The exhausted Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue had stepped into the golden shimmering portal that was beyond the gates of the golden citadel.

They had a smile on them. It was because although they had almost depleted most of the profound strength but they had finally cleared the final trial and would be exiting soon.

The profound strength that they had expended was based on the strength of their profound energies. After a short period of cultivation, their profound strength would recover.

This was different from Yuan Ji’s loss of profound strength when he just had his breakthrough which used up almost all the profound energies in his inner cultivation sea. This loss of profound strength was many times more difficult to recover back as the spiritual essences of the soul sea was used up to expand the spiritual boundaries of the soul sea to the next realm level.

That was the reason why Yuan Ji had his profound strength weakened to the fourth realm level even though he was technical a half-step seventh realm saint. Only when he had fully stabilized his inner cultivation core in his soul sea would he be considered a full saint.

At that time Yuan Ji had already used up all his reserved spirit stones for his forced breakthrough.

That was also the main reason why he had left his cultivation retreat immediately after his breakthrough because he had run out of spirit stones. He did not have more because he had actually bankrupted his sect for his breakthrough and his sect was not a rich sect.

Yuan Ji muttered aloud at the same time, “I wonder what the rewards for clearing the complete trial of the Sword Lotus Mansion will be? Maybe it will be a thousand high grade spirit stones.”𝗇𝑜𝑣𝗲𝗅𝒏𝑒xt.𝚌𝑜𝓜

He had purposely said that aloud so that Xiang Li could hear him and he hoped to influence the rewards to some extends.

Ling Feiyue giggled softly when she had heard him. A thousand high grade spirit stones were nothing to her.

But to Yuan Ji, it was actually a lot. If he had a thousand high grade spirit stones, he would have completed his seventh realm breakthrough a lot sooner.

His speed of breakthrough however was still considered a lot faster than most cultivators because of his natural talents.

It was just not as fast as compared to the cultivators that were from the super rich celestial clans like Xue Qianxue and Ling Feiyue. They could literally throw spirit stones away without a single care.

Because Xue Qianxue and Ling Feiyue could afford the high grade spirit stones, they had only remained half-step saints for only a few short months while most cultivators would need six months, a year, three years and even ten years depending on their cultivation resources and the richness of the spiritual veins of the mountains that they were at.

In a blink of an eye, they found themselves in a golden hallway and there was a white hall in front of them.

They gave a discreet nod to each other before flashing into the white hall.

A statuesque picturesque maiden was standing with her hands folding in a polite etiquette in front of them.

When Yuan Ji saw her, he was a little startled because this statuesque peerless maiden was a more mature maiden than his spirit entity and was at the height of her beauty. His spirit entity was like a young teen that was a blossoming flower while this maiden was the blossomed flower.

A thin veil of transparent silk covered her revealing curved bosoms and her thighs but hide nothing to the eyes; it was obvious that she was not wearing any body lingerie or undies.

Yuan Ji silently frowned, “Isn’t that Xiang Li? She may as well be naked. She is just wearing a paper thin towel. One pull from my fingers and she will be stripped in all her naked glory in front of me. Moreover, she is wearing silk that doesn’t hide her body…”

He was staring hard at her perky bosoms…and was drooling.

When this statuesque peerless maiden saw Yuan Ji, she winked her eyes with a mischievous look before saying serenely. “I am the spirit entity of the trials and I am here to welcome your triumphs and to reward you for your trials.”

Ling Feiyue was gasping softly, “You are the trial’s spirit entity? I have never heard of such a thing. This is the first time that I am aware that the trial has a spirit entity.”

The statuesque peerless maiden smiled gently as she nodded in Ling Feiyue’s direction, “It is because this trial won’t be opened again for a long time.”

Ling Feiyue was startled at the revelation, “What happens? Has something happened?”

The statuesque peerless maiden smiled, “It is the nature of the trial to go into slumber after a period of time. It is nothing unusual.”

