Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 260 - 257: The Way

Chapter 260: Chapter 257: The Way

"You haven’t won yet. Why the arrogance?"

Nangong Yao’s face flushed red. She knew Zhuo Yanyun wasn’t making empty threats, and if the two were to continue fighting, she would likely be the one to lose in the end.

Her confidence waning, Nangong Yao started to falter. What would she do if she really lost to Zhuo Yanyun in a month’s time?

Seeing the change in Nangong Yao’s expression, Zhuo Yanyun’s lips slowly curled into a smile. Proud geniuses could least afford to be struck a blow. It was apparent that Nangong Yao’s confidence had begun to shake. How could she compete with her from now on?

At that moment, Ye Xuan walked over and stood beside Nangong Yao, saying, "Zhuo Yanyun, you’re already twenty this year, while Yaoer is only eighteen. Moreover, your cultivation is one level higher than hers. Even if you have a slight advantage, does that prove you’re better than her? I doubt you were anywhere near this level when you were eighteen."

Hearing this, Zhuo Yanyun’s gaze darkened. At eighteen, she indeed wasn’t as good as Nangong Yao, but she wouldn’t admit this fact. "All you’re saying is nonsense. The competition among geniuses always focuses on the present. Even if you gave her another two years, would you dare claim she’ll definitely surpass me?"

"We don’t need two years. In one month, she will surpass you," Ye Xuan said indifferently.

Upon hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Nangong Yao suddenly looked up at him, somewhat shaking her head. One month was too short. Surpassing Zhuo Yanyun wouldn’t be as easy as just talking about it.

"Are you so sure? Then do you dare to bet with me on the outcome of the contest one month from now?" The cold light flickered in Zhuo Yanyun’s eyes. "If I win, I want you to be my slave, serving by my side for life, at my disposal."

Ye Xuan, who already looked quite delicate and had a noble and otherworldly charm, had impressed Zhuo Yanyun with the soul power he released earlier. Plus, the fact that he had previously fought alone against Gu Feiyang and other disciples from the inner mansion made her interested in Ye Xuan. Such a talent couldn’t be left by Nangong Yao’s side, so she wanted to rope him in to serve her.

Moreover, having Ye Xuan as her slave would certainly deal a blow to Nangong Yao. With Ye Xuan in her grasp, how could Nangong Yao compete with her? Using Ye Xuan as a pawn, she could make Nangong Yao do whatever she wanted.

"In your dreams!"

Nangong Yao was furious; this woman actually had such vile thoughts.

"Okay."

However, Ye Xuan stopped her and agreed with a nod, but then he pointed at Zhuo Qian, "However, if you lose, she must be handed over to me."

"No problem."

Zhuo Yanyun, confident in herself, agreed without hesitation.

"Sister, I..." Zhuo Qian’s face turned pale. Having previously failed to harm Ye Xuan, if she fell into his hands, it would be a tragic outcome.

"How so? Don’t you believe in my strength?"

Zhuo Yanyun said coldly.

"No, it’s not that."

Zhuo Qian could only swallow her words. She knew Zhuo Yanyun was highly arrogant and once her mind was set, no one could change it. Although worried, she now had no choice but to place her faith in Zhuo Yanyun.

Afterward, with a deep look at Ye Xuan, Zhuo Yanyun and her entourage promptly left.

While walking away, Zhuo Qian said, "Sister, that Ye Xuan is not a simple character. Since he dared to bet with you, he must have some sort of scheme. You must be careful."

"A scheme? In the face of absolute strength, any scheme is just a joke. Rest assured, I wouldn’t propose a bet if I wasn’t absolutely sure of winning. Besides, do you think I showed all my strength just now? Some cards are only played when they’re truly needed," Zhuo Yanyun remarked nonchalantly.

Hearing this, Zhuo Qian’s eyes lit up, and the worry in her brow quickly dissipated. She nodded and smiled, "Sister, you are right; I was overthinking. If you manage to successfully obtain the Ice Soul Blood Toad, then progressing to the Fifth Grade Martial Sect Master Realm is just around the corner. At that time, Nangong Yao will be even less of a match for you. She’ll never surpass you in her lifetime."

The prospect of Nangong Yao losing to Zhuo Yanyun made her look forward to it. As for Ye Xuan becoming Zhuo Yanyun’s slave, that meant he would be her slave too. The thought of Ye Xuan groveling before her, pleading on his knees, brought a radiant smile to her lips.

"Brother Ye Xuan, how could you agree to something like this?" Nangong Yao said with an expression as if the end of the world had come. "Since Zhuo Yanyun dares to bet, it means she must be confident she can beat me, and her true strength might even be hidden. It will be very difficult to beat her, and what if I lose?"

"All the more reason to leave this place as soon as possible and hide somewhere they can’t find you."

"That’s a bit of an exaggeration," Ye Xuan said with a smile, shaking his head. "How can you think about running away at the sight of a little trouble? You have to have confidence in yourself. You should be thinking about how to muster the effort to beat Zhuo Yanyun, not how to make me flee."

