Tangshan Prefecture City, within the Sky Survey Division.

A young woman in white robes was calmly looking at the pond in front of her, occasionally tossing some fish food into it to watch the fish scramble.

The woman's long hair was held up by a phoenix hairpin, her figure graceful, as if a fairy had stepped out of a painting. Her beauty was undoubtedly top-tier, no less than that of Madam Xu.

With an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and thin lips, if Chen Yuan were here, he would certainly recognize her as the long-absent Fish Fairy, Yu Qingyan!

She was the current senior disciple of the Goddess Palace, highly valued by the palace. Coupled with her exceptional talent, she had transitioned from the former Fish Fairy to the current number one beauty in the Central Plains.

Although this claim only circulated in Yun Prefecture, the other prefectures did not react much, neither agreeing nor objecting.

Mainly, this "beauty" thing was somewhat unsubstantial. Apart from a few busybodies who were enthusiastic, most people's reactions were quite indifferent.

If Yu Qingyan could reach the top of the Wind and Cloud Rankings, she would be able to truly secure the title of number one beauty.

However, she didn't have much interest in that.

In her view, no matter how stunning you are, if your cultivation is low, you will still turn into a pile of bones after a hundred years, far inferior to truly embarking on the path to immortality.

"Senior Sister Yu." Chen Yanshu, dressed in a brown dress, walked forward gracefully and greeted her.

She was quite close to Yu Qingyan. Within the Goddess Palace, besides the Great Elder, Yu Qingyan took the most care of her.

Their relationship naturally became closer.

"Finished chatting?" Yu Qingyan turned her head and asked softly.

"Yes, I'm done. Sister Xu even gave me many treasures." A few days ago, after finishing their work, they arrived at Tangshan Prefecture City.

But Chen Yuan wasn't there. Madam Xu received them, gave them high courtesy, and often asked her and Shangguan Hong to chat when they were free.

And she also saw the clues in Madam Xu's attitude. That Miss Shangguan probably also had a close relationship with Chen Yuan, just not sure how deep it was.

Was it deeper than hers?

"Is Chen Yuan really that good? Are you all so set on him?" Yu Qingyan put on a senior sister's demeanor and lectured Chen Yanshu, with a hint of disappointment.

According to the rules of the Goddess Palace, female disciples cannot marry outside, unless with the consent of the elders. Chen Yanshu happened to be in that position, having already received the approval of her master, Li Suqing.

Even she couldn't say much.

But even though that was the case, she still felt uncomfortable. Chen Yanshu possessed the Phoenix Marrow Spirit Body, with extremely high talent, not much worse than her own. But her heart was set on Chen Yuan.

It was truly a pity.

It wasn't that she thought Chen Yuan was bad. On the contrary, Chen Yuan, who had now achieved fame and influence, was someone she looked up to and a goal she aimed to surpass. She actually admired him a lot.

But admiration was admiration. Wasting talent was something she couldn't bear to see.

But Chen Yanshu was so devoted that she couldn't do anything. ....

Especially thinking about Chen Yuan's indifferent attitude towards her in the past, she felt even more annoyed. However, she could only suppress these feelings because Chen Yuan had helped her.

For her sake, he even directly killed Gu He, creating a huge problem with the Gu family. And the condition they had agreed upon was never fulfilled because they hadn't seen each other since then.

So, this time when Chen Yuan sent a letter asking her to come, she came without much hesitation. With Chen Yuan's cultivation and strength, he didn't need her, a small Grandmaster who had just entered the Core Realm, to help.

But... what if?

What if Chen Yuan needed her help?

"Senior Sister Yu, you don't understand the taste of loving someone." Chen Yanshu smiled, her eyes somewhat reminiscent. When she first met Chen Yuan, she was actually a little scared.

Because Chen Yuan's attitude on the surface was to take away the Phoenix Marrow Qi.

She agreed, that was best, and she could offer some conditions to compensate her. If she didn't agree, she had no doubt that Chen Yuan would use some means.

Later, she used Chen Yuan to deal with the persistently pestering Bei family father and son, and the result was obvious. Chen Yuan chopped off Bei Le's head in a few days, and she could only obediently submit.

