After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 114 - "Sorry, I Was Just Talking Nonsense"
“Sorry, I Was Just Talking Nonsense”
The grand hall was filled with a bustling crowd.
Below the platform, elders from various immortal sects gathered, creating an unprecedentedly grand scene. It seemed as if the leaders of half of Huaxia’s Nine Provinces were present.
They were engaged in lively discussions, debating the Dragon Dynasty’s new policies for the year.
The certification trial for direct disciples was of immense significance, determining the prosperity of each sect for the coming year. It was akin to the “Gaokao” of the cultivation world.
This year, such an important examination was to be held in a demon clan’s territory!
Moreover, the Dragon Dynasty had granted the hosting rights of the trial to the Fox Clan’s Sacred Maiden.
This meant that the authority of the various immortal sects was greatly diminished. A single decision by the Sacred Maiden could determine the fate of the candidates.
How could the sects easily compromise?
They claimed to be here to appease the Sacred Maiden, but once gathered, the pride of so many sect elders made it impossible for them to bow easily.
At this moment, they deliberately made their conversations loud and chaotic, creating a disorderly atmosphere to pressure the Sacred Maiden during the outsider meeting.
“The Sacred Maiden has arrived!!!”
At the sound of the announcement, everyone turned their gaze to the end of the hall.
From behind the curtain, the silhouette of the nine-tailed white fox gradually emerged. With the appearance of the Fox Clan’s Sacred Maiden, the pressure of a Divine Transformation aura swept over the room.
Simultaneously, a terrifying abyssal eye tore open in the ceiling, gazing down upon all present.
However, the elders had anticipated this and secretly prepared their defenses. The various sects united to resist the Sacred Maiden’s pressure.
The Sacred Maiden walked slowly, not yet seated.
She passed through the crowd and ascended the platform on the other side, elegantly taking her seat.
As she sat, one of the sect elders collapsed, coughing up blood and struggling to breathe!
With the first elder’s fall, more followed, some even bowing in submission, performing grand gestures as if paying homage to an empress...
Within minutes, only a few elders remained able to breathe normally.
Those who could withstand the pressure were at least Divine Transformation-level experts.
And the sects of these experts were the ones that might catch the Sacred Maiden’s eye.
“It seems the sects still don’t value my clan enough... They didn’t even send elders capable of standing before me. Perhaps if the sect leaders came themselves, we could have a proper discussion.”
Xia Zhiyue looked down at the crowd, a cold smile playing on her lips.
The elders gritted their teeth in humiliation.
The only ones able to face the Sacred Maiden’s mockery without flinching were the enchanting black-robed fairy and the fox clan elders already loyal to the Sacred Maiden.
“Alright, elders, please take your seats. Lying on the ground, if you catch a cold... my clan can’t take responsibility.”
With a charming smile, Xia Zhiyue gestured upward.
Instantly, the elders who had been prostrated rose to their feet, their bodies moving as if controlled by the Sacred Maiden.
Satisfied, Xia Zhiyue nodded and continued.
“Today, my unruly sister has returned to the clan. As another inheritor of our bloodline, let’s take this opportunity to introduce her to the sects.”
“...”
The elders looked troubled.
One Sacred Maiden was enough to toy with the sect elders. Now the Fox Clan had another nine-tailed Sacred Maiden sister?
They weren’t thrilled at all; they couldn’t even muster a smile.
Meanwhile, footsteps approached from the other side.
The crowd turned their attention, anxiously watching as two figures emerged from behind the curtain.
The woman was ethereal and beautiful, her aura like that of a celestial fox descending to the mortal realm. Young, vibrant, and intelligent... The blue lotus mark on her forehead was as awe-inspiring as the abyssal eye above, commanding respect.
Beside the fox princess stood a man.
His white robe was immaculate, his features strikingly handsome, shrouded in a mysterious mist. His expression was calm, almost indifferent to everything around him.
He seemed to look down on everything, his gaze unfathomable.
The events in the hall seemed of no concern to him.
In his deep, serene eyes, perhaps only the beautiful fox maiden beside him mattered.
To him, the crowd below were mere ants.
His presence elevated the status of the fox princess he served.
Even the fox clan elders couldn’t help but look at Xia Ranyue with awe and surprise, seeing traces of the Sacred Maiden in her.
After all, they were sisters, so their similar aura was understandable.
However...
The white-robed youth also drew attention.
People speculated about his origins, curious about which sect this remarkable young man hailed from, and why he would serve the Fox Clan’s second miss.
The crowd was filled with reverence.
But among them, the black-haired fairy in a cheongsam, her phoenix eyes filled with complex emotions, stared intently at the white-robed youth.
Qin Shiyan couldn’t believe her eyes!
She actually saw her beloved disciple, He Ange, at the Fox Clan’s meeting. Not only that, but he was serving a fox princess!
It was utterly absurd.
Could He Ange have been a demon all along?
Qin Shiyan didn’t want to believe it.
But just two days ago, He Ange had asked for leave, saying he had something to attend to. Trusting him after the chaos in Yong’an City, she hadn’t thought much of it and had let him go.
But she never imagined...
He Ange would appear in the Fox Clan, and now he exuded an aura like a worldly master, enigmatic and inscrutable.
Below, the black-robed fairy took a deep breath, gritting her teeth.
She knew...
She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
On the platform, He Ange maintained his composure, but as he walked and met the gaze of the familiar black-robed fairy, only his outward demeanor remained calm.
Inside, he was extremely nervous!
Seeing his master here was unexpected!
It felt like sneaking onto a stage to flirt, only to find out the audience included his teacher!
He Ange felt doomed.