Nangong Yao had great potential but lacked the drive in her cultivation. Under normal circumstances, without any external motivation, she was more likely to lose to Zhuo Yanyun in their contest in a month. But now things were different. If Nangong Yao lost, he would be the one in trouble, and the young girl would have no choice but to go all out.

"But... it’s too risky."

Although she also really wanted to win, Nangong Yao felt it was too dangerous.

"It’s not risky at all. Don’t you trust me? Your Brother Ye Xuan is not someone who acts recklessly. Since I dared to accept the bet, I’m confident I can secure your victory."

Ye Xuan certainly didn’t have a fetish for being enslaved by strange women; having given his word, he had to win the contest in a month.

"I watched your fight just now. The gap between you and Zhuo Yanyun is very small. Your biggest disadvantage lies in your Martial Arts and combat experience. If you can strengthen in this area, your chances of winning will greatly increase," Ye Xuan continued.

Nangong Yao nodded, listening attentively.

If it were just a matter of pride and rivalry with the Ice Soul Blood Toads, winning or losing wouldn’t be so important. But now that there was a bet that concerned Ye Xuan, she had no choice but to give it her all, not allowing for any sloppiness. If she lost and caused Ye Xuan to fall into trouble because of her, she would feel guilty for a lifetime.

"Of course, just that alone isn’t a guaranteed safeguard. Aside from these disadvantages, you have many potential strengths, such as the Xuanyin Body." Ye Xuan’s face wore a faint smile. "The Xuanyin Body is an extremely rare constitution, one that comes along maybe once in ten thousand years. Before, when your cultivation was low, it was a deadly constitution that could kill you, but now that you’ve cultivated the Innate Ice Emperor Skill of the Xuanbing Mansion, the Xuanyin Body has become the biggest booster for your rapid progress in cultivation. It is responsible for seventy percent of your current level."

"This Granny once mentioned it as well."

Nangong Yao nodded, recalling Granny Ning’s words. When Granny Ning had chosen her, it was precisely because of her Xuanyin Body, "I heard that in the history of the Xuanbing Mansion, there was once a powerful ancestor who also had the Xuanyin Body. It was with that ancestor’s power that the Xuanbing Mansion was able to become a Fourth Grade Sect. The Xuanyin Body is a powerful constitution, but it also carries uncontrollable danger. That ancestor eventually died because of his own constitution."

"That’s correct. As your cultivation improves, the Xuanyin Body will gradually become stronger, but its power will also become more uncontrollable. Your Xuanbing Mansion ancestor must not have been able to control his constitution, which led to his untimely death. All of this boils down to the Xuanyin Body being too powerful."

"The Xuanyin Body will evolve with the cultivation of its host. If the evolution is successful, it will reach a very powerful final form called the Nine Yin Ice Soul Divine Body."

Ye Xuan was about to continue, but Nangong Yao interrupted him, "Brother Ye Xuan, you’ve said so much, but what’s your method? How can I beat Zhuo Yanyun?"

"Why are you more anxious than me? Let me finish first."

When Ye Xuan mentioned the Nine Yin Ice Soul Divine Body, he thought Nangong Yao would be listening seriously and might have many questions, but instead, she didn’t seem excited at all and appeared uninterested, which was a bit depressing for him.

Because the Innate Ice Emperor Skill of the Xuanbing Mansion could only serve as the beginning part of a cultivation technique to guide the Xuanyin Body. Once the cultivation reached beyond the Martial Sect stage, another more powerful technique of the same type would be needed to replace it, and the Xuanbing Mansion didn’t have such a technique.

But Ye Xuan did. This was what he had wanted to discuss, as it related to Nangong Yao’s future cultivation.

"You need to know, the Nine Yin Ice Soul Divine Body..."

"Forget the Divine Body, just tell me the method to beat Zhuo Yanyun directly," Nangong Yao interrupted Ye Xuan again, looking pitiful.

"Alright, I have a way. We can temporarily unleash the potential of the Xuanyin Body, giving you a significant boost in combat power." Ye Xuan sounded slightly dejected. Since Nangong Yao didn’t want to listen, then never mind, he would find another opportunity to talk about it later. After all, even though Nangong Yao was improving rapidly, she was still far from the Martial Venerate stage, so there was no rush.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go back and get started."

Nangong Yao suddenly perked up, her anxious expression instantly swept away. Remembering Zhuo Yanyun’s arrogant attitude, she felt irked. What made it worse was the shameless bet proposed by Zhuo Yanyun—an utterly shameless woman.

"It will take about three days to prepare the Pill that can stimulate the potential. I’ll need to gather some more materials. Let’s head back and talk about it."

To concoct the Pill that would unleash the Xuanyin Body’s potential, Ye Xuan needed to make preparations. But with his current soul power at the Xuan Realm level, he was on par with those Heavenly Grade Alchemists, so it wasn’t a big problem for him.