This was their first interaction. Chen Yuan left a deep impression on her. From then on, she had some inexplicable feelings in her heart. As time passed, they interacted more and more.

She also became more and more deeply involved. By the time she realized it, she had already found herself unable to escape Chen Yuan.

"The path of love will only hinder cultivation." Yu Qingyan replied after a moment of silence.

"Hehe..." Chen Yanshu smiled, disagreeing with this statement. She was clearly working harder to cultivate in order to be able to help Chen Yuan.

However, she didn't dwell on this topic and instead asked:

"Don't just talk about me. Speaking of which, what exactly did Yuan Lang ask you to come here for? You won't even tell me. Do you not trust me?"

"I don't even know myself. You've been cultivating with me in the Goddess Palace. Don't you understand me? When have I ever been involved with Chen Yuan?" Yu Qingyan asked back.

"That's true..." Chen Yanshu muttered in a low voice, then continued:

"Then what did Sister Xu invite you over to chat about last night?"

She wasn't meeting Madam Xu for the first time. Their relationship was actually quite good, and they exchanged letters from time to time. Also, because of her relationship with Chen Yuan and her age, Chen Yanshu naturally called her "Sister Xu."

Shangguan Hong was the same.

"Nothing."

Yu Qingyan pursed her lips and turned her head imperceptibly, a hint of unusual redness flashing across her cheeks.

"Really?"

Chen Yanshu was a little suspicious.

"Of course it's true." Yu Qingyan took a deep breath, calmed the color on her face, and answered very solemnly.

The truth was naturally not like this, but she couldn't say it in front of Chen Yanshu because Madam Xu was very close to her, even treating her as her sister in her words!

She even asked when she and Chen Yuan got involved...

Yu Qingyan naturally racked her brains to explain, but Madam Xu just smiled. Although she didn't ask anything else, that look in her eyes felt a little strange. ....

She had to stay away from Madam Xu as much as possible, preparing to ask Chen Yuan for the truth after he came back. If there was nothing wrong, she should go back to Yun Prefecture to continue her cultivation.

It wasn't that she was sitting on pins and needles. Within the backyard of the entire Sky Survey Division, apart from some maids, the other three people, Chen Yanshu and Shangguan Hong, were all Chen Yuan's women. What was she, an outsider, doing staying here?

What would happen to her reputation if this got out?

Although she was determined not to marry, she couldn't let people gossip, could she?

To say she was moved, not really. But she did have a slight strange feeling towards Chen Yuan, something that couldn't be explained, and she had to try her best to suppress it.

When she formed her Core, she had passed the Devilish Barrier. The most dangerous moment was when the Devilish projected as Chen Yuan, almost causing her to sink. For this reason, she didn't see Chen Yanshu for more than a month.

So, she didn't really want to see Chen Yuan.

However, the thing she had agreed to do had not been settled, so she had to come.

It was definitely not because she wanted to see Chen Yuan!

"Alright then." Seeing Yu Qingyan's unwillingness to say more, Chen Yanshu couldn't force her anymore, but sighed softly and said:

"You said Yuan Lang called us to Tangshan, but he disappeared without a trace. What does he mean? I asked Sister Xu just now, and she said she wasn't sure either.

Senior Sister, do you think something happened to Yuan Lang?"

Her face was filled with worry.

When Chen Yuan had an accident in Liang Prefecture City, her heart jumped to her throat, bypassed some of the formations in the Goddess Palace, and wanted to sneak out to find him.

If it wasn't for her Master and Senior Sister bringing her back, she probably would have seen Chen Yuan a long time ago.

It had been a long time since they last parted. She was also a little anxious and wanted to see Chen Yuan, even if it was just for a moment, so she wouldn't have to look at his portrait and miss him every day.

"Your Yuan Lang is now a high-ranking official in the imperial court who governs the three southern states, a rare expert in the martial world. Not long ago, he first beheaded the leader of Mount Liang, the Demon Saber Guan Hai, then killed Yaoxin of the Bright Light Temple, and even shattered the Dharma Body of the head of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain in public. How many people in the world can threaten him?

