Because she had a Great Saint for a grandfather, Ye Qingcheng was considered the contemporary phoenix of the Ye Family, enjoying immense esteem and honor. Not just within the Ye Family, but throughout the entire Southern Border Divine Continent, her status was exceptionally revered!

It was precisely for this reason that Hong Yuan easily obtained various pieces of information about Ye Qingcheng without expending much effort.

Ye Qingcheng was an arrogant woman who always saw herself as the "big sister," the self-proclaimed leader of the Ye Family’s younger generation, dominating the foremost position. She was quite keen on being in the limelight and couldn’t tolerate anyone overshadowing her.

Once, Ye Fengdao had accompanied her to a Saint’s blessed land for training. During that training, Ye Fengdao’s reputation soared, overshadowing hers. Afterward, through some unknown means, she managed to subdue Ye Fengdao and even made him her subordinate...

It was based on this understanding that Hong Yuan targeted Ye Qingcheng for his scheme.

"Gu Fan, let me do the cooking later. You’ve been working hard all day, so just take a good rest today." Dimples appeared on Ye Xiner’s face as she smiled, her eyes curving beautifully. She pushed Hong Yuan onto a recliner, her slender, jade-like hands forming gentle fists to lightly drum on his shoulders.

Hong Yuan, feeling the soft warmth behind him, narrowed his long eyes and thought to himself, If I weren’t single-mindedly pursuing the Path of Immortality, I might truly have been lost in the ecstasy of human desires...

Gradually, Hong Yuan closed his eyes, enjoying Ye Xiner’s ministrations. His consciousness extended outwards, flowing to the Bee Beast Worms on the eaves of the small courtyard as he observed the surroundings.

He was waiting, waiting for Ye Qingcheng and her entourage to arrive.

The conventional methods for subduing people were nothing more than ’civility before force,’ or ’behead them first, then take them in as dogs.’

Hong Yuan was supremely confident in his ability to judge people. In any case, he was an old fox who had weathered the countless storms of time!

And as expected.

After a while, through the eyes of the Bee Beast Worms, Hong Yuan sensed something: from the distant sky, the sound of rushing wind suddenly arose as a flock of predatory Ferocious Beasts flew towards this area.

"Xiner, go and start cooking."

"Then... okay." Ye Xiner had also noticed the anomaly. However, constrained by Hong Yuan’s established authority over her, she obediently followed his order and went into the depths of the courtyard.

As for Hong Yuan, he slowly rose, longsword in hand, and walked out of the house.

BOOM!!

More than ten handsome men and beautiful women descended from the sky, landing on the stone slabs of the courtyard. The aura emanating from them was terrifying, causing the nearby Green Phoenix to cry out uneasily.

The leader was an extraordinarily transcendent and beautiful girl—Ye Qingcheng.

Ye Qingcheng wore a snow-colored luo skirt, looking dignified and noble. Her skin was fairer than snow, her beauty like a blossoming flower—enough to topple cities and states. Her temperament was aloof and extraordinary, like a solitary White Phoenix on a snow-capped mountain, truly an embodiment of the world’s spiritual essence and beauty!

Even among a group of handsome men and beautiful women, her beauty alone was enough to eclipse everyone else.

Indeed extraordinary. Her looks alone could rival Ji Limin, Hong Yuan praised silently.

In the course of Hong Yuan’s cultivation, he had encountered many beauties, such as Huan Yuelong, Li Jianqiu, Han Kui, Kun Rong, Mo Yue’er, and the Butterfly Sword Martial Saint Ji Limin. Even compared to them, the Ye Qingcheng before him was by no means inferior.

"Ye Gufan?" Ye Qingcheng slightly raised her chin and an eyebrow, her star-like eyes fixing on Hong Yuan for a moment. Her voice was as melodious as a mountain stream striking stones, extremely pleasant to hear. However, her current expression was one of immense arrogance.

"Join my ranks and help me secure the title of Leader of Alchemy at the Hundred Arts Conference.

"In return, I will provide you with certain assistance. For example, I can allow you to reside in the inner city!"

After evaluating Hong Yuan from head to toe, Ye Qingcheng extended her invitation.

Behind her, numerous Ye Family disciples watched Hong Yuan with keen interest. The stir Hong Yuan had caused at the Hundred Arts Conference had attracted not only Ye Qingcheng but also them.

However, Ye Fengdao, Ye Qingcheng’s foremost general, instinctively placed his large hand on his Flaming Wild Sword. He could sense an unyielding sword-like spirit within Hong Yuan!

Since ancient times, the sword and the blade have been two distinct yet inseparable paths. Who would have thought I’d encounter such a Heavenly Talent here, Ye Fengdao sighed inwardly.

Hong Yuan kept his gaze lowered, in no hurry to respond. Only when he observed the surrounding neighbors gathering to watch the commotion, their numbers steadily increasing, did he finally raise his eyes.

"You want me to join you? Heh heh." Hong Yuan chuckled disdainfully, shaking his head lightly, his disdain for Ye Qingcheng’s proposal evident.

Ye Qingcheng herself didn’t get angry. Instead, her followers impatiently jumped out, eager to make their presence known.

"Ye Gufan, it’s your good fortune to be able to follow Sister Qingcheng. Don’t be ungrateful!" a jade-faced girl in a green dress sneered.

"Tsk tsk, it’s good to have a backbone. But one cannot live on backbone alone; you must always be mindful of the days to come..." a handsome young man said malevolently.

Faced with their jeers and mockery, Hong Yuan’s expression remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingcheng, seeing more and more Ye Family members gathering to watch, some even pointing and gossiping about her, couldn’t help but frown slightly. As Great Saint Taibai’s most favored granddaughter, the last thing she wanted was to tarnish her grandfather’s reputation through her own actions.

She said to Hong Yuan indifferently, "My patience is limited. I hope you will think it through. Let’s go."

Over a dozen young Heavenly Talents then departed one after another on Cloud Boats or Ferocious Beasts, their presence imposing.

Hong Yuan merely smiled faintly, turned, and returned to his house.

However, the ripples from the incident here began to spread in all directions. Gradually, more and more people came to know Hong Yuan, and as a result, Ye Qingcheng’s impression of him also deepened.

「After dinner.」

Hong Yuan continued to study the "Five Finger Fist Dream Sword" Divine Power, while Ye Xiner, watching him practice his martial arts under the eaves, harbored hidden worries in her heart. She sat on the bamboo chair, silently observing Hong Yuan, but her heart was already in turmoil. Because that afternoon, she had witnessed the confrontation between Hong Yuan and Ye Qingcheng!

She cupped her lovely face in her hands, her eyes filled with worry:

Gu Fan is now a renowned Heavenly Talent. There must be many girls in our main family who admire him.

If Gu Fan were to gain the backing of a Saint, his future path would undoubtedly become much smoother. Looking at it this way, it seems I... I might be holding Gu Fan back...

The Hundred Arts Conference in the Southern Border had a long-standing tradition of selecting husbands from among the successful contestants. For young yet exceptionally talented cultivators, they were indeed the cream of the crop.

And Hong Yuan was undoubtedly the contestant who best fit this description!

After the events of the afternoon, Ye Xiner suddenly realized that her innocent childhood bond with ’Ye Gufan,’ their shared youth as sweethearts who had pledged their lives to each other, was on the verge of a momentous change!

"Alas~" Ye Xiner sighed, her melancholy deepening with each thought.

"Xiner, why the sighs? What happened?" Hong Yuan looked at her, his eyes filled with a warm, tender smile.

And this realization only deepened the despair in Ye Xiner’s heart.

She... was simply not good enough for Hong Yuan!