Ling Feiyue heaved a soft sigh of relief as she nodded.

Yuan Ji muttered silently, “It is because Xiang Li is taking a vacation in my divine sword. Should I tell Xiang Li that I will be dead in four months’ time? I wonder what her reaction will be. She will probably be the first spirit entity to die outside the trial…”

He began to rub his chin as he chuckled silently, “I can’t wait to see her reaction.”

When a master of a spirit entity died, the spirit entity would die along with the master.

The statuesque peerless maiden smiled, “There is another reason why I have appeared and that is to deliver to you a revelation on your past, present and future.”

Yuan Ji: ???

Ling Feiyue also had a perplexed look.

“I’m the samsara of your past, present and future. I am actually touched by the love story of your past reincarnations.”

Ling Feiyue gasped softly, “We know each other in our past reincarnation?”

The statuesque peerless maiden nodded with a gentle smile, “It is not only a past reincarnation but three previous reincarnations as well.”

She waved a hand as she displayed two blurry images of them for them to view.

Then she pointed at Yuan Ji and said quietly, “In your first reincarnation, he is your senior protégé brother and you are his little protégé sister. He had died protecting you from a desolate beast and you had committed suicide shortly after because you missed him so much.”

*’Little protégé sister, be strong. My life is no consequences to yours. As long as I can protect your life, I am happy…’*

*’Senior protégé brother, I don’t want to leave you…’*

“In your second reincarnation, you are an assassin and he is the target of your assassination. But because he loved you, he allowed you to pierce his heart. And when you realized that you were also in love with him, you took your own life.”

*’I treat you as my friend, why did you want to kill me?’*

*’I hope that when I had died, you will forever remember me…’*

*’Why didn’t you retaliate…why didn’t you?!’*

“In your third reincarnation, the two of you are cultivators from two rival celestial clans. In the end, the two of you can’t put aside your clan rivalries and he gave up his life for you so that you can put aside your hatred for his celestial clan.”

*’I’m staking my life for you to put down your hatred for my sect. I’m staking my faith in you for you to drop your hatred…’*

*’Why? Why didn’t you tell me that you love me? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!’*

When Ling Feiyue saw the images that were displaying in front of her, both her hands were on her mouth and she was in tears.

She was muttering with shock and her tears were dripping silently, “To think that we have such a past together. Not just a past but three previous pasts together. And every time he had given up his life for me…”

Yuan Ji was however shouting in his soul sea, “Xiang Li! You are making this up, am I right?”

A sweet laughter was heard in his soul sea, “What do you think of my stories? Is it touching?”

“My foot!” Yuan Ji shouted. “You will only screw her up.”

“Isn’t that good? Then you can have the beauty of your heart. Consider this my reward for you and…for her.”

Yuan Ji frowned unhappily in his soul sea, “This reward is too lame!”

The statuesque peerless maiden smiled to Ling Feiyue and Yuan Ji, “Consider this my reward for you. You may proceed to the memorial stone in front to etch your names at the entrance of the trial for all to remember.”

Ling Feiyue nodded as she took a shy glance at Yuan Ji before she averted her bleary eyes, “This reward is too great. Thank you for this precious reward…”

Yuan Ji smiled bitterly at Xiang Li as he cursed her silently, “I want my 1000 high grade spirit stones. This is the lamest reward that I have ever heard.”

When Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue had walked to the memorial stone to lay their hands on it, Xiang Li was smiling behind them as she said silently. “In this lifetime, you will be together. I will be here to aid you…”

Ling Feiyue asked Yuan Ji, “What is the name that you will be displaying?”

Yuan Ji smiled, “I will use Li Yuan.”

Ling Feiyue nodded shyly, “I will use Ling Feiyang.”

Yuan Ji whispered to her, “Don’t listen to her nonsenses. She is just skipping the rewards for us.”

Ling Feiyue lowered her glances shyly, “It is real. I can feel it. Just like I can feel you right now.”

