"Old Shi, you sigh all day. Aren't you just boosting their morale and diminishing our own prestige?"
"Forget it, forget it." Ye Chen waved his hand impatiently. "Since you're still worried, I, this Princely Heir, will go investigate!"
"Didn't Chu Youwei say she was going to bathe in the Spiritual Spring up ahead? I, this Princely Heir, will go and greet her!"
A malicious glint flickered in Ye Chen's eyes.
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became, and he strode forward.
As he drew nearer to the Spiritual Spring deep within the canyon ahead, he was surprised to see numerous beautiful female cultivators flying past on their swords!
Judging by their attire, they were all from Phoenix Caw Peak, disciples of Su Mei!
So, after all this time, this place has become Phoenix Caw Peak's territory.
Growing ever more curious, Ye Chen took a few more steps and discovered a massive stone tablet inscribed with three large words: 「Fairy Pool」.
Fairy Pool?
Chu Youwei is probably bathing here. She has been delaying on purpose, likely waiting for me, this Princely Heir, to take the initiative and go to her.
Tsk tsk, Lin Xiao, oh Lin Xiao, for your own junior martial sister to be so forward with another man... truly pathetic of you, hahaha!
With this thought, Ye Chen grew even more excited. With a single step, he crossed several dozen meters.
Just then, at the furthest limit of his vision, a slender figure in snow-white robes traversed the void, heading his way!
Not daring to be careless, Ye Chen drew the enormous black sword from the sword box on his back, ready to engage at any moment!
"Which miscreant dares to trespass into Phoenix Caw Peak's forbidden Fairy Pool?"
As a clear, cold voice reached his ears, the woman in white revealed her beautiful face.
Her features were picturesque, her skin as white as snow, her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her figure was exceptionally tall and slender.
On her stunningly beautiful, melon-seed-shaped face, she possessed a pair of heroic sword-like eyebrows, lending her an inherently stern and imposing aura, giving off a sense of otherworldly detachment.
In terms of temperament alone, this woman is probably not much inferior to those two great beauties, Chairman Su and Chairman Xiao.
I never would have thought Phoenix Caw Peak had a beauty of this caliber!
Ye Chen unconsciously swallowed.
"Young friend! Hurry... run! This woman possesses a natural Asura Battle Body! Her killing intent is extremely heavy! And her strength is far beyond yours!" Old Shi in the ring warned again.
Sigh, Old Shi, look at you! Fretting over nothing again, aren't you?
Just watch, this Princely Heir will go and strike up a conversation with this fairy in white!
Ye Chen touched his nose, dismissive.
That's right.
Ever since birth, he knew he possessed a special charismatic aura that beautiful women found irresistible!
And this one, naturally, would be no exception!
"Ah, young friend, young friend, when I first met you, you weren't like this..." the old man in the ring began, sighing again. "The black-clad youth who fought his way out of the Great Zhou Imperial City that day—stubborn, resolute, brave, and fearless; full of passion yet not lacking meticulousness and calm.
"But ever since you met this man named Lin Xiao, under his imperceptible influence, your temperament has become more impatient, and your personality has gradually become distorted. This is not the bearing a Son of Destiny should possess!
"This person could very well be the one who intercepts your destined opportunities!
"Forget it; there's no point in me saying more. I hope... you can realize this yourself. Sigh."
The old man in the ring sighed once more.
...
"Greetings, Fairy." Ye Chen sheathed his longsword and clasped his hands in an elegant salute. "Fairy, your beauty is truly unparalleled; I have rarely seen its like in my life."
"Refuse to answer my question, and you court death!"
The woman, however, did not reply. Her phoenix eyes blazed with anger. Her form flickered, True Yuan erupted from her body, and her Sword Intent, like a mountain torrent, surged forth as her sword strike tore through the air!
What domineering and sharp Sword Intent!
This woman... is truly determined to kill me!
Ye Chen's heart sank. He wanted to draw his sword to parry, but it was already too late!
WHOOSH!
A golden sword light pierced through his body!
He felt a sharp pain in his arm, and a spray of blood erupted!
The next moment, his consciousness gradually blurred, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Such a useless man dares to spy on the Fairy Pool?"
Hmm? He's actually a disciple of Elder Yuanyi from Tiandang Peak?
Zhu Wanning's sword-like eyebrows furrowed. Noticing the sect insignia on the youth's attire, a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes.
First, I'll report this to Master and let her decide!
Let's see what Elder Yuanyi has to say then!
Zhu Wanning said to the several junior martial sisters behind her.
"Yes! Eldest Senior Sister!"
...
