Lin’er?” he asked, bewildered.

Mu Lingxi pursed her lips and crossed her arms, clearly not keen on explaining herself. But after shooting her elder sister a side-eye, she straightened up and spoke out.

“Well, if you must know, I absolutely refused to let you leave for the Eastern Continent without me, your beloved wife. How could you even think of leaving without saying goodbye?”

She looked at him with eyes full of sadness and affection.

────Sigh~

Closing his eyes to gather his thoughts, Yang Wei lifted Mu Lin from the ground as if she were a baby or a cute little puppy.

The gesture immediately swept Mu Lin into a romantic mood.

Oooo~

Blushing, she placed a gentle hand on Yang Wei’s chest and snuggled into his arms.

Her cheeks were flushed.

“Oh, Husband~ must you always be so romantic to distract me? We can’t exactly do this in the bushes, that would be rather improper, don’t you think?”

She giggled playfully, awaiting his response.

Yang Wei looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

“I was going to tell you I was leaving. But He Dongmei said you were resting, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Mu Lin placed a finger on her chin, looking innocent. “Oh, I might have asked her to say that…” she admitted sheepishly.

Yang Wei clicked his teeth, making a loud clapping sound.

“I’ll have to give her a stern talking-to when we get back.”

He thought He Dongmei had probably lied about Mu Lin sleeping, but he chose to overlook it, not expecting things to turn out this way.

Mu Lingxi sighed as she watched the two. “I don’t think we can take her back to the sect either. Her body might not handle our speed.”

Mu Lin shot her sister a glare, then wrapped her arms around Yang Wei’s neck. “Even if I could go back, why would I? You must know by now that I simply can’t leave my beloved with a man-stealer like you, sister.”

Sigh~

Yang Wei stared blankly ahead, fully aware that things were not going to improve at all.

This was the worst possible outcome.

“Still better than Mingyu…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep