Chapter 1622: Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred

A graceful figure in a red top and black skirt walked onto the stage. With captivating peach-blossom eyes and a warm, cheerful smile, she instantly made a favorable impression on anyone who saw her.

However, what was most striking was the impressive amplitude that swayed with her every step. One wondered how the thin fabric managed to contain it.

Zu An was both surprised and delighted. He recalled how he had complained when the emperor sent him to Purple Mountain. Yet, coming here, he not only met Chu Chuyan and Yan Xuehen, but now he had also seen Pei Mianman, which was truly a pleasant surprise.

Even Yan Xuehen couldn't help but glance at the young woman in the arena. As Chu Chuyan's master, and given the recent events involving her and Zu An in the Demon Imperial Court, she had involuntarily inquired about every aspect of Zu An's life, and naturally knew about Pei Mianman's existence.

She had to admit that Pei Mianman and Chuyan were two extremes: one as cold as ice, the other as passionate as fire. She wondered how the two had ever become best friends.

If Chuyan hadn't been in secluded cultivation at the villa and thus absent from the venue, she would have certainly lectured her. Chuyan truly had poor judgment; befriending a woman like this was clearly inviting a wolf into the house.

Gazing at the vibrant figure in the arena, she couldn't help but slightly furrow her elegant brows, wondering what on earth the young woman had eaten to grow so well-developed at such a tender age.

***

"Huh, she's also from the Nine Sects of Taoism," Qiu Honglei murmured from the other side, her expression extremely odd. Another familiar face appearing here added another variable.

"Is this woman from the Cow Clan?" Yun Jianyue asked, feeling an inexplicable irritation. She had always been quite confident in *that* particular aspect, but now it seemed there was always someone better. "Why are your love rivals getting stronger and stronger?"

Having long conversations with her apprentice, Honglei was completely unguarded and had told her everything related to Zu An, so she naturally knew about Pei Mianman.

Now, seeing her in person, even as the Demonic Cult Master, she could subtly feel an inexplicable pressure.

"I'm quite helpless," Qiu Honglei said, rubbing her forehead. "But from another perspective, this also proves how charming Ah Zu is, and that I didn't choose the wrong person."

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but turn and stare at her for a long time. "How did I raise such a foolish apprentice?"

This girl used to seem quite clever, but lately, the more she looked, the dumber she seemed. She had absolutely no guard up against her and told her everything.

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

Yun Jianyue suddenly spoke, "What if one day your master also becomes your enemy?"

Qiu Honglei was startled for a moment, but then quickly shook her head. "No, that won't happen. No matter what, I'll always be on the same side as Master."

Yun Jianyue: "..."

Meanwhile, the reactions of the other disciples in the arena were even more intense. They were all asking each other who this great beauty was, whose beauty was no less than Chu Chuyan's, and whose physical attributes were so pronounced.

After learning her identity, many declared, "From now on, I'm Miss Pei's dog! Who needs Fairy Chu? She's an anomaly!"

Because she had been married, Chu Chuyan's popularity among the Nine Sects of Taoism had been somewhat affected.

However, some people not only saw no problem with her being married but were even more excited by it.

Due to this stunning debut, Pei Mianman instantly became a popular goddess in the Nine Sects of Taoism, comparable to Chu Chuyan.

"I've discovered that I truly like this Miss Pei. Her smile is so big... ugh, no, so *round*... wait, that's not right! So warm.""Is that 'liking'? You're just lusting after her body, you degenerate!""Aren't you lusting after her?""My 'liking' is different from yours!"

***

However, the chatter of these people was soon replaced by gasps of astonishment, because Pei Mianman placed her hand on the testing crystal.

It glowed with dazzling light: Ninth Rank!

This delicate young woman was actually Ninth Rank!

Countless disciples in the arena, who usually thought highly of themselves, were crestfallen. Had all their years of cultivation gone to waste?

Even sect leaders like Wang Wuxie couldn't help but take another look at her. Besides Wan Guiyi, the Azure Palace actually had a disciple of such outstanding talent. Could the Azure Palace really become the top of the Nine Sects in the future?

Only Master Huoling proudly raised her chin, her face beaming as she basked in the envious gazes from all directions.

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but grumble, "Master, is there something wrong with our Holy Cult's 'Heavenly Demon Enchanting Sound' cultivation method?"

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

"Before, to cultivate, I had to go into secluded training, couldn't see Brother Zu, and even almost suffered qi deviation several times, just to reach my current level. But she doesn't seem to have gone through any of that, yet she easily reached a similar level," Qiu Honglei said, her face expressing doubt that the Holy Cult's techniques were inferior to the orthodox Xuanmen sects.