Far away, Chu Youwei, who had been observing in secret all along, let out a long sigh of relief!
Eldest Senior Brother is indeed divinely insightful.
This way, I can report back to him!
However, speaking of which, this Senior Sister Zhu is indeed ruthless...
Someone as beautiful and strong as her must be the object of every man's affection...
No... Eldest Senior Brother had me lure Ye Chen here precisely because he understood Senior Sister Zhu's temperament. Then, could it be that Eldest Senior Brother... has feelings for Senior Sister Zhu?
The more Chu Youwei thought, the more dejected she felt. Then, she encouraged herself:
No! Eldest Senior Brother can only be mine!
If Eldest Senior Brother truly likes strong girls, then I just need to become stronger than Senior Sister Zhu!
With that said, she mounted her sword and flew towards Divine Phoenix Peak.
「Divine Phoenix Peak, inside the senior disciples' dormitory.」
Lin Xiao was carefully repairing the Photo Stone.
That's right, he wanted to restore all the footage related to Lu Yingying and Guo Yourong that Chu Youwei had deleted!
Of course, it was mainly the footage of Second Junior Sister Guo Yourong...
What decent person would be interested in a little slip of a girl like Fourth Junior Sister?
As he was busy, a voice sounded in his mind:
"DING!"
"Due to [Protagonist Ye Chen] being indirectly harmed by you and suffering grievous injuries, Luck Value lost: 100 points!"
"You have successfully maintained your villainous persona!"
"You have received rewards: Large Cultivation Experience Pack x1, Nine Refinement Golden Elixir (First Grade treasure pill) x1, Sword Dao +35 (Sword Dao proficiency has increased!)!"
"DING! Due to the increase in your Sword Dao realm, you, who possess the Formless Sword Body, have automatically comprehended the Sword Art Divine Power: Sword Supplement Azure Dragon Technique!"
...
What the hell? What's going on?
Didn't I only get to trigger rewards by following the original novel's plot before?
Lousy system, explain yourself!
Lin Xiao frowned, vaguely sensing that things were not so simple!
However, the lousy system, as usual, chose to play dead and did not respond.
But speaking of which... according to the system's prompt, Ye Chen had indeed fallen into Third Junior Sister's trap and was seriously injured by that ice queen, Zhu Wanning.
Lin Xiao gazed into the void, his eyes profound.
It turned out that the reason he had Chu Youwei lure Ye Chen into the forbidden area for female cultivators on Phoenix Caw Peak to suffer a setback was precisely to test whether the bond between Third Junior Sister and Ye Chen, as in the original novel, would still form!
After all, according to the original novel's plot, on the night of the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony, Third Junior Sister Chu Youwei visited Ye Chen. As they chatted, they hit it off, and before they knew it, they had flown to Phoenix Caw Peak's territory, where they encountered Su Mei's eldest disciple, the head disciple of Phoenix Caw Peak, Zhu Wanning.
As the last member of Ye Chen's harem to be won over in the Qinglan Sect, Zhu Wanning, with her indifferent and frosty personality, also had an extremely fiery temper. She attacked them on sight. It was only under Chu Youwei's cover that Ye Chen managed to escape safely.
After weathering this crisis together, feelings gradually blossomed between the two.
It seems now, with the repeated alterations to the early stages of the plot, the fated connection between Ye Chen and Third Junior Sister from the original novel has been completely severed at this point.
Thinking of this, Lin Xiao felt an inexplicable sense of relief in his heart.
After all, who would want to see their own treasured junior martial sister develop a fondness for a reckless punk like Ye Chen?
But at the same time, Lin Xiao grew even more worried about his subsequent actions:
Now that Third Junior Sister's character development has undeniably gone off track, for the second major storyline where Ye Chen shows off and crushes his opponents—the 'Five Branches Martial Meeting' outside the Sword Tomb—I can only pin my hopes on the other two junior martial sisters.
Indeed. What's past is past.
If the earlier plot deviated, then so be it. At least Ye Chen successfully joined the sect, so the overall framework is still intact!
Setting aside the other two junior martial sisters, Ye Chen's other harem members—Su Mei, Zhu Wanning, and that great beauty from the Upper Realm, Moon Princess, who is sealed in the sect's forbidden land—should all still be behaving as per their original roles!
After the Five Branches Martial Meeting, I'll be getting closer and closer to my death by plot and achieving Prove Dao to ascend! Therefore, for the upcoming plot role-playing, I must be fully focused and even more dedicated!
Thinking this, Lin Xiao readjusted his mindset.
Stupid Ye Chen, I'm giving you one last chance. Don't force this old man to go dark!