The Romantic Cultivator

Ji Yuan was taking a walk around the settlement. As usual he was cuddling Bai Qianfeng in her nine-tail spirit fox form.

Today he was accompanied by Fairy Ye Chengxi, Shangguan Yan, Hua Wuwu and Hua Baiyue.

The settlement had tens of thousands cultivators and the entire place was like a busy street. The so call streets were actually the front of the tents as the cultivators tried to hawker their ‘cultivation resources’.

The appearance of the Warrior Empyrean Labyrinth had brought thousands of cultivators from all over the Desolate Celestial Fraternity together.

Most of the cultivators had never met before and this was a golden opportunity for the cultivators to form new alliances.

Ji Yuan felt at peace for the very first time as he walked in the settlement due to the special armistice.

Although the orthodox cultivators and unorthodox cultivators are often at odds with each other but there is a sense of martial honor when it comes to the trials. No matter how grievous they are with each other, it is considered a disgrace to attack their competitors before the trials have started.

This sense of martial honor was deeply ingrained in the hearts of everyone.

And this is the reason why Ji Yuan was able to walk so peacefully around as he scouted the place for interesting stuffs.

Right now, no one cares if he is Ji Yuan or from the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.

At the same time Saintess Fang Zhenfei had told them a good news; except for the Profound Heaven Sword Manor, the other five major orthodox clans seem to have switched their target to the Evil Cultivation Palace instead.

She had concluded that there may be two main reasons for the continued truce;

One: the Spirit Blue Moon Sect was able to unify the other four major unorthodox clans behind her. Because of this, it was difficult to attack the positions of the Spirit Blue Moon Sect now.

“It is all thanks to the strong leadership of Dark Mistress Ling Feiyue that is now throwing doubts on the feasibility of attacking the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.”

Ling Feiyue rolled her eyes. It is all thanks to Ji Yuan…

“Also, it is not worth attacking the Spirit Blue Moon Sect over Ji Yuan and Little Princess.” Saintess Fang Zhenfei concluded.

Ji Yuan rolled his eyes as he muttered, “Of course it is not worth it. They ambushed me and then claim that I had killed Saintess Yuluo. These losers know that I didn’t do it and yet they are using me to justify their attacks.”

Second: The battle with the Evil Cultivation Palace had not concluded too well. Therefore if they still did not call off their battle plans to attack the Spirit Blue Moon Sect then the six major orthodox clans will be fighting against two major fronts or more.

“Therefore the face-slapping done by Ling Feiyue, Xue Qianxue, Ji Yuan and Little Princess have now been downgraded to a minor squabble instead of a sectarian quarrel.” Saintess Fang Zhenfei smiled.

Ling Feiyue and Xue Qianxue then told Saintess Fang Zhenfei that they had actually encountered the Celestial Orthodox Sect on their way to the settlement and that was exactly what Han Yuchi and Zhao Songjin had told them.

“Ji Yuan and Little Princess, you ought to be wary of the Profound Heaven Sword Manor, the Burning Heavens Pavilion and the Great Inevitable Divine Clan. They may have their own personal grievous to settle with you while they are inside the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth with you.”

Saintess Fang Zhenfei smiled. “The Burning Heavens Pavilion and the Great Inevitable Divine Clan actually have some internal strife on their own and they are only too happy that you had helped them to get rid of their internal rivals. So they may not really make things too hard for you.”

Ji Yuan was really grateful to Jiajia for providing him with the intelligence on the current movements of the six major orthodox clans and that was why he was now in high spirits as he walked in the settlement.

“Yuan Ji! So you are here as well. Haha.”

Ji Yuan turned around as he had recognized a familiar voice.

He was frowning immediately when he saw that it was Mo Bei and he was stroking his beautiful long beard. Behind Mo Bei were several cultivators of his Mo Clan.

“Haha. How come you are not dead yet?” Mo Bei asked him curiously.

Ji Yuan: …

Mo Bei laughed, “I have heard that you have fled to the Spirit Blue Moon Sect. So you have finally believed the prophecy and had chickened out of the duel?”

Ji Yuan frowned. “No, I have won the duel.”

Mo Bei: …

“Your soul sea is getting more and more impure now.” Mo Bei warned him.

Ji Yuan: …

“So you are here to take the trial as well?” Mo Bei asked.

Ji Yuan smiled weakly, “Yea. You are as well?”

Mo Bei stroked his long beard as he said. “I am.”

“Aren’t you too old for that already?” Ji Yuan asked.

Mo Bei: …

“None of your business.”