He never expected the elder Shengxu Sect sent to the Fox Clan would be his master, Qin Shiyan!
Soon, He Ange and Xia Ranyue took their seats.
They were there for appearances, as Xia Ranyue’s return was a rare event, and the Sacred Maiden wanted to introduce her sister to the world.
The formal meeting was led by the Fox Clan’s Sacred Maiden.
Xia Zhiyue spoke at length about the upcoming secret realm trial, and the elders listened attentively, not daring to be inattentive.
He Ange did the same, standing beside Xia Ranyue, taking the opportunity to eavesdrop on the trial’s secrets.
Soon, the Sacred Maiden finished explaining the structure of the Cherry Sea Secret Realm.
Next, she addressed the most anticipated topic of the trial—the certification tokens!
These tokens, issued by the Dragon Dynasty to the sects, were like special admission slots.
In previous years, disciples only needed to obtain one token to guarantee their certification, even if they did nothing else in the secret realm.
Because of this, the tokens were extremely rare, with the Dragon Dynasty issuing no more than ten each year, only to the most influential sects.
But this year...
Among the many sects of Huaxia’s Nine Provinces, fewer than three would receive tokens.
This meant the Sacred Maiden likely had a significant number of tokens.
This was the primary concern of the sect elders.
The Sacred Maiden’s tokens were invaluable. Securing one meant a disciple could be sent to the Dragon Dynasty for training, benefiting for life.
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The more disciples a sect had in the Dragon Dynasty, the greater their influence and the more resources they could secure in the future.
Now, they waited to see how many tokens the Sacred Maiden held.
“This year, the Dragon Dynasty didn’t give me many tokens...”
The beautiful white fox Sacred Maiden smiled gently.
As she spoke, she raised her hand, closed her eyes, and snapped her fingers.
Whoosh!
In her hand, like magic, tokens fell onto the table beside her.
The elders’ eyes widened at the sight of so many tokens!
The more tokens, the more slots the Sacred Maiden was willing to share!
They quickly estimated, hearing nine drops.
This meant the Sacred Maiden had at least nine tokens! She had nine slots to offer the sects!
The Sacred Maiden sat up slightly.
“Let me be clear. Besides these nine tokens, I won’t certify any sect’s disciples this year.”
She covered her mouth with her hand, a mischievous smile on her lips. “Of these nine tokens, I’ll reserve three for the trial. As for the remaining six... it’s up to the elders to compete for them.”
Her words left the elders stunned.
Then, anger surged, but before they could speak, the abyssal gaze above quelled their fury.
No one dared to protest.
The Sacred Maiden’s message was simple. She would only certify her clan members for free, while the sects of Huaxia’s Nine Provinces would have to fight for the nine tokens!
It was outrageous!
Nine slots weren’t enough for any sect!
As the elders’ faces turned grim, an elder in a Taoist robe from the Heavenly Sword Sect boldly spoke up.
“Sacred Maiden!”
“This is the Heavenly Sword Sect’s ancient inheritance—the Tianlan Sword! A token of our goodwill, I hope the Sacred Maiden will accept it!”
The elder knelt, offering the sword.
The Heavenly Sword Sect, a top-tier sect known for producing countless sword masters for the Dragon Dynasty, was bowing to the Sacred Maiden?
Clink!
As the elders watched in disbelief, a token fell at the Heavenly Sword Sect elder’s feet.
“Granted.”
The Sacred Maiden smiled, nodding in satisfaction.
She snapped her fingers, and the abyssal gaze above the elder vanished.
The elder quickly picked up the token, expressing his gratitude to the Sacred Maiden.
“Thank you, Sacred Maiden!”
“Sacred Maiden! This is the Yuhua Sect’s heirloom artifact—”
“Sacred Maiden! This is the Linglong Sect’s ancestral treasure—”
With the Heavenly Sword Sect elder securing a token, the other sects couldn’t sit still, eagerly offering their treasures.
The outsider meeting had become a bidding war for tokens.
…
The outsider meeting was in full swing.
To be honest, Xia Zhiyue had never seen such a shocking scene.
Just nine tokens from the Empress could make the sect elders act like sycophants, fawning and offering their treasures...
How desperate were they to send their disciples to the Dragon Dynasty?
Was the Dragon Dynasty’s slot worth such madness?
As she pondered, Xia Zhiyue picked up a token, examining it with amusement.
She sighed, acknowledging the Empress’s influence in the cultivation world.
Just the chance to serve the Empress could make the sects offer their treasures...
“How amusing.”
These ancient sects of Huaxia’s Nine Provinces were now tamed by the Empress, playing her game with enthusiasm.
Ironically, as the sect elders coveted her tokens, Xia Zhiyue found herself ensnared in the same game.
The sects fought for the chance to serve the Empress.
The Empress gave the slots to Xia Zhiyue.
By enjoying the benefits of these slots, Xia Zhiyue, too, was submitting to the Empress’s power.
In the end...
“Heh, who isn’t a dog?”
…
The Sacred Maiden’s tactics left He Ange in awe.
He glanced at the motionless Qin Shiyan below, then at the coldly smiling Sacred Maiden, realizing Shengxu Sect was unlikely to secure a token. Their mid-tier status made it hard to compete with other sects.
He Ange knew he couldn’t rely on others.
If he wanted certification, he’d have to find another way with the Sacred Maiden.
Perhaps...
Under the moonlight, he could seduce the proud Sacred Maiden, making her his little fox!
As the thought crossed his mind, before he could smile mischievously, the snow-white fox on the platform turned, glaring at him with icy eyes.
Her gaze promised death!
Gulp.
He Ange swallowed nervously, his smile awkward.
“Sorry, I was just talking nonsense.”
…
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