As Ayao was talking to Xiaobai, a long rainbow flew towards her cave and landed outside. It transformed into a beautiful woman dressed in a red palace dress. Ayao, who was inside, sensed the arrival of the beautiful woman.
She stood up and flew out of the cave. After the restrictions outside the cave opened automatically, the woman in red standing outside smiled and cupped her hands in greeting to A Yao: "Congratulations on entering the Nascent Soul stage, sister."
Ayao smiled and said, "Sister Zhang came all the way here to congratulate me, but you can't just say it, you have to give me a gift."
The woman in the red palace dress was named Zhang Lan, a Nascent Soul cultivator living nearby. A Yao had lived in Yutian City for so many years; of course, she couldn't be without friends. Zhang Lan was one of A Yao's closest friends. When A Yao first met her, they were both still in the Nascent Soul stage.
Fifty years ago, Zhang Lan entered the Nascent Soul stage before A Yao, and A Yao went to congratulate her at that time.
Zhang Lan burst into laughter upon hearing A Yao's words.
Ayao wasn't really asking for anything from her. Smiling, she stepped aside and invited Zhang Lan into the cave to chat. Xiaobai and Ayao were telepathically connected, and Ayao told him to leave. Xiaobai was Ayao's trump card; she wouldn't casually reveal its existence. Zhang Lan and Ayao entered the cave together. Ayao personally brewed tea, and the two chatted and laughed.
Then several more cultivators living nearby came to visit. The commotion caused by A Yao's entry into the Nascent Soul stage could not be kept secret from the nearby cultivators. Some of these visitors were people A Yao knew, and some were people she didn't know. Some of them just came to congratulate her and get closer to her, while others wanted to recruit A Yao and get her to join their respective forces.
Ah Yao was used to being a rogue cultivator, and she would politely decline any offers of recruitment with a smile.
After these people left, A Yao closed her cave again, intending to cultivate for a period of time to consolidate her cultivation level. Two years passed in this way. One day two years later, Zhang Lan came looking for A Yao. This time she didn't come alone; a handsome man in black accompanied her.
Ah Yao had seen the handsome man in black before. His name was Ye Tian, an elder of the Flying Immortal Sect with a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. His relationship with Zhang Lan had always been very ambiguous.
"Friendly fellow Daoist Lu," Ye Tian said with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, you are a rare guest," A Yao said politely.
Ayao smiled and let Ye Tian and Zhang Lan in. The puppet maid served tea and snacks. After the three exchanged pleasantries, Ayao asked with a smile, "You two didn't come to see me today just to chat, did you?"
After hearing what A Yao said, Ye Tian and Zhang Lan exchanged a glance. Zhang Lan smiled and said, "Sister Lu is a straightforward person, so we won't beat around the bush. Actually, we want to invite you to explore an ancient ruin with us."
After Zhang Lan finished speaking, Ye Tian reached out his hand, and a blue bead appeared in his palm. The blue bead was about the size of a thumb and emitted a blue glow. Then, a beam of light shot into the air, where a map unfolded.
Ye Tian said, "I obtained this map by chance. I went to search for the place marked on the map several months ago. This is the outside of that ruin, with many restrictions and strange formations. I finally found it, and naturally I was unwilling to give up. So I studied it there for several months and found that the formation required six Nascent Soul stage cultivators to break it together. That's why I came to find Fellow Daoist Lu."
Ayao listened without changing her expression and said, "Six. Fellow Daoist Ye is one, Sister Zhang is one, and if you include me, that makes three. So where are the other three? Are they all from the Flying Immortal Sect?"
Ye Tian gave a wry smile: "I haven't told anyone in the Flying Immortal Sect about this."
Ayao asked, "Why is that?"
Ye Tian said, "Fellow Daoist, you are unaware of this. Although I am an elder of the Flying Immortal Sect, the relationships within the sect are complex and intertwined. My relationship with the other Nascent Soul stage elders of the Flying Immortal Sect is merely superficial. How could I possibly invite them to explore the ruins with us?"
Ayao asked, "Who are the other three?"
"The other three are Fellow Daoist Hu from Bitter Cold Island. You know Fellow Daoist Hu, sister."
"There is also Master Yiyuan from Banyu Mountain."
Ayao listened and fell into deep thought. She did indeed know that Fellow Daoist Hu; he was a rugged-looking man with an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. She hadn't met the One Yuan True Man, but she had heard of him and knew he was a reclusive old man with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. Ayao then asked, "What about the one we're missing?"
Ye Tian smiled and said, "There is one person we haven't found yet. If Fellow Daoist Lu agrees to our request, I think we can find the last person in a few days."
Ayao nodded and said, "I need to think about this. Give me a few days to think about it."
Ye Tian wasn't too surprised. He said, "Alright, I'll wait for your news, fellow Daoist."
After saying that, Ye Tian left with Zhang Lan.
After the two of them left, a white figure appeared beside Ayao. She looked at Xiaobai and said, "From the first moment I saw Ye Tian, I felt that he was not someone to be trusted. Although I trust Zhang Lan, this ruin was discovered by Ye Tian. I wonder what kind of bad intentions he has?"
Aside from Zhang Lan, she wasn't familiar with the others who invited her to explore the ruins. If there were any treasures there, she, a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had just entered the Nascent Soul stage, had absolutely no chance against Ye Tian, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. If it weren't for Xiao Bai, A Yao would have refused outright. But because of Xiao Bai's trump card, A Yao was somewhat tempted to see what was inside the ruins.
Should we go or not?
Before Ayao could make a decision, Zhang Lan came again in the afternoon to persuade her.
"Don't worry, sister. Ye Tian doesn't talk nonsense. He said he has thoroughly studied that formation, but he just needs more manpower. He definitely wouldn't lie to us. If he really deceives you, I'll be the first to not let him off the hook," Zhang Lan said.
Ayao smiled and said, "Sister Zhang, have you known Ye Tian for a long time?"
A look of reminiscence appeared on Zhang Lan's beautiful face. She nodded and said, "It's been more than two thousand years. He and I have been through life and death together. So, even if you don't believe him, you should believe me, right? I know you've just entered the Nascent Soul stage, which is why you have concerns. If I were you, I would probably feel the same way. But if we miss this opportunity, it will never come again."
"If there is really some great opportunity inside, my sister will regret it to death if she misses it."
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