Chapter 684 - 665: Obsession

It was almost time to begin when a figure rushed in, a whirlwind of motion. The moment he entered, he burst out laughing. "Almost late! Right on time, right on time!"

Everyone laughed. "Zhang Yang, you want to be one of Fairy Han’s followers acting like that? Not a chance."

"Tch. I was just consoling my admirers outside, that’s why I was a little late."

This was Zhang Yang, the Mad Saint, one of the Eight Saints. He had always been this flamboyant, and everyone just chuckled. The man proclaimed himself the most handsome man in all of Great Zhou, a true ladies’ man.

You had to admit, his rakish, devil-may-care charm was in a class of its own. Rumor had it he ranked in the top five among the sheltered ladies of the court.

He scanned the room and found the only open seat was next to Wang Meng. On any other day, someone would have surely given up a better spot for him, but not today. Everyone was fighting tooth and nail for a seat closer to the front.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhang Yang plopped down next to Wang Meng. "Hey buddy, you’re the famous Wang Meng, right?"

Wang Meng smiled. "I am Wang Meng."

Zhang Yang sized up Wang Meng. "Ahem, I may pride myself on my unrivaled popularity, but we should probably keep a bit of distance. You’re the public enemy of all maidens; your Evil Qi is too intense."

As he spoke, Zhang Yang actually scooted over. It seemed Master Wang’s repellent aura was just too strong.

Just when he thought that was the end of it, Zhang Yang grinned. "Actually, I kind of admire you. You know? I, Zhang Yang, have made it my life’s mission to be loved by every beauty in the world. Sadly, I can’t quite manage the ’every’ part. But you... you’ve done it. Even if it’s making every beauty in the world loathe you, that’s still an absolute extreme. My respects, my respects."

Wang Meng was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected Zhang Yang to actually banter with him, but he could sense that the man wasn’t being entirely sarcastic. There was a genuine hint of admiration in his tone.

"Really? I’m actually quite optimistic about you, Brother Zhang. You have a very likable personality. You’ll achieve your goal sooner or later."

"Haha! Buddy, your reputation might be garbage, but your judgment is top-notch! Well said! But... when we’re outside, do me a favor and don’t tell anyone we’re friends. If any beauties overhear, that ’sooner or later’ might stretch into the distant, distant future."

Deep down, Zhang Yang didn’t really care about what anyone thought.

The Royal Dao Field was abuzz with activity. It wasn’t often that everyone could gather like this. With the five great beauties soon to make their appearance, there was no shortage of gossip and comparison. The same was true for the young women; it wasn’t every day they had such a prime opportunity to gaze upon the various types of handsome men, like Ji Shuangtian, Yanl Luoqi, and Zhang Yang.

"Fairy Han has arrived..."

A guard outside made the announcement. Damn, his voice was actually trembling. ’Was that really necessary?’

In a flash, the only sound left in the entire Royal Dao Field was that of held breath. Every gaze turned in unison toward the entrance.

A troop of disciples from the Royal Dao Field entered with their heads held high. Several meters behind them, a woman in a snow-white dress glided in.

The very instant her figure appeared in the Royal Dao Field, even the sound of breathing ceased.

Wang Meng smiled faintly, withdrawing his Heart Spirit from the Five Elements Spirit Holding Bracelet. He looked up toward the gracefully approaching Han Chuxue.

She was like a soft breeze; it seemed that just by looking at her, one could forget all their worries. Words like "beautiful" or "pretty" were not enough to describe even a fraction of her appearance.

She moved with the lightness of a flowing cloud, the hem of her dress swaying. A pair of slender, delicate feet occasionally peeked out from beneath it, bare of any shoes or socks. Though she seemed to be walking, her feet never touched the ground, instead floating through the air. This was a custom for the Saintess of the Celestial Spirit Race; to her, footwear was a symbol of restraint.

Mundane beauty has its limits, but her ethereal, crystalline aura was something no mortal could possess. Even to want to possess such beauty felt like a sin.

Two followers stood not far from Han Chuxue, one of whom was none other than Mulholland Drive. Clearly, many people in the crowd were incredibly envious of him.

After a moment of silence, several shrieks erupted in the Royal Dao Field.

Leading the chorus was the Tenth Princess, Ji Jin’Er, her eyes filled with profound adoration. The Little Princess was truly one to follow her heart.

