"Let me think… what should I write about?"
"As a warm guy, I should cater to her preferences."
After parting ways with Xiao Yan, Xiao Ting did not immediately go find Xun Er. Instead, he found a pavilion in the backyard, sat down, and pondered what to jot down in his Journal.
Yun Yun had conveniently rushed over, and the journey had taken a whole day—it must have been exhausting. He had to give her some appearance fee.
What Yun Yun cared about most right now was not hard to guess.
…
[Alchemy for the day is over. I had just come out of seclusion and hadn't had time to share the joy with Xun Er when Brother Yan blocked me at the door and dragged me to the council hall, saying Yun Yun was looking for me about something.]
…
"Good grief, she's not even pretending anymore?"
In Cao City of the Pill Region, Cao Ying's eyes widened in shock.
Wasn't Yun Yun afraid that her actions would make Xiao Ting suspicious and lead him to discover the existence of the Journal copy? If discovered, she could be erased by the Journal.
…
"Is she getting desperate?"
In a certain city within the Black-Corner Region of the Northwest Continent, Huo Zhi walked along the city walls, casually killing evildoers. The Red Lotus Karmic Flame in her hand burned even brighter, illuminating her veiled face that carried a hint of confusion.
Misty Cloud Sect faced the danger of destruction. As its sect leader, it was perfectly normal for Yun Yun to contact Xiao Ting after obtaining the Journal. But acting so recklessly might cost her life and bring trouble to the rest of them who also possessed copies. She hoped Yun Yun still had room to maneuver.
…
Inside the largest city near Burning Flame Valley, within a restaurant controlled by the valley, Tang Huo Er and Feng Qing Er sat face-to-face at a table. The latter spoke first: "It seems this Yun Yun is the same as us, only her temperament is too impatient."
"If Xiao Ting wrote that your Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe would be destroyed in the near future, could you still sit here so calmly?"
Thinking of how she herself would risk everything for Burning Flame Valley, Tang Huo Er could understand Yun Yun's behavior.
"That's true."
At the mention of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, a look of approval appeared on Feng Qing Er's delicate oval face.
"You came to find me just to confirm I'm the same as you?" Tang Huo Er crossed one leg over the other, leaned back in her chair, and openly sized her up.
An opportunity like the Journal copy was something one would think thrice about before sharing even with their closest kin. Now that they knew others possessed it too, it was hard to guarantee some wouldn't develop the idea of silencing witnesses.
Feng Qing Er's beautiful eyes flickered. "Confirming you also have the Journal is only one of my goals. Before meeting you, I already met Cao Ying and confirmed that the copy owners are more than one person. Besides that, I want to befriend you. If anything comes up in the future, you can come to me for help—I'll do my best."
As she spoke, Feng Qing Er took out a feather and handed it to Tang Huo Er. "Infuse Battle Qi into this feather, and you can send me a soul message."
Looking at the feather, surprise flashed in Tang Huo Er's eyes. This was completely contrary to what she had guessed.
Seeming to know what she was thinking, Feng Qing Er said frankly: "As long as your name is written by Xiao Ting every day, you can receive the plane's blessing daily. Just that alone is an extraordinary opportunity—and a sustainable, growable one at that. In the future, as long as we maintain a good relationship with Xiao Ting and get him to mention our names more often in the Journal, the future of us copy owners will be limitless. Dou Venerate, even Dou Saint, won't be the end. And this opportunity is available to anyone whose name is mentioned. There is no competitive relationship between copy owners, so there's no reason for hostility. As for others learning about this opportunity, as long as we don't act stupidly, no one will think of killing to silence us—after all, no one on this continent can touch Gu Xun Er. In that case, why not befriend each other early and become friends? After all, we are the true awakened ones of the same kind."
Tang Huo Er found herself convinced. She reached out to accept the feather and offered a jade pendant in return: "Crush this, and you can send a message to my father. He will tell you what happened."
The two women exchanged greetings and took the first step toward friendship.
…
Meanwhile, the Journal continued updating.
Xiao Ting recorded Yun Yun's visit in detail. He also noted in the Journal that Yun Yun had visited the Xiao family conveniently. She was not here to dissolve the three-year agreement. It was more like a veiled apology for Nalan Yanran's past actions. In truth, it felt like shifting blame—claiming Misty Cloud Sect had no intention of aiding tyranny—but the main reason was still that they valued the talent Xiao Ting had displayed.
…
[But even if I plan to go to Jia Nan Academy, without Yao Lao's guidance and without eating Xun Er's soft rice, I definitely cannot join Misty Cloud Sect. Joining would be suicidal.]
[Join on the first day, die on the second. On the third day the entire Xiao family of Wu Tan City mysteriously disappears. On the fourth day the Gu Clan dispatches experts to investigate. On the fifth day they leave empty-handed, and then… there is no 'then' for me…]
…
Yun Yun: !
Everyone: !!
Was Misty Cloud Sect some kind of dragon's lair or tiger's den to the Xiao family?!
…
"I was right—there really is something hidden!"
Inside the Xiao family in Wu Tan City, in a pavilion within Xun Er's private courtyard, Yun Yun nervously clenched her hands. She had not left the Xiao family but had come to Xun Er's side. Besides her, the Little Fairy Doctor, Qing Lin, and Medusa were also present.
A mere three-year agreement was not enough to make Xiao Yan and Misty Cloud Sect fight to the death. There had to be other reasons. Previously, Yun Yun thought it was because Xiao Yan loved her but could not have her, turning love into hatred. Now it seemed that wasn't the case.
…
[According to the timeline, Hall of Souls's Protector Wu has already met with Yun Shan and helped him break through to Dou Ancestor.]
[On the surface, Protector Wu asked Yun Shan to do three things: first, search for all families and powerful individuals surnamed Xiao within his sphere of influence; second, register and record all cultivators with outstanding soul talent; third, record locations with relatively dense natural energy within his sphere of influence.]
[Searching for the Xiao family is a task from the Hun Clan, aimed at obtaining the Tou She Ancient God's Jade in the Xiao Clan's hands!]
[Searching for cultivators with outstanding soul talent is for convenient hunting and soul harvesting.]
[Recording places with dense natural energy is to make it easier to locate the entrance to the Tou She Ancient God Mansion in the future.]
[This concerns the millennium plan the Hun Clan formulated after risking everything to annihilate the Xiao Clan back then. Protector Wu is merely a small soldier from an external force, and Yun Shan is just a disposable tool the small soldier tricked.]
[But after he accepted the deal to break through to Dou Ancestor, the life-and-death enmity between Misty Cloud Sect and the Xiao family has become inevitable.]
[Therefore, Misty Cloud Sect's destruction is also set in stone.]
…
The women who possessed Journal copies: !!!
"Hun Clan… millennium plan!"
A chill suddenly rose from the depths of Huo Zhi and Yao Ling's souls. For some reason, after seeing this information, they felt a great terror approaching.
After obtaining the copy for so many days, this was the first time they had heard Xiao Ting reveal such important future information. Under the Hun Clan's millennium plan, the great Ancient clans would definitely not sit idly by. No one knew where they would stand or what the outcome would be.
…
At this moment, in the Xiao family, Xun Er restrained the smile on her face and said to Yun Yun: "If you actively seek life-and-death enmity, you might have to die here today."
Yun Yun: !!! My heart is already in chaos, okay?!
…
…
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