Yun Jianyue was almost exasperated. "Firstly, her current cultivation level isn't as high as yours. Secondly, she must have had some extraordinary encounter to advance so quickly. This cultivation speed is definitely not something an ordinary disciple from the Azure Palace can achieve."

Someone like Wan Guiyi, who had been nurtured by the entire sect's resources since childhood, could naturally achieve this. However, Pei Mianman hadn't been in the Azure Palace for long, so logically, it would be impossible for her to reach such a speed. There could only be one explanation: a special fortuitous encounter.

"Oh~" Qiu Honglei sighed, clearly not entirely convinced by this explanation.

For a period after that, none of the tested disciples surpassed Pei Mianman in cultivation until Zhiyin from Lihentian appeared.

"Peak Ninth Rank!" Even Feng Wuchang, the Peak Master of Guanzin Peak, gave him an extra look. Although this young man was a "pretty boy," his talent was truly exceptional. Among the younger generation of the Zhengyang Sect, no one, except for Wu Xiaofan, could remotely compare to him.

"The chief disciple truly lives up to his title."

The other surrounding disciples also began to discuss who might win the championship this time.

"I support Brother Zhiyin!""I think Lou Wucheng has more hope. He has inherited the true teachings of the Longevity Sword; this time, we'll get to witness the power of the Longevity Sword firsthand.""Isn't Wu Xiaofan the foremost young talent of the Nine Sects of Taoism?""Hmph, that's just because the Zhengyang Sect is currently the strongest and they're hyping him up. I think Wan Guiyi from the Azure Palace is no less capable than him."

***

Soon, the chief disciples from each of the Nine Sects came forward.

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

Among them, Peng Wuyan from Kongming Island caused quite a stir. Cultivators, by gathering the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, generally have excellent skin and complexion; even if not all are handsome or beautiful, they are certainly never ugly.

But this Peng Wuyan was exceptionally ugly, so much so that people didn't want to look at her a second time after seeing her once.

These days, everyone had grown accustomed to seeing Fairy Chu from White Jade Capital, Miss Pei from Azure Palace, and even Princess Caidie from Lihentian, all top-tier beauties. Seeing Peng Wuyan immediately made the contrast feel incredibly stark and "burned their eyes."

Zu An felt a bit puzzled. He seemed to have subtly noticed Peng Wuyan glancing at him several times without revealing any trace. He had never met her before, so why was she paying so much attention to him?

Was it because he was handsome?

However, soon another burst of exclamations erupted in the arena, because Wu Xiaofan from the Zhengyang Sect stepped up to be tested.

Wu Xiaofan had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and his appearance was quite ordinary, looking like the honest type everyone imagined. But his cultivation was anything but ordinary.

Grandmaster!

To be a Grandmaster at such a young age—this cultivation speed was probably unprecedented and would never be seen again.

Several sect leaders and leading elders from the Nine Sects offered their congratulations to Wang Wuxie, their envy and jealousy practically overflowing.

Wang Wuxie humbly downplayed it verbally, but inwardly, he was blossoming with joy, thinking, "Keep praising me, I love to hear it."

Only Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue remained calm. In the past, they would indeed have been astonished by this cultivation speed, but after witnessing Zu An's monstrous talent, Wu Xiaofan still lagged far behind.

The two of them simultaneously glanced at Zu An, while Zu An was secretly comparing these elite disciples of human prestigious sects with the young people from the demon race. The demon race's cultivation levels were clearly higher; at least, Grandmaster wasn't an insurmountable hurdle for them. However, a large part of the demon race's power increase relied on bloodline awakening, which inherently made their strength improve faster than humans.

In contrast, humans relied on gradual accumulation through learning. Although their initial speed couldn't compare to the demon race, their potential ceiling in the later stages was higher than that of the demon race.

At this moment, another gasp echoed through the arena. It turned out that Wan Guiyi from the Azure Palace had also tested as a Grandmaster.

Wu Xiaofan had previously shown signs of becoming the top young talent among the Taoist sects, so his Grandmaster rank wasn't entirely unexpected. But no one anticipated there would be someone else equally matched with him, making the subsequent competitions much more exciting.

Now it was Wan Tongtian's turn to proudly puff out his chest and accept the congratulations from others, which were outwardly enthusiastic but inwardly sour.

But he didn't care; the more jealous they were, the happier he became!

Even Wang Wuxie felt a bit jealous. Wan Tongtian had a good son indeed. If he and Xuehen had ended up together back then, their child's talent would definitely have surpassed Wan Guiyi's.

Thinking this, his heart sank slightly. He instinctively looked towards Yan Xuehen, only to be startled, as he noticed she seemed to be staring at Zu An in a daze.