"Fairy Han! Fairy Han!"

The shouts seemed to break the spell, allowing everyone to let out a long breath. All manner of feverish gazes fixed on Han Chuxue as a thundering wave of applause and cheers erupted.

Yuan Juhuo, Ni Yong, and the other young elites also revealed looks of utter infatuation. Among the crowd, perhaps only two or three people were able to keep their wits about them.

The eyes of the brothers Wang Ang and Wang Hantian looked ready to pop out of their sockets. Wang Ang’s fists were clenched tight. ’Desire. Intense desire. If I could have this woman, anything would be worth it. Ascension, achieving the Dao... all of that would be meaningless fluff.’

Ji Ruyan made a comparison in her heart. ’She and Meng Ningzhi aren’t that much inferior in terms of looks, but Han Chuxue’s pure, ethereal aura is simply incomparable. Zhan Yingluo’s skin is snow-white, and Han Chuxue’s is just as fair. Both have pale, tender skin, but Zhan Yingluo’s makes one want to reach out and caress it. Han Chuxue, on the other hand, is so pure and spiritual that to touch her would feel like a defilement, something one couldn’t bear to do. It’s like the feeling of holding a snowflake in your mouth, afraid it might melt—a protectiveness so overwhelming it leaves you at a complete loss.’

Han Chuxue smiled faintly and stood still.

She was long accustomed to being the center of attention, her heart unstirred by the stares. Until, that is, she felt one particular gaze that was different from the rest.

Wang Meng, for his part, was truly taken aback.

’It was a girl, also dressed in robes whiter than snow, also barefoot. The girl who had single-handedly built the Star Alliance to its glorious height, whose plans were always infallible.’

"We will meet again."

’Wang Meng hadn’t given it much thought back then, but now, at this very moment, they truly had met again.’

’So this is the truth of the Ninefold Heaven body?’

Han Chuxue was the reincarnation of Little Zhen, the Saintess of the Star Alliance. The Small Thousand Realm was a lower-level plane, but that only meant a difference in the starting points of one’s Life Mark, Life Wheel, and Fate Grid. In terms of innate talent, each realm had its strengths. If those from the Small Thousand Realm could get a higher starting point, they might be even more formidable.

In fact, two great Sacred Bodies from there reigned supreme over the Three Realms: Mingren’s Holy Light Demon Collapse Body and the Saintess’s Ninefold Heaven body.

’The Holy Light Demon Collapse Body is, in essence, the mastery of yin and yang. Its power originates from Chaos. Chaos becomes yin and yang, and yin and yang become the Five Elements. In truth, Mingren controlled a higher level of power. The only reason he lost was that my Qiankun Dragon Roar Moon was simply too heaven-defying, pushing the very limits of the Small Thousand Realm. But Mingren has ascended now, breaking past those limits. If we were to meet again, could I still defeat him?’

’No one knew.’

’The other was the Saintess’s Ninefold Heaven body. It controls the order of the future, allowing its user to escape Reincarnation and foresee their own destiny. The Saintess foresaw that we would meet again. This must be fate.’

’The power of order... We are both Order Controllers.’

Wang Meng smiled. It was like meeting an old friend in a strange new land. He wasn’t alone here after all. The feeling was truly marvelous.

Everyone in the Royal Dao Field was holding their breath, completely immersed in Han Chuxue’s beauty.

Little Jin’Er blinked. Perhaps because she was young, or perhaps because she was a girl, she recovered more quickly than the others. "Seventh Sister, who is Fairy Han looking at?"

"Don’t talk nonsense!" ’Sometimes, Ji Ruyan really wanted to take a needle and sew Jin’Er’s little mouth shut.’

"But... it looks like she’s just staring blankly toward the back."

Little Jin’Er was nothing if not honest... Well, she only told lies on rare occasions. Maybe two or three... or four times, fine!

Little Jin’Er hadn’t bothered to lower her voice. The Royal Dao Field may have been large, but everyone seated within it was a cultivator. There was no way they wouldn’t have heard.

Upon closer inspection, Fairy Han was indeed staring at someone...

And following her line of sight...

Zhang Yang, one of the Eight Saints?

Zhang Yang’s eyes widened. ’That’s right, she’s looking in my direction! Oh, divine heavens, you’ve finally noticed my handsome face!’

(Seeking double monthly passes!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)