Yanshu, you're thinking too much."

Yu Qingyan glanced at Chen Yanshu.

"That's true."

Mentioning Chen Yuan's glorious achievements, Chen Yanshu's face showed a look of pride, which was a little different from her previous heroic appearance.

"You said Yuan Lang is so powerful, are there many women who like him?" Chen Yanshu rolled her eyes, looked at the swimming spirit fish below, and asked unobtrusively.

"Probably. Most women are attracted to the strong. Chen Yuan has achieved great things at a young age, so naturally many women covet him. You have to be careful, don't marry into the Chen family and become the youngest..." Yu Qingyan snorted softly.

"That's right, Senior Sister. Now that you mention it, there's really a possibility. The one in the capital is from a powerful family, Miss Shangguan is also from one of the five great families, and although Sister Xu doesn't have such a deep background, she helps Yuan Lang manage the family business and has the highest status. Only me, I have no strength, no family background, alas... If only I had a sister to be with me."

Chen Yanshu sighed softly, but her eyes were bright. She was very close to Yu Qingyan and dared to joke in front of her. ....

Sure enough, hearing this, Yu Qingyan understood Chen Yanshu's implication, took a deep breath, pretended not to understand, and said softly: "Junior Sister Chen, you are a disciple of the Goddess Palace. In terms of family background, who can compare to you?"

"I'm just an insignificant disciple of the Goddess Palace, not comparable to them. If I had your status, Senior Sister Yu, I wouldn't have to be secretly sad."

"Alright, go back and cultivate quickly." Yu Qingyan's face changed, and she coughed lightly.

"Alright, alright, I'll go now. Senior Sister Yu, you can slowly feed the fish." Chen Yanshu said quickly and left the small courtyard. In the blink of an eye, only Yu Qingyan was left.

Yu Qingyan threw another piece of fish food into the pond in front of her, remained silent for a long time, and sighed softly. The sigh lingered in the courtyard for a long time.

"I didn't expect the famous Fish Fairy to have worries too."

Suddenly, a heavy male voice echoed in Yu Qingyan's ear, causing her eyebrows to twitch instantly. It felt very familiar. She turned around to look.

A young man in a black martial arts robe with a golden belt appeared behind her.

The man had a solid physique, a slender figure, long black hair tied up in a bun, eyes like stars, eyebrows like swords, a nose like a dragon, and a faint smile on the corners of his mouth.

He exuded a strange mixture of Dao rhythm and domineering aura.

"You..."

Yu Qingyan's pupils constricted deeply. She had to admit that Chen Yuan's attire, after not seeing him for so long, suddenly stirred something in Yu Qingyan's heart.

She was amazed!

There was not only beauty in women in the world, but also in men.

Chen Yuan's appearance was definitely top-notch in the world. Only Jiang He was a little stronger than him, but that was just in terms of appearance. If combined with the powerful aura on his body, they were actually not much different, each with their own merits.

"What? After not seeing each other for a while, the Fish Fairy doesn't recognize Chen anymore?" Chen Yuan smiled softly and stepped forward. With his current cultivation, he could cover the entire Sky Survey Division with a single thought.

Naturally, he also discovered Yu Qingyan here. After thinking for a moment, he decided to meet her in person to tell her about their relationship.

"Who doesn't recognize the famous Marquis of Wu'an?" Yu Qingyan took a deep breath, her face remained calm.

"Chen thought that the Fish Fairy would call him Brother Chen?"

"That was before. Now that you are a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, governing the three southern states, with high status and power, how dare Qingyan overstep?" Yu Qingyan replied.

"Don't be so formal..."

Chen Yuan waved his hand and walked closer to Yu Qingyan, standing side by side with her to look at the fish in the pond below. The strong male scent on his body also spread to Yu Qingyan's nose, and she couldn't help but create some distance.

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became a little ambiguous.

Calming her mood, Yu Qingyan broke the brief silence and said:

"You sent a message asking Yanshu and me to come to Tangshan Prefecture. What exactly is going on?"

"Want to know?"

"Of course, otherwise why would I come?"

"Do you remember what happened in Wu Emperor City back then?" Chen Yuan turned his head and asked.