Ji Yuan: …

Mo Bei pointed at his nine-tail spirit fox before grinning. “Is your spirit fox for sale?”

Ji Yuan frowned immediately, “No…”

“This time I have decided to be more generous. Ten thousand high grade spirit stones and one fifth rank profound pill. What do you say about that?” Mo Bei laughed. “You can’t find anything this good. Well, what do you think?”

Ji Yuan held tightly onto his Xiaobai and said. “She isn’t for sale. Go away.”

Mo Bei looked a little disappointed but he soon asked. “Where is Qianxue? Is she with you?”

Ji Yuan grinned immediately. “She is with Feiyue. They are at the tents of the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.”

Mo Bei stroked his beard as he looked at the four veil maidens that were with Ji Yuan, “Rascal, who are they? You have abandoned my Qianxue already?”

Hua Wuwu immediately interrupted. “Mind your language! How dare you call him a rascal! He is a great saint now.”

Mo Bei’s jaws almost dropped as he stared at Ji Yuan, “You…are really…a great saint now?”

Ji Yuan grinned, “That’s right. Haha.”

Mo Bei: …

“I don’t believe you rascal. You are just a beardless cultivator with an impure soul sea.” Mo Bei muttered. “Let me go and look for Qianxue to ask her. Farewell.”

But before he left, he stroked his beautiful beard in front of the four maidens to ask them. “Well, what do you think of my beautiful beard?”

Shangguan Yan smiled weakly, “Beautiful indeed…”

Fairy Ye Chengxi and Hua Baiyue nodded weakly while Hua Wuwu had a look of disgust in her eyes.

Ji Yuan: …

Fairy Ye Chengxi asked him after Mo Bei had left, “My lord, who is this elderly cultivator? He looks strong. The two of you are talking so weirdly. Are you friends?”

Hua Wuwu immediately said, “I don’t like him at all. He looks like a weird old man.”

Ji Yuan laughed as he lowered his voice to say, “This weird elderly cultivator is actually a great saint too.”

Hua Wuwu had immediately turned ashen. “Ops.”

“Sister, I told you that you should control your tongue. You always have slip-ups. Alas.” Hua Baiyue sighed.

“He is actually Elder Mo Bei from the Mo Clan.” Ji Yuan grinned as he continued.

Hua Wuwu muttered weakly, “Then I’m screwed.”

Everyone knows that the Mo Clan is quite a powerful celestial clan in the Desolate Celestial Fraternity.

Ji Yuan laughed, “Don’t worry. He is harmless and moreover he is Qianxue’s Patriarch Uncle.”

Hua Wuwu chuckled weakly. “Well, that is a relief to hear.”

Shangguan Yan smiled. “I am glad that he is actually on the side of my lord. The two of you seems to get along very well.”

Hua Baiyue giggled. “Yea. The two of you seems to be so alike. Equally obsessed with your beards.”

Ji Yuan immediately raised his fingers up and said. “Nonsense! We are not alike at all. Beards are ugly! Only cowards hide their faces behind a beard!”

All four maidens immediately rolled their eyes away and they were all trying their best to suppress their laughter.

“Brother Yuan Ji!”

All of a sudden a familiar voice was heard by Ji Yuan again.

He looked up and was startled to see that it was actually Guo Taiming. Following closely behind him was Li Ye and dozens of cultivators from the Five Heavens Peaks.

Ji Yuan turned to grin at Hua Wuwu and Hua Baiyue. “It seems that your suitor is here today.”

Hua Baiyue immediately hummed softly. “Hmph! Who will be interested in him?”

“Yea! His beard is too ugly!” Hua Wuwu agreed with her sister.

They were naturally referring to Li Ye.

Ji Yuan smiled weakly, “Don’t be so mean. Show me a little face later when they approach us, alright?”

“Alright. For the sake of your beautiful face, so be it.” Hua Wuwu smiled immediately.

Hua Baiyue giggled. “For a beauty like you, I will show you a little face.”

Ji Yuan: …

Guo Taiming and Li Ye immediately left their group behind as they quickly approached Ji Yuan to greet him.

“Haha. Brother Yuan Ji, you are here!” Guo Taiming greeted him. “You are so easily recognizable in the ocean of beautiful beards. Haha.”

Ji Yuan began to frown unhappily. “You mean that I am the only one who is beardless in the ocean of beards.”

​ “Palace Master!” Li Ye politely greeted him.

Although Fairy Ye Chengxi and Shangguan Yan were veiled, Guo Taiming had actually recognized them. It was because he was all too familiar with them.

He greeted. “My two sister-in-law. Alas, I thought where did you go and you are actually here…”

All of a sudden he stared at Shangguan Yan. “Yan’Er, you are a golden celestial now? Wow, congrats to you!”