Yuan Ji: …

Yuan Ji: …

Yuan Ji: …

Just as Yuan Ji had wanted to protest further, there was a bright shimmering light and they were being sent back to the outside of the trials.

Xiang Li smiled gently as she sent them away. “Of course there is a real reward. It is a hidden reward that can purify your inner spiritual seas. One day, you will kowtow in front of me and you will be kissing my foot in return of my gratitude for you.”

Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue were now outside the trials and they had found themselves back to the desolate valley where they had come from.

Outside there were thousands of cultivators who were still camping around the area as they waited for the results of their companions and rivals.

Above the desolate valley, two names had suddenly appeared and they were Li Yuan and Ling Feiyang!

Almost immediately, all the cultivators were aroused and they were all looking at the cliffs where the two names had appeared.

“Look, these are the names of the first two cultivators that have completed the trials…”

“Li Yuan? Ling Feiyang?”

“Who is this Li Yuan?”

“I know Ling Feiyang…”

“I’ve met them inside the trials earlier…”

“They are actually saint cultivators…”

“They are seven realm experts?!”

“This Li Yuan is too formidable…don’t mess with him…”

“Do you know that Saint Mo Xingku was killed by this Li Yuan?”

“I have heard that even Saint Wu Heng had also died because of him…”

“Just what is the background of this Li Yuan?”

“Look! There are seven more names!”

“Lu Qingyun, Fan Yuqing, Yue Lingxi, Tang Xuefeng, Qian Jingjing, Feng Minyue, Xuan Danfeng…”

“Who are they?”

“I know them…because I was killed by that demon Lu Qingyun just a while ago…”

“I was killed by them too…”

“I think quite a few of us are killed by them…”

“I had overheard them counting the merit points before I was killed…”

“Before I die, I was their 10,100 merit points…”

Immediately after Yuan Ji and Ling Feiyue had exited the trials, they had quickly exited the desolate valley.

Ling Feiyue asked him, “You’re not waiting for your two little sisters?”

Yuan Ji smiled awkwardly, “Don’t worry. They will find me no matter where I go.” He was not wrong because Hua Wuwu had placed her profound signature on him.

No sooner had he said that, two sweet voices were heard calling to them. “Where do you think you’re going?”

And two lovely saintesses had flashed in front of them with jovial chuckles. “What takes the two of you so long? We are almost bored of waiting for you.”

They were indeed Hua Wuwu and Hua Baiyue.

Yuan Ji chuckled, “Actually if you are bored of waiting, you can return to the town first. I will catch up with you later.”

Hua Wuwu and Hua Baiyue were both laughing jovially but between their jovial laughter, there was a hidden killing intent and they seemed to be warning Yuan Ji that he would have a tough luck in trying to get rid of them.

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Author Note:

The romantic arc with Ling Feiyue is longer than usual. It is because I want a reason why each of the maidens like Ji Yuan/ Yuan Ji.

Shangguan Yan’Er and Ye Chengxi are easy to explain because they have spent considerable time with Ji Yuan.

Xue Qianxue has actually wanted to meet Ji Yuan for a long time, even setting up a ruse to meet him. And she can’t forget Ji Yuan after their fateful encounter.

Although Ling Feiyue can’t forget about Ji Yuan a hundred years ago but they are from two different fraternities. Even if she likes Ji Yuan, she has quietly kept her feelings in her heart. But one hundred years later, she admires another man Li Yuan, not knowing that he is actually Ji Yuan whom she has admired a long time ago.

This trial arc is where she opens her heart to Ji Yuan and Ji Yuan is forced to open his heart for her as well. At the same time, they are able to clear much of their misunderstandings.

The trial arc starts simple enough;

Ling Feiyue just wants to obtain a spirit entity to aid her in her future cultivation while Ji Yuan is only in the trial to obtain precious cultivation resources to aid him in his upcoming duel.

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