In the end, Chen Xuan chose against killing Luan Yuan for the time being. Not because he had become less wary of this demoness, but because now simply wasn’t the time.
He knew that most major forces possessed methods of determining whether important members were still alive.
Ordinary disciples might not be worthy of such safeguards, but Luan Yuan—a Core Formation expert and Luan Yi’s only disciple—certainly was.
If anything were to happen to her, the entire Myriad Souls Sect would likely be thrown into turmoil. At that point, it would only be a matter of time before Luan Yi returned.
With that in mind, Chen Xuan suppressed the murderous impulse. After taking one last look at the unconscious Luan Yuan, he comforted Honglan and motioned for her to continue.
Their journey proved surprisingly uneventful. Aside from the enthusiastic women who occasionally appeared to block their path, they encountered no other cultivators.
Soon, they reached the deepest part of the palace, where its highest-ranking residents lived.
There were only a handful of courtyards—fewer than a dozen in total—clear evidence that despite the palace’s size, very few people were qualified to reside here.
Most likely, only Luan Yuan and those closest to her possessed such privileges.
Most of the courtyards stood empty.
Even their surrounding formations had been deactivated, suggesting that no one had occupied them for quite some time.
Only two courtyards maintained their formations at full strength.
Spiritual Energy swirled around them as vast amounts of energy converged from every corner of the palace before pouring into the defensive arrays.
As for which belonged to whom, the answer was equally obvious.
Luan Yi and Luan Yuan.
As for which belonged to whom, the answer was equally obvious.
One courtyard was plain and elegant, much like those of ordinary cultivators. The other overflowed with colorful flowers and was bathed in the brilliance of countless blossoms.
Based on Luan Yi’s obsession with beauty, Chen Xuan immediately concluded that the latter belonged to her.
This courtyard had been his destination from the very beginning.
’I’ve never really heard of the Myriad Souls Chrysanthemum before. It was only during one of my interactions with Luan Yi that I learned of it.’
’She told me it is a precious treasure that can only be found in a distant Domain.’
Luan Yi had boasted about it endlessly in the past, and it had been obvious how proud she was of obtaining such a rare treasure.
Back then, she had probably mentioned it simply to entice Chen Xuan into visiting her residence.
In the end, her goal had indeed been achieved, just in a way she would likely never have imagined.
Countless strange thoughts raced through Chen Xuan’s mind. In the end, however, he didn’t rush toward Luan Yi’s residence. Instead, he motioned for Honglan to enter Luan Yuan’s courtyard first.
The moment they showed signs of approaching, the formation stirred violently, as though preparing to strike down the intruders.
But Honglan’s action was equally quick.
She released Luan Yuan’s aura while producing the Elder’s identity token.
Immediately, the formation calmed. A gap silently opened within the originally seamless defensive barrier, inviting the two inside.
Honglan hesitated briefly. But after looking back and receiving Chen Xuan’s nod of approval, she stepped through without another word.
Chen Xuan wasn’t using her as cannon fodder to explore the way. A moment later, he also entered the formation alongside her.
The instant he crossed the threshold, the opening disappeared.
The formation returned to normal as though nothing had ever happened.
Unless someone personally entered Luan Yuan’s residence, no one would ever realize that two uninvited guests had already infiltrated it.
--
The courtyard’s interior was just as plain as its outside appearance suggested.
A small garden, mostly overgrown with grass. A modest building containing only a handful of rooms.
A library. A cultivation room. A kitchen and a resting chamber.
Overall, it looked exactly like the residence of a standard, diligent cultivator.
"Let’s split up and explore this place."
"Our goal is to enter the courtyard next door. See if you can find any clues, or perhaps a weakness in the formations that we can exploit," Chen Xuan instructed.
Honglan nodded repeatedly.
Seemingly having already found a goal, she hurried into the building and quickly disappeared inside.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan smiled faintly. He had never expected Honglan to be so proactive.
In his mind, this little girl only knew how to cause trouble. Unexpectedly, when the situation truly became serious, she was capable of acting surprisingly reliably.
’It deserves to be a thousand-year-old monster. It seems I’ve underestimated this girl. Perhaps, in the future, I can entrust her with greater responsibilities,’ Chen Xuan thought as he nodded in satisfaction.
Feeling Honglan’s aura move toward the western side of the residence, where the resting chamber and kitchen were located, Chen Xuan headed in the opposite direction.
The first place he inspected was the cultivation room.
As soon as he pushed the door open, he sensed the surrounding Spiritual Energy surge severalfold. The room had clearly been enhanced by a small gathering formation.
Even so, he paid it little attention.
His gaze slowly swept across the room, searching for anything that might prove useful.
Unfortunately, the result was disappointing.
Aside from a meditation cushion and a few ordinary cultivation tools, there was nothing of value.
’It seems that, aside from her complicated love life, Luan Yuan is a rather ordinary cultivator. She appears to be an ascetic. No wonder she’s managed to reach such a level of cultivation at such a young age.’
That conclusion wasn’t surprising.
Had this woman lacked talent or diligence, Luan Yi would never have accepted her as a personal disciple.
With that thought, Chen Xuan left the cultivation room and continued onward.
Before long, he arrived at another room, the courtyard’s library.
Compared to the cultivation room, this place contained far more items.
Several bookshelves stood neatly against the walls, filled with books and jade slips. In the center of the room sat a table surrounded by chairs, with two books resting atop it.
One of them lay open, while beside it rested a tray of fresh ink and a writing brush.