Tangshan Prefecture City, within the Heavenly Patrol Bureau.

A young woman dressed in white calmly gazed at the pond in front of her, occasionally throwing some fish feed into the water to incite a scramble among the fish.

Her long hair was pinned up with a phoenix hairpin, her graceful figure resembling a fairy emerging from a painting. Her beauty was undoubtedly top-notch, on par with Lady Xu.

With a face shaped like a melon seed, willow leaf eyebrows, and thin lips, if Chen Yuan were present, he would certainly recognize her — she was none other than the long-estranged Yu Qingyan, Fairy Yu!

As the current eldest disciple of Goddess Palace, she was highly valued by the palace, and her extraordinary talent had transformed her from Fairy Yu to the most beautiful woman in the Central Plains today.

Although this claim was only popular in Yun State, other states did not react much — neither dissenting nor agreeing.

The title of this so-called beauty seemed rather hollow; apart from a few enthusiastic individuals, most people's response remained lukewarm.

If Yu Qingyan could ascend to the top of the Fengyun List, she could perhaps truly claim the title of the most beautiful woman.

However, she was not very interested in that.

In her view, no matter how admired you are, if your cultivation is lacking, in a hundred years you'll still turn into a pile of bones. It's far less worthwhile than truly embarking on the celestial path.

"Yu Senior Sister." Shen Yanshu, dressed in a brown long skirt, walked up and greeted softly.

She held a certain closeness to Yu Qingyan; aside from the Great Elder, Yu Qingyan was the one who cared most for her within Goddess Palace.

Their natural rapport naturally brought them closer.

"Finished chatting?" Yu Qingyan turned around and asked calmly.

"Yes, finished. Sister Xu even gave me quite a few treasures." The other day, after finishing their affairs, they arrived at Tangshan Prefecture City.

However, Chen Yuan was absent, and it was Lady Xu who received them, offering them great hospitality and often urging her and Shangguan Hong to chat.

From Lady Xu's attitude, she discerned something amiss — that Shangguan sister probably had quite a connection with Chen Yuan, though she wasn't sure how deep.

Was it deeper than hers?

"Is Chen Yuan really that good? Are you all head over heels for him?" Yu Qingyan assumed the guise of a senior, scolding Shen Yanshu with some frustration.

According to Goddess Palace rules, female disciples cannot marry outside unless granted permission by elders, which Shen Yanshu had received from her master Su Qing.

Even she couldn't say much about it.

Still, though it was a fact, she couldn't help but feel it was unfortunate. Shen Yanshu bore the Phoenix Marrow Spirit Body, possessing high talent comparable to hers, yet her heart was solely focused on Chen Yuan.

It was truly regrettable.

It's not that she thought Chen Yuan was bad; quite the contrary, the now famous and awe-inspiring Chen Yuan was someone she admired, even looked up to and aimed to surpass. She had great respect for him.

Yet admiration was one thing, wasting talent was something she couldn't overlook.

But Shen Yanshu was deeply committed, and there was nothing she could do.

Especially recalling Chen Yuan's initially insouciant attitude towards her, she felt irked, but those feelings had to be stifled since Chen Yuan had helped her.

For her sake, he had directly killed Gu He, entangling her with the Gu Family, a significant issue. The condition they agreed upon was never fulfilled due to their lack of contact since then.

Thus, when Chen Yuan sent a message asking her to come this time, she came without hesitation; given Chen Yuan's cultivation and power, he wouldn't need help from a mere beginner in the Core Realm like her.

But... what if?

What if Chen Yuan needed her assistance?

"Yu Senior Sister, the feeling of loving someone is something you wouldn't understand." Shen Yanshu chuckled, eyes filled with reminiscence, recalling when she first met Chen Yuan. She was somewhat afraid.

Due to Chen Yuan's apparent demeanor, either she'd agree to let him take the Phoenix Marrow Energy, receiving some compensation, or if she refused, she had no doubt Chen Yuan would employ some means.

Eventually, she used Chen Yuan against the persistent Bei Father and Son, resulting in Chen Yuan swiftly beheading Bei Le, leaving her no choice but to concede.

This marked their first interaction, leaving a strong impression of Chen Yuan on her. After that, an inexplicable feeling brewed within her heart, growing more profound as time passed, and their interactions increased.

She sank deeper and deeper, realizing later that she was inextricably tied to Chen Yuan.

"The path of emotions only hinders cultivation." Yu Qingyan replied after a moment of silence.

"Haha..." Shen Yanshu chuckled, disagreeing with the statement. She insisted she was vigorously cultivating to be of help to Chen Yuan.

She didn't dwell on the topic but instead asked:

"Enough about me. What was Chen Yuan's reason for specifically asking you to come this time? You're not telling me, is it because you don't trust me?"

"I don't know either. You've been cultivating alongside me in Goddess Palace; don't you already know how little connection I have with Chen Yuan?" Yu Qingyan countered.

"That's true..." Shen Yanshu mumbled softly, then continued:

"So what did Sister Xu talk about when she invited you over last night?"

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