Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Chapter 216

Staring at the two figures in the formation, Xu Ming furrowed his brows, falling into deep thought.

He never expected Wu Yanhan to be sent as an envoy to Tianxuan Sect.

Even more surprising, Mo Zhuer was here as well.

How did Mo Zhuer even sneak in?

Tianxuan Sect had repeatedly emphasized how strict the security would be during the Zixia Grand Ceremony.

And this is what they call “strict”?

Just as Xu Ming wondered if he was hallucinating or had seen wrong, Wu Yanhan and Mo Zhuer clashed again.

With the protection of the Yuanyang Cauldron, Wu Yanhan’s attacks were completely neutralized.

Meanwhile, Mo Zhuer launched attacks without restraint, her flexible sword leaving one mark after another on Wu Yanhan.

Watching how skillfully Mo Zhuer controlled the Yuanyang Cauldron, Xu Ming confirmed that she had already refined it.

When a cultivator refines a semi-immortal artifact, the improvement to their strength is nothing short of a qualitative leap.

Fortunately, given Mo Zhuer’s current cultivation level, even with the Yuanyang Cauldron fully submitting to her, her insufficient spiritual energy made it impossible for her to use it for long periods.

Wu Yanhan had clearly noticed this. Instead of engaging Mo Zhuer head-on, she maneuvered around, striking whenever she saw an opening. If the strike landed, great; if not, she’d pull back. Her approach was calculated and clever.

Mo Zhuer frowned, visibly frustrated by Wu Yanhan’s persistent, fly-like tactics.

Seizing a moment when Mo Zhuer faltered in her control of the Yuanyang Cauldron, Wu Yanhan pulled back to create distance, then threw a powerful punch straight at Mo Zhuer.

Mo Zhuer’s lips curled into a smirk. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Dark light burst forth behind her, forming tails like those of a nine-tailed fox. These tails shot toward Wu Yanhan, who was already mid-motion and unable to change direction.

Even as the dark light streaked toward her, Wu Yanhan’s composure didn’t waver.

Her martial soul manifestation enveloped her protectively, while her fist’s energy grew even more ferocious. The spiritual energy in the air twisted violently around her punch, clearly showing that Wu Yanhan intended to trade injuries for a decisive blow.

The punch came too fast. Its energy pressed down on Mo Zhuer like a mountain, leaving her no room to dodge.

The onlookers held their breath, watching this final clash with bated anticipation.

No matter who won, it was certain that both sides would sustain significant injuries.

Though the formation offered some protection, it wasn’t all-encompassing.

The formation was designed to prevent fatal injuries or damage to the Dao foundation, activating only when one side’s life was in danger or their Dao was at risk.

However, injuries below that threshold would still have to be borne by the participants themselves.

After all, activating the formation consumed a significant amount of spirit stones, and maintaining it afterward was costly as well. Even with Tianxuan Sect’s vast resources, such waste wasn’t sustainable.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted as thick smoke and dust rose within the formation.

All eyes were wide, fixated on the scene, eager to see who had emerged victorious.

“Eh? Where’s Brother Xu?”

Yu Wenxi, who had been focused entirely on the formation, suddenly realized Xu Ming was nowhere to be seen.

When the dust cleared, Yu Wenxi finally spotted him.

Xu Ming was standing in the formation.

He had one hand gripping Wu Yanhan’s fist, while the martial soul manifestation behind him blocked several streaks of dark light aimed at her.

His blue robes fluttered in the wind generated by spiritual energy and martial energy colliding.

Though a faint trace of blood seeped from the corner of his lips, Xu Ming appeared otherwise unscathed.

“What? He actually blocked the full-force attacks from both of these women at the same time?”

“Who is this guy?”

“You don’t know? That’s Xu Ming.”

“Huh? The Xu Ming? The one who defeated Senior Brother Chen and ranks second on the Qingyun List?”

“So that’s him?”

“Yeah, it’s him.”

“But why did he step into the formation?”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? Wu Yanhan was annulled from her engagement, and the one who did it was Xu Ming. Technically, Xu Ming is her ex-fiancé! If you see your ex-fiancée about to get hurt, wouldn’t you step in to help?”

Outside the formation, the crowd erupted into another round of chatter, marveling at Xu Ming’s strength and equally astonished by the revelation that he was the one who annulled the engagement with Wu Yanhan.

Inside the formation, Wu Yanhan stared at Xu Ming standing in front of her, a hint of surprise in her expression. Clearly, she hadn’t expected to see Xu Ming here at Tianxuan Sect, much less standing protectively in front of her.

Is he here to help me? Or is he helping that veiled woman?

On the other hand, Mo Zhuer’s lips curved slightly when she saw Xu Ming. “Young Master Xu, it’s been a while. What’s this? Are you afraid I’ll harm your little fiancée, so you’ve come to help her fight me? Isn’t that a bit unfair, Young Master Xu?”

“You know her?” Wu Yanhan asked, her tone carrying a hint of frost.

“I do,” Xu Ming nodded.

“Know me? Oh, it’s much more than that,” Mo Zhuer said with a sly smile. “We’ve spent some very pleasant time together, haven’t we, Young Master Xu?”

Xu Ming: “…”

If it were in the past, before the incident with Mo Zhuer, Xu Ming would have stood firmly on Wu Yanhan’s side.

But now, every time he saw Mo Zhuer, the memories of that night at the Yuanyang Cauldron surfaced in his mind, filling his heart with a complicated mix of emotions.

“Whose side are you on?” Wu Yanhan asked again, her gaze locked onto Xu Ming.

“Neither,” Xu Ming sighed. “This is just a sparring match; there’s no need for either of you to go so far. Even if there’s no danger to your lives, you’ll both still suffer significant injuries. The Zixia Grand Ceremony is meant to be a joyous occasion. We’re all guests here; there’s no need for things to escalate like this.”

Xu Ming’s declaration of neutrality might have sounded fair, but to both Wu Yanhan and Mo Zhuer, it only hinted at his complicated feelings for the other, making them both feel a little more unsettled.

“Fine, since Young Master Xu says so, I’ll listen to him,” Mo Zhuer said first.

She put away the Yuanyang Cauldron, and her flexible sword coiled around her slender waist, tying itself into a belt.

“Young Master Xu, you’re staying at the Guest Peak, right? I’ll come visit you later. Wait for me~” she said as she brushed past Xu Ming, leaving the formation with a playful smile.

On the other side, Wu Yanhan lowered her fists but continued to watch Xu Ming out of the corner of her eye.

Although it had only been half a year since they last met, Wu Yanhan felt like Xu Ming had grown taller, his features sharper and more resolute than before.

“It’s been a while. Want to come sit at my courtyard?” Xu Ming asked, turning toward Wu Yanhan.

“Hmph! Not going!” Wu Yanhan replied, clearly irritated, before turning and walking out of the formation in a huff.