As Yun Fan looked at the approaching figure, he realized it was a woman, her beauty comparable to Xuan Xuan's.
However, her charm was entirely different, playful and fiery, radiating a cute kind of allure.
"Which eye of yours saw this immortal slaughtering a fellow disciple?" Yun Fan challenged.
"Hmph!" the woman scoffed. "I saw him being swallowed by your power!"
"Little girl, you mustn't speak such nonsense!" Yun Fan nearly collapsed. If this got out, whether to Biyao or Yao Xi, he'd be in deep trouble.
The woman sneered. "Slaughtering a fellow disciple is a grave offense. Today, I shall kill you!"
Yun Fan calmly replied, "What rank of immortal are you to spew such bravado? Be careful not to slip your tongue. If you're wise, pretend you saw nothing. If not, don't blame me for crushing a delicate flower!" He figured she was just a young girl, likely not very powerful, and he felt no fear.
"You dare threaten me? You court death!" The woman suddenly attacked.
Yun Fan nonchalantly moved to defend himself, but to his shock, he was struck by her palm.
"Bang!"
The impact sent him flying, nearly killing him.
"Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood, his internal organs churning.
"You... Who exactly are you?" Yun Fan gasped, realizing her power far surpassed his; they weren't even in the same league. He felt like crying. How could his life in the immortal realm be so frustrating? Just as he avenged himself, he encountered someone even fiercer.
"You are not qualified to know my identity!" The woman moved to finish him.
In desperation, Yun Fan cried, "Wait!"
"What? Do you have any last words?" she sneered.
Yun Fan declared, "Do you know my status and position? You dare to kill me?"
"I don't care who you are, but the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace's regulations are clear: slaughtering a fellow disciple is a capital offense. I am now purging this scum!"
"Hmph!" Yun Fan snorted and revealed his other identity. "I am Xuan Xuan's mentor. If you kill me, Xuan Xuan will not let you off!"
"Xuan Xuan?" The woman looked at Yun Fan in shock, bewildered why he dared utter Xuan Xuan's name so casually.
"What? Scared?" Yun Fan smugly asked. "Let me go now, and I'll pretend this never happened!" Revenge could wait. This young woman was nothing like Feng Chen Zi; he'd have to wait a long time for that.
"How can you be her mentor?" the woman asked, surprised.
"Because I taught her ten famous pieces, each a timeless masterpiece!" Yun Fan explained.
"So, that's it!" She turned to him. "Did you compose 'Plum Blossom Melody'?" She had been incredibly jealous hearing Xuan Xuan play that piece at the Plum Blossom Festival. She had wondered how Xuan Xuan possessed such skill, only to realize this young man was the hidden talent. Of course, Xuan Xuan hadn't claimed credit, merely following Yun Fan's instructions to remain low-key.
Yun Fan nodded. "Indeed."
"I am her mentor. She is my backing. Are you afraid now?" Yun Fan asked arrogantly. He was naturally a low-key person, never one for boasting, but necessity demanded it. He feared showing weakness would lead to his immediate death. Thus, when he felt least confident, he'd try to package himself. Wouldn't his arrogance make her hesitate?
However, she retorted, "Afraid of what? Since you're her person, I must kill you even more!"
Yun Fan's blood ran cold. This was bad. He was finished, utterly defeated. As he closed his eyes, feigning surrender while planning an escape, she suddenly said, "It's easy for you to live!"
"I want to live!" Yun Fan, driven by a strong survival instinct, asked, "What must I do?"
"Very simple!" She stated. "Betray her and join my ranks, and I'll spare your life!"
Yun Fan was speechless. He was surprisingly in demand. He had to admit, Xuan Xuan had helped him immensely, and betraying her now would be deeply dishonorable. He wasn't a sycophant.
He declared righteously, "From today onwards, I am your person!"
"That's more like it!" The woman smiled smugly. Stealing Xuan Xuan's mentor would surely irk her. So be it. He just wanted to live, and if he lived, everything else could be sorted out.
"What is your name?" Yun Fan asked.
"They call me Yu Xin!" Yu Xin announced her name, a title renowned throughout the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace. She expected Yun Fan to be awestruck, but he replied, "Never heard of it."
"What? You've never heard of me?" Yu Xin, enraged, grabbed his collar.
Yun Fan sighed. "I only recently joined the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace. How could I have heard of you?"
"I see. Then I forgive you!" Yu Xin told him, "Remember, I am the most dazzling existence in the Immortal Palace!"
"Which floor do you reside on?" Yun Fan asked, puzzled. Dazzling or not, he knew the rules of the Nine Heavens Immortal Palace: higher floors meant higher status, even if not necessarily higher power.
Yu Xin proudly declared, "The ninth floor!"
"Holy cow!" Yun Fan realized he'd misjudged her. He'd assumed her status was comparable to Xuan Xuan's, perhaps even less. But to be on the ninth floor—that was peak level.
"Now you see my power, don't you?" Yu Xin boasted. "Joining me was your wisest decision!" While a bit boastful, it was damn reliable. Yun Fan felt he'd found a powerful ally. As for Xuan Xuan, he could only apologize. Of course, if he became strong enough, he might try to play both sides. But for now, he needed a strong backer.
"Come with me," Yu Xin said.
"To the ninth floor?" Yun Fan asked.
"First, the eighth floor, to annoy that wretched woman!" Yu Xin declared.
"Is that really necessary?" Yun Fan knew Xuan Xuan would be hurt and angry if she saw this. She had done so much for him; without her, he'd likely be dead.
"It's necessary!" Yu Xin insisted. "It's also to prevent any lingering feelings between you and her! To make her give up on you completely!"
"I think 'lingering feelings' is a bit of a misnomer!" Yun Fan offered his suggestion, but Yu Xin waved it away. "It's all the same!" Fine. Yun Fan was thoroughly defