Chapter 1398: Nine Yi Mountain

Both women's faces were covered in a fine sheen of fragrant sweat. Their normally flowing hair at their temples was damp with perspiration, sticking to their skin, and their faces were flushed with an unnatural redness. This made them appear even more captivating and alluring than usual.

For a moment, they resembled the most sought-after courtesans in a brothel, displaying their most alluring and provocative side.

Zu'an, however, quickly chuckled to himself. What brothel could boast such exceptionally beautiful courtesans?

Yan Xuehen shot him a look. "What, do you want something bad to happen to us?"

"Of course not," Zu'an chuckled awkwardly. He then glanced at Yu Yanluo, who was still sitting upright, eyes closed, expelling the poison.

Yun Jianyue said, "We've completely forced out the evil poison. Fortunately, we didn't inhale it directly, so the poisoning wasn't deep. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble. I never imagined such a vile and disgusting beast existed in this world."

At the thought of the slimy, tentacled monster, Yan Xuehen nodded in agreement. For women, the mere thought of such a creature was enough to induce physical discomfort.

Zu'an's expression grew strange upon hearing that both of them had completely expelled the poison. As expected of arch-rivals, their cultivation levels were so similar that they even finished expelling the poison at the exact same time.

At that moment, Yun Jianyue noticed his expression and said with a half-smile, "What, you seem disappointed to hear that we've expelled the poison?"

Zu'an laughed heartily. "Indeed! I was originally thinking if two beautiful ladies couldn't expel the poison, I'd sacrifice my body to help you both detoxify."

"Shameless!" Yan Xuehen spat. She couldn't believe this guy could utter such thoughts with a straight face.

Yun Jianyue had intended to tease him, but unexpectedly, she found herself being teased instead. Though usually fierce, she was still a maiden and couldn't withstand such bold jokes. "You rascal! If anyone else dared to speak such vulgar words to me, I'd have ripped out their tongue and fed it to the dogs long ago."

Zu'an smiled faintly. "So, Sister Yun actually feels bad for me, don't you?"

"Pah!" Yun Jianyue finally couldn't take it anymore. She turned to Yan Xuehen. "Ice Maiden, should we go wash up?"

Yan Xuehen nodded. After expelling the poison, she felt sticky and quite uncomfortable.

Seeing this, Zu'an's expression suddenly became odd. Where exactly had the poison been expelled from?

"Should we help her?" After getting up and taking a few steps, Yan Xuehen looked at Yu Yanluo, who was still cultivating. Her cultivation was lower, so she wasn't as fast as them.

Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes. "Why are you worrying about her? Even if she fails to expel the poison, isn't there an antidote right beside her?"

"A stick?" Zu'an was utterly astonished that he would one day be described with such a word. As expected of someone from the Demonic Sect, Sister Yun truly used such coarse language. Yan Xuehen spat, evidently finding her description intolerable as well.

Moreover, for some reason, hearing Yun Jianyue's words made her feel strange inside, as if she had lost something.

Zu'an then said, "You still dare to go into the sea? Aren't you afraid of that giant octopus monster?"

"We're just going to wash by the shore," Yun Jianyue said proudly. "It's so close to the land, how could that huge octopus monster get here? And even if it did launch a surprise attack, with my and the Ice Maiden's cultivation, we'd have enough time to escape back to shore."

Involuntarily, an image formed in Zu'an's mind: two exquisite beauties, completely naked, frantically scrambling out of the sea. Suddenly, he found himself somewhat hoping the giant octopus monster would return.

"You rascal, no peeking!" Yun Jianyue took a few steps and then turned her head back.

"And no using your spiritual sense to snoop," Yan Xuehen added.

"Am I that kind of person?" Zu'an grumbled, a little displeased. These two women were ridiculous; it wasn't as if he hadn't seen what he should and shouldn't have seen already. They were just burying their heads in the sand.

"What are you mumbling about?" Yun Jianyue glared fiercely at him.

"Nothing, haha! Just saying for you to be careful," Zu'an quickly changed his words.

Only then did Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue leave, satisfied.

Hearing the sound of water quickly approaching from a distance, Zu'an shook his head, quickly focused his mind, and began to guard Yu Yanluo.

Meanwhile, two graceful figures vaguely floated in the seawater, their skin appearing even fairer and more captivating against the backdrop of the clear blue ocean.

Yun Jianyue secretly appraised Yan Xuehen, thinking, *This woman usually acts like she's above mortal affairs, yet she possesses such alluring breasts. They're no less impressive than mine.*

"What are you looking at?" Feeling the intense gaze, Yan Xuehen crossed her arms over her chest. Even though the other person was a woman, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Yun Jianyue reached out to touch, but her hand was slapped away. She didn't mind, saying, "Touching won't make you lose a piece of flesh."

"By the way, why do you seem so inexplicably keen on Yu Yanluo, as if you did something to wrong her and are now trying to make amends?"

Yan Xuehen was about to get angry, but that question made her feel a little guilty. She quickly explained, "It was because I chased after them and severely injured her. Of course, I feel a bit guilty about that."

"Is that really it?" Yun Jianyue was suspicious and was about to ask more when she saw Yu Yanluo, her face flushed, jogging over. Clearly, she had also finished expelling the poison.

Yun Jianyue then felt awkward asking further.

Due to the lingering trauma from the giant octopus monster, none of them dared to frolic in the sea. After bathing, they quickly came ashore.

"Ice Maiden, lend a hand." After coming ashore, Yun Jianyue didn't rush to get dressed; instead, she spoke to Yan Xuehen.

Yu Yanluo was a little puzzled, but then she saw Yan Xuehen wave her hand. Ice and snow began to swirl around them, enveloping their bodies. Flakes of snow brushed against them, wiping away the residual seawater, a sight that filled Yu Yanluo with admiration.

The women then dressed and approached Zu'an.

"Xiao Anzi, you weren't peeking just now, were you?" Yun Jianyue's face showed a hint of a dangerous smile.

"If I wanted to look, I'd do it openly. Why would I need to sneak a peek?" Zu'an took off the leaf covering his eyes and huffed irritably.

Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo blushed. They had both been 'openly seen' by this guy before.

As for Yun Jianyue, she also felt a little guilty, because she, too, had been seen...

Fortunately, Zu'an didn't dwell on the issue. "By the way, while you were bathing, I scouted around and found a stone tablet at the foot of the mountain ahead."

The three women's spirits immediately lifted. In this unknown place where everything was a mystery, finding a stone tablet likely meant a valuable discovery.

The women quickly followed Zu'an towards the stone tablet. Seeing their skirts fluttering, Zu'an suddenly spoke, "Could you give me a set of your clothes?"

He wondered if women were just naturally endowed with many clothes; after all this time, he hadn't seen them wear the same outfit twice.

"What do you want them for?" The three women looked at him warily.

"I have a skill that requires clothes," Zu'an said, his face betraying no emotion. It had been a long time; it was about time to update his 'Pinru's Wardrobe' to avoid any issues when he might need it in the future.

Having been together for so long, they knew Zu'an was quite reliable. Hearing it was related to a skill, they had no doubts and readily agreed, each rummaging through their storage space.

"I need ones that have been worn," Zu'an reminded them, wondering if 'Pinru's Wardrobe' would be effective if the clothes were brand new and unused.

The three women simultaneously stopped their actions. "Pervert!" They then ignored him completely, walking forward without looking back.

Zu'an finally reacted. "Oh, you misunderstood! I don't mean 'original scent' or anything, I just need them to have been worn! Ugh, why is this so hard to explain..."

The group, bickering and laughing, finally arrived at the stone tablet Zu'an had mentioned.

"'Mount Jiuyi'?" After Zu'an's interpretation, Yun Jianyue's phoenix eyes narrowed. "Ice Maiden, have you ever heard of this mountain?"

"No," Yan Xuehen shook her head. They were both well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet they had never heard of this place name.

Zu'an also felt that the mountain name sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it before.

Just then, a distant voice echoed, "A puppet curse from the White Emperor lineage?"