Chapter 348: Mind Your Image

Yuan Yao listened to those words, nodded, indicating she understood.

"I understand."

Hua Chengyan heard that and knew she had not fully chosen to forgive.

However, the other's attitude had clearly softened a lot.

Hua Chengyan said softly, "Yuan, fellow cultivator, our agreement on the spirit boat still stands."

Yuan Yao gave a slight smile, "Fine."

【Target: Hua Chengyan, Awakening Value reached 5.】

Her gaze fell on Hong Zhengqing, seeing his hands drenched in blood, the wounds gruesome, his face almost devoid of color, as if he would die in the next instant.

"What sect is this?" Yuan Yao asked beside her, Hua Chengyan.

Hua Chengyan followed her gaze, "They come from the Heaven One Sect of the First Continent."

Yuan Yao frowned, "Don't you think the Heaven One Sect's act of making that male disciple shed blood is very similar to the evil cultivators' use of innocents for blood sacrifices?"

Hua Chengyan felt a slight stir in his heart.

"Similar."

He paused, then said, "But this matter doesn't concern us; we cannot intervene."

His tone was calm, also realistic.

【Target: Hua Chengyan, Awakening Value reached 10.】

Yuan Yao pressed, "Would you, for the Heavenly Pride Token, have your sect's disciples do the same as him?"

Hua Chengyan seemed not to hear; he took out a small bronze mirror and examined his own face.

Then he ran his fingers through his hair.

Yuan Yao saw him looking into the mirror at this moment, her mouth twitched slightly, "Young Master Hua, you still haven't answered my question."

Hua Chengyan slightly furrowed his brows and turned his head away, not wanting to deal with her.

Yuan Yao, unwilling to give up, stepped before him, staring straight, "Young Master Hua, do you think the Heavenly Pride Token is more important, or your sect's disciples?"

Hua Chengyan put away the small bronze mirror, his tone rather helpless, "Why are you such a troublesome little girl?"

"I don't want to answer."

He gazed at her, retorting, "And you? If you were me, what would you choose?"

"I would choose the disciples," Yuan Yao said without hesitation, "After all, I still have two years to obtain the Heavenly Pride Token!"

Hua Chengyan fell silent.

He said, "Are you thinking everything too simply? Once you miss the Heavenly Pride Token, you can never find it again. Time will flow away like water, never to return. I only have two years, not twenty."

Yuan Yao exclaimed, "So the Heavenly Pride Token is that hard to obtain?"

Hua Chengyan's mouth twitched; he thought the little girl had been spoiled to the point of being naive, and her next words made his complexion change.

"If I had known the Heavenly Pride Token was worth twenty‑five Top‑Grade Spirit Stones, I wouldn't have chosen the teleportation scroll."

Hua Chengyan said urgently, "What do you mean?"

Yuan Yao said, "Recently, during my trials in the Luminous Secret Realm, I earned a reward. Among the reward were five Heavenly Pride Tokens and five treasures; I could pick any one. I didn't take a token; I chose another treasure."

Hua Chengyan's expression shifted; he stared at Yuan Yao in disbelief.

"Really?!"

She nodded.

"Why didn't you choose the Heavenly Pride Token?" Hua Chengyan said, grinding his teeth.

Yuan Yao said, "Because I already have a Heavenly Pride Token, from my master."

Hua Chengyan heard that light tone, his heart ached to the point of wanting to vomit blood; his face turned somewhat feral in an instant.

Yuan Yao saw his intense emotion and realized her words might have provoked him.

"Mind your image! Mind your image!" Yuan Yao quickly reminded him.

Hua Chengyan, hearing this, hurriedly pulled out the small bronze mirror, feeling frantic inside.

He looked at himself in the mirror, his face seemed twisted.

He felt like crying.

He had traveled almost all over the cultivation world to obtain the Heavenly Pride Token.

Yet over the years he had missed every chance.

And the person before him chose not to take the token.

He was so angry he nearly vomited blood.

Yuan Yao noticed his chest heaving with anger, quickly soothing, "Young Master Hua, take a deep breath."

Hua Chengyan took a deep breath, and tears streamed out; he sniffled to Yuan Yao, "From now on, could you give me a Heavenly Pride Token?"

His voice grew increasingly thin.

"No." Yuan Yao refused.

Hua Chengyan's delicate face first showed astonishment, tears sliding down his cheeks, then he became even more sorrowful.

And a little more anger.

Yuan Yao said helplessly, "When I get a Heavenly Pride Token later, I can't just give it to you for free; can I sell it to you? You're an adult now, stop crying! People who don't know might think I beat you!"

Hearing this, Hua Chengyan's almond-shaped eyes widened; in his agitation he grabbed Yuan Yao's wrist, "Really?!"

In that instant, Hua Chengyan suddenly sensed a strong murderous intent.

His eyes hardened.

"Who?"

Yuan Yao calmly brushed his hand away, smiling, "Really."

Hua Chengyan covered his mouth and let out a light cough, then turned his head slightly, pulling out a handkerchief with one hand and holding a small bronze mirror with the other.

He wiped his tears on the mirror.

Yuan Yao: "……"

However, within a moment, Hua Chengyan again regained that spring‑breeze‑like, gentle and modest gentlemanly demeanor, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Yuan Daoist friend, I made you look foolish just now."

Yuan Yao suddenly felt that his practiced changes of pose and demeanor were somewhat reminiscent of Third Senior Brother.

Yuan Yao said, "It was a laugh."

Hua Chengyan: "……"

Just then—

A deafening explosion roared from ahead.

Yuan Yao and Hua Chengyan immediately turned toward the sound, and saw that almost everyone was gathering spiritual energy to attack this sealing barrier.

Yet the sealing barrier suddenly rebounded their force back, and in an instant they were all nearly knocked to the ground.

In the next instant, the ground actually split open a huge fissure.

Just as they were about to fall into the abyss—

Hua Chengyan acted.

He swiftly gathered both hands to form a red seal.

In an instant, the red seal totem unfolded, catching all of them.

His hand snapped shut, and everyone was instantly sent to the ground.

Yuan Yao, seeing this, slightly lifted the corner of her brows and gave Hua Chengyan a glance.

At this moment, the young disciples suffered a backlash, blood seeping in fine threads from the corners of their mouths.

And Hong Zhengqing was directly stunned, left with only a breath.

A female disciple of the Heaven One Sect saw this, her face turning pale, and she rushed to Hong Zhengqing's side, anxiously shouting, "Senior Brother Hong! Wake up!"

She hurriedly retrieved a pill bottle from the storage, poured out a pill, and fed it into Hong Zhengqing's mouth.

Then, she tried to bandage the wounds on Hong Zhengqing's hands, but remembering something she paused, turned to Seventh Elder Rong Jin Zhi, her voice trembling with tears: "Seventh Elder, Senior Brother Hong can barely hold on…"

Seventh Elder Rong Jin Zhi was about to speak, but at that moment sensed something and looked up at the sealing barrier.

The sealing barrier's power was actually weakening.

This proves—

"Hong Zhengqing's bloodline power has taken effect," the Second Elder said, his expression slightly pleased.