Meeting the Rival, Without Envy

Fei Yu and Jian Tong exchanged a glance. “Master, Junior Sister hasn’t returned yet. She followed the King of Sea to the Sea Clan,” Jian Tong said indignantly.

What? Very well! If she has the ability, then she shouldn’t return to the First Immortal Sect in the future!

Chu Jiuning expressed that returning was indeed necessary, but definitely not at this moment. Right now she had already followed Yue An to the Dragon Palace of the Sea Clan.

After many years, returning to the Dragon Palace, Chu Jiuning tried her best to show curiosity about the new place, but deep down, she felt more sentimental.

Years ago, she never imagined that one day she would have the opportunity to visit the Dragon Palace again and see those familiar figures.

Truly, life is unpredictable, full of twists and turns. “Go and invite Princess Xuanji,” Yue An ordered, then turned to Chu Jiuning. “Miss Xuanyuan, you can sit here and wait for a while…”

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

Yue An’s expression turned serious. “Rest assured, I will fulfill my promise to you. I just need to save my brother first.”

“Can I come with you? I don’t want to wait here alone,” she pleaded earnestly.

Yue An’s gaze softened, and he turned and walked ahead. “Let’s go.”

On the way, Yue An told her that Xuanji was the best healer in the Sea Clan and was once engaged to his brother, but their relationship was ruined by that malicious woman, Chu Jiuning.

To be insulted in front of others and not be able to retort, but instead be stepped on, what kind of experience was that?

Chu Jiuning could only say that indeed, what goes around comes around!

Thus, Chu Jiuning followed Yue An to the deepest part of the sea, where a man with a breathtakingly beautiful face lay on a bed of ice, his expression serene, devoid of sorrow or joy, just like a sleeping beauty.

Chu Jiuning’s hands were restless and clenched behind her, her heart pounding.

Unexplainably, memories of her time with Yue Chi gradually resurfaced in her mind, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

Little Snowman: Master, control yourself and don’t let Yue An notice your abnormality.

What truly made Little Snowman panic was that Chu Jiuning’s emotional roots were sealed, so why was there a sign of loosening at this moment?

Chu Jiuning looked at the person on the ice bed with complex emotions, but in the end, she silently turned away.

However, she coincidentally met Xuanji, who had rushed over.

At first glance, Xuanji mistook her for Chu Jiuning and instinctively called out, “Chu Jiuning?”

Chu Jiuning tightly pursed her lips, how could she dare to respond? It was Yue An who heard her being called Chu Jiuning and turned to look, realizing that Xuanji had mistaken the mummified Chu Jiuning for the real one.

“Xuanji, Chu Jiuning is already dead, and I have also retrieved my brother’s Dragon Soul,” Yue An said.

Xuanji was taken aback. Chu Jiuning was really dead? But… She looked at the mummified Chu Jiuning in confusion, feeling a sense of familiarity from this woman.

“Xuanji,” Yue An called again. Xuanji responded, then swam away with a flick of her tail.

Chu Jiuning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Did Xuanji recognize her as the real Chu Jiuning? Oh! That would be too terrifying!

Indeed, women understand women the best! What kind of experience was it to be recognized by a rival even when disguised as a mummy?

Umm…She just hoped that Xuanji wouldn’t blurt out anything to Yue An.

In her impression, Xuanji was a gentle and graceful woman, not someone who would blabber. But she felt guilty, so she couldn’t help but be conflicted.

Should she leave the Dragon Palace now? No! If she suddenly left before Xuanji exposed her, Yue An would become suspicious.

What should she do then? Leaving or not leaving was both unacceptable. Sigh. Let’s take it step by step for now.

No matter what, she would never admit it, even if Yue An uncovered her disguise, she would firmly deny it, resolutely deny it!

Lost in her chaotic thoughts, Yue An stood beside her. “Let’s go.”

She turned to look at Xuanji, who was working on restoring Yue Chi’s Dragon Soul, and Yue An explained, “Although we have found the Dragon Soul, it will take a considerable amount of time for it to fully return to its original form. It could be a few months or even several years.”

Is that so? She sighed sadly, her emotions somewhat low as she gazed at the coral by her feet.

The next day, Yue An took her to stand in the middle of a vast, azure sea.

“Yesterday, you consumed the Water-Avoiding Bead I gave you, so when you enter the water, it feels just like being on land, without any discomfort. But if you want to walk on the water as if on solid ground, you need to practice diligently.”

Chu Jiuning stared solemnly at the sea water under her feet. Once upon a time, this would have been a piece of cake for her.

Sacrificing all her skills and cultivation voluntarily, just to complete Chu Jiuning's task and become a disciple of Jun Xu, was indeed a tremendous sacrifice.

Why did she choose to do this? In the words of Little Snowman, did she think Jun Xu was merely a decoration for the First Immortal Sect? Did she not possess any cultivation, or was her cultivation so high that he couldn’t sense it?

But what frustrated her the most was that this task had to encounter a problem right when she was about to complete it?! It was truly detestable and hateful!

As she pondered over these matters, her emotions became restless. She had to quickly take a few deep breaths to calm herself.

“The world is so beautiful, yet I am so irritable. It’s not good, not good.”

A faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. “Getting irritable even before starting?”

She opened her eyes and forced a smile at him. “Master, I have already memorized the incantation you taught me. I will now concentrate my thoughts and begin practicing.”

“No need to call me master.”

“It is said that a master is one who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts. So, why can’t I respectfully address you as the master?”

Yue An furrowed his brows slightly. “But when you were in front of your two brothers from the First Immortal Sect, you didn’t dare to call me master.”

He felt that she lacked sincerity and appeared overly flattering.

Not calling him in front of Fei Yu and Jian Tong was not because she didn’t dare, but because she didn’t want them to know about her plan to privately learn the power of the sea tribe of Yue An.

If they found out, it was highly likely that Jun Xu would also come to know.

And the reason she was willing to learn the sea tribe’s power from Yue An, even at the cost of her favor, was ultimately to complete the task of conquering Jun Xu. She couldn’t lose sight of the future.

After contemplating for a moment, Chu Jiuning said, “Then… can I call you teacher from now on? It is also a respectful title for one who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts.”

Yue An didn’t say anything in response, he simply asked her, “Are you ready?”

She nodded affirmatively and immediately closed her eyes, focusing her consciousness and silently reciting the incantation.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Yue An removed the barrier beneath her feet. And then, after only three seconds, she plunged into the water.

Yue An lightly waved his hand again, lifting her out of the water.

She immediately said, “Again.” and closed her eyes, concentrating her consciousness and silently reciting the incantation.