Yi Ting was shocked and looked at the slender palm falling with resentment. She wanted to dodge, but with her current cultivation level of the third stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm, she couldn't dodge this palm at all.
The hand, accompanied by a whistling sound, drew closer and closer. Yiting could even feel the stinging sensation of the airflow from the hand brushing against her face.
Just as the hand was about to land on her face, a dark shadow appeared out of nowhere.
"Young lady, it's wise to be merciful when possible. This slap was a bit too much."
When the voice rang out, Xia Zihan immediately felt her palm being enveloped by an invisible spiritual energy, causing her palm to hover less than an inch away from Yiting's cheek, unable to move forward even an inch.
Looking up, Yi Ting saw a middle-aged woman in a light purple brocade dress standing before her. The woman had fair and delicate skin, with faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but these wrinkles did not make her look old; instead, they added to her mature charm.
Xia Zihan frowned, looking at the woman who had suddenly appeared:
Who are you?
As she spoke, a dim purple phantom appeared behind Xia Zihan, and as the phantom appeared, a clear and long cry of a celestial phoenix echoed throughout the corridor.
As the cry rang out, the invisible spiritual energy that had been binding Xia Zihan's hands seemed to have been subjected to a tremendous impact, and it loosened slightly.
Immediately afterwards, the purple spiritual energy in Xia Zihan's palm shone brightly, and she broke free from that spiritual energy. With a light step, she appeared five zhang away.
At the same time, a phantom purple phoenix appeared behind them, its wings fluttering slightly and emitting low cries.
The middle-aged woman narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the celestial phantom behind Xia Zihan, and said softly:
"So, the Purple Radiance Celestial Phoenix is actually bound by a life contract? No wonder it was able to break free from my restraints so easily."
"It's a pity that his cultivation level is a bit low, otherwise I could have sent out an 'invitation'."
The woman pondered to herself, then gently shook her head.
Looking at Xia Zihan in the distance, then glancing at Yiting behind her, she sighed.
She understood that the two women had clearly gotten into such a fight because of a romantic relationship. This was their private feud, and as an outsider, she shouldn't have interfered.
But if that slap were to actually land, it would likely become a lifelong torment for the woman named Yiting. In a more serious situation, Yiting might even undergo a drastic personality change as a result.
This was not the outcome she wanted, which is why she had to intervene.
Let's separate them and let them cool off for a while.
Thinking of this, the woman's figure flashed and she instantly disappeared from the quiet corridor.
Yi Ting also disappeared from the spot along with the woman, leaving Xia Zihan standing there in astonishment, the air around her still seeming to retain the lingering effects of the spiritual energy fluctuations from earlier.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from afar, as if many of the Lin family guards had been startled by Tianluan's cry and were rushing towards this place.
"snort!"
Xia Zihan's eyes flickered for a moment, then she snorted coldly and left.
When Yiting and the woman reappeared, they had already returned to the Lin family's guest room.
Yiting stood there blankly, her eyes unfocused, looking lost and dejected.
The events that had just occurred replayed in her mind like a revolving lantern: Xia Zihan's proud gaze and the hand about to land on her face—all of this filled her with humiliation and resentment.
The woman stood quietly to the side, watching Yiting. After a moment, she sighed softly and said:
"Yiting, the way you are now is just making yourself suffer."
"In this world, love alone is useless. Only by becoming strong can you truly grasp what you want."
"As you can see, that girl not only possesses the Purple Radiance Heavenly Phoenix, which ranks eighty-fifth on the list of all beasts, but if I'm not mistaken, her technique of spreading purple light is extremely profound. I suppose only the royal family of Zhongzhou in this Xia Region can possess it."
"It seems that the girl's strength and background are not something you can easily contend with. I was lucky to intervene in time today, but what about next time? Do you really expect your little lover to help you? I bet he'll be the one with more headaches then."
Yi Ting seemed to have something on her mind, her body trembled slightly, but she didn't say anything, she just silently lowered her head.
Seeing this, the woman pressed her advantage and said:
"Yiting, come with me. I can take you to a place with countless cultivation resources. As long as you are willing to work hard, improving your cultivation level will not be difficult. When you are strong enough, it's not too late to come back to your lover. By then, you will have enough leverage to compete with that girl from before."
Hearing this, Yiting didn't know why she would help her, but she could sense that there was no malice in her words.
For a moment, she was caught in a fierce internal struggle. On one hand, she didn't want to leave Qin Luo, fearing that once she left, she would never have the chance to be with him again; on the other hand, she was also aware of her current situation, just as the woman had said, she had no chance of winning if things continued this way.
After a long while, Yiting slowly shook her head:
"Madam, thank you for your kindness. But I really can't leave him. I'm afraid that if I leave... when we meet again, he won't have me in his heart anymore..."
"Moreover, I will try my best to improve my cultivation level, and I also believe that my master will not stand by and watch me be bullied."
The woman gently shook her head: "You're still too naive. Without sufficient strength, you'll only be able to watch that girl steal your beloved away. She has the support of the Purple Radiance Heavenly Phoenix and the backing of her family's power, while what do you have besides this deep affection?"
But seeing Yiting's resolute gaze, he knew further persuasion was useless, and could only helplessly say:
"Alright, since you've made your decision, I won't force you. But I still hope you can leave with me. After all, this place is too insignificant for you, and your talent for alchemy shouldn't be buried here."
As she finished speaking, a soft blue light emanated from the woman's hand, slowly condensing into an exquisite mark. The mark appeared to be composed of countless tiny runes, which shimmered with a faint light, with wisps of surging spiritual energy flowing within them.
The woman gently raised her hand and slowly sent the mark into Yiting's hand.
“This is a mark on me. If you change your mind, just put your spiritual energy into it, and I will sense it. But this mark can only last for three days. After three days, it will dissipate on its own. I hope to hear good news from you before the mark disappears.”
After the woman finished speaking, she glanced at Yiting one last time, then her figure gradually became blurry and eventually disappeared from the room.
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