"What happened?"

Yu Qingyan frowned, feeling a little puzzled. ....

"Back then, you promised me that as long as I helped you solve the trouble with Gu He, you would agree to do one thing for me. What's wrong? Does the Fairy want to go back on her word?"

Chen Yuan asked with a smile that was not a smile.

Yu Qingyan's face was a little unnatural:

"I naturally remember that matter. However, you are a Marquis of Wu'an with such great strength. Is there really anything that you need a mere Grandmaster to help with?"

"Yes."

"That's..." Yu Qingyan was stunned for a moment when she heard this. She looked at Chen Yuan carefully and saw that his expression didn't seem fake. A hint of seriousness appeared on her face:

"What do you want me to do? Tell me."

"Will the Fairy break her word?"

"Of course not. Although I'm not as trustworthy as you, I know the meaning of trust and righteousness. I won't change what I promised. Brother Chen, just say it. As long as Qingyan can help, I will definitely not refuse."

Yu Qingyan said very seriously.

"I heard..." Chen Yuan stared into Yu Qingyan's eyes and asked word by word:

"I heard that the Fairy possesses a Taiyin Body. Is this true?"

A look of surprise flashed in Yu Qingyan's eyes. Apart from a few elders in the Goddess Palace, no one in the martial world knew that she possessed a Taiyin Body.

And with the naked eye, you naturally couldn't see these things. How did Chen Yuan know?

"Who did you hear that from?" She quickly asked, frowning.

"The Fairy just needs to answer yes or no."

Yu Qingyan was silent for a moment and nodded:

"Yes."

"That's good."

"What exactly do you want to say?"

Yu Qingyan suddenly felt a little ominous.

"Chen has recently encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation and urgently needs a natural spiritual energy to help me break through. The Taiyin Qi in the Fairy's body is the most suitable thing..."

Chen Yuan didn't look at Yu Qingyan and said with his hands behind his back.

"What?" Yu Qingyan was shocked when she heard this and immediately shook her head:

"No way."

"The Fairy just agreed."

"I...I...Anyway, this is not possible. You...you can change to another request." Yu Qingyan's face turned pale, Taiyin Body and Phoenix Marrow Spirit Body were different.

That spiritual energy couldn't be taken out by ordinary methods. You could only go deep into dangerous places, enter and exit repeatedly, to take out that Taiyin Qi. She had already learned about this from the ancient books of the Goddess Palace.

Chen Yuan had done her a favor. If he asked her to help, she would naturally not refuse, but this matter concerned her innocence and she definitely couldn't agree rashly.

Chen Yuan smiled:

"With Chen's current strength and cultivation, what else can the Fish Fairy help me with?"

"This..."

Yu Qingyan was speechless for a moment, because what Chen Yuan said was indeed correct. One was an invincible Transformation Yang Realm cultivator, and the other was just a mere Core Realm Grandmaster. What could she help with?

She couldn't get involved in such a level of battle.

"Forget it, forget it, if the Fish Fairy is unwilling, then forget it. This request is now void." Seeing Yu Qingyan's expression, Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, he sighed softly, and turned to leave.

"Wait..."

Yu Qingyan stopped Chen Yuan.

"Does the Fairy have anything else?" Chen Yuan turned around.

"Can the Taiyin Qi...be extracted in another way?" Yu Qingyan lowered her head and asked in a deep voice.

"This..."

Just as Chen Yuan was about to say something, suddenly, Chen Yanshu, dressed in a brown pleated dress, walked in from outside the courtyard, holding a water bag in her hand, and said to Yu Qingyan:

"Senior Sister, look..."

She was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly saw Chen Yuan in a black robe and froze in place. After a moment of silence, a look of joy appeared on her face, and she quickly said:

"Yuan Lang, you're back?"

Saying that, she couldn't suppress the longing in her heart and wanted to step forward, but perhaps she suddenly saw Chen Yuan and lost her composure. She used a little too much force and crushed the water bag, and a wisp of spiritual liquid slowly flowed out.

Chen Yanshu looked down and exclaimed:

"Ah, the water flowed out..."