Shangguan Yan giggled softly. “I am just lucky.”

Li Ye had actually recognized all four of the veil maidens. He muttered. “First Palace Mistress, Second Palace Mistress, Maiden Yuan Wu, Maiden Yuan Yue.”

Ji Yuan laughed as he patted the two of them. “Erm, what are you doing here? Are you thinking of going to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth to seek out some cultivation treasures?”

Li Ye immediately nodded. “I have the intention to do so. This is the greatest trial in the Celestial Realm and I do not want to lose this opportunity. I hope that Palace Master will give me the approval to do so.”

“Elder Li Ye is an ascended celestial from the lower realm so naturally you have the competitive spirit to go to the trial. You don’t have to ask me. Do what you like.” Ji Yuan smiled.

Li Ye smiled. “I thank Palace Master…”

Ji Yuan interrupted him, “We are not at the Emperor Hall Sect now. Just call me Big Brother for now. You know I don’t treat you as a protégé.”

Li Ye grinned. “Big Brother!”

Ji Yuan now turned to Guo Taiming to ask. “You are going to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth as well?”

Guo Taiming weakly said, “You know me, Big Brother. I am a mighty dragon that will challenge all the trials because I have the courage of a great divine lion. I really wish to challenge the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth but you know that I am a sect master. If I perish inside the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, how will my sect cope without me?”

Ji Yuan immediately rolled his eyes; I have almost completely forgotten that this best friend of mine is a good-for-nothing coward. He is only saying so because he wants to impress my Chengxi and Yan’Er…

All four maidens immediately rolled their eyes too. This was the lamest excuse that they had heard because Guo Taiming had liken himself as a mighty dragon in front of them while cooking an excuse why he could not enter the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. They were all thinking at the same time; if he is really a mighty dragon then he should take the trial.

Ji Yuan really did not know whether to laugh or cry at this mighty dragon mine best friend of his.

All of a sudden Li Ye said, “Big Brother, I have something to tell you. I don’t know if you will approve or not.”

Ji Yuan turned to look at Li Ye curiously. “What is it, my friend?”

Li Ye inhaled softly before he said. “Do you remember Maiden Nangong Xiu?”

Ji Yuan rubbed his chin. “Nangong Xiu? Why does this name sound so familiar…”𝔫𝑜𝑣𝗲𝓁𝚗𝑬xt.𝑪𝒪𝐦

Li Ye smiled weakly, “She is your core protégé that you had sent to the Emperor Hall Sect.”

“Oh. Haha.” Ji Yuan had suddenly remembered her. “I remember now.” Then he turned to Fairy Ye Chengxi with a grin. “Chengxi, I have found you a core protégé. Haha.”

Fairy Ye Chengxi smiled, “Surely she must have a most impressive talent for my lord to decide to take her in as a core protégé.”

“She is a sword energy practitioner too.” Ji Yuan grinned.

Then he turned to Li Ye as he asked curiously, “What about her?”

Li Ye hesitated for a while as he looked awkwardly at Hua Wuwu and Hua Baiyue. “I wish to take her as my main consort. We are in love.”

Ji Yuan was momentarily stunned. But he was soon laughing jovially. “Well, it is good news! Haha! Go ahead and take her as your consort. Where is she now?”

Li Ye replied proudly, “She awaits me at the Emperor Hall Sect. We have already made a pledge together and she will wait for me to return from the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth.”

Guo Taiming laughed as he patted Li Ye, “Brother Li Ye is so lucky. Your future consort is so pretty. If something happen to you, I will promise to help you to take care of her. Same goes for my Big Brother…”

All of a sudden Ji Yuan and Li Ye had given Guo Taiming a kick, sending him to crash into the crowd.

Immediately several cultivators from around them were shouting. “No fighting! It is against the sacred law of the trials!”

Ji Yuan continued to punch Guo Taiming up as he shouted to all the onlookers. “This is only a friendly duel! It is not real fighting!”

Li Ye was also punching and kicking Guo Taiming at the same time while shouting. “He is our brother and we are only teaching him a lesson!”

Ji Yuan was raising his fists as he shouted. “Mighty Dragon you say. Courage of the divine lion, my foot!”

“Big Brother, you exceed your quota already. Spare me please…” Guo Taiming was pleading as he cowered with his hands on his face. “Not my face please.”

“I haven’t hit my quota yet. This one is for my beard!” Ji Yuan said as he gave him a swift kick. “One more kick because you are the lamest golden supremacy that I’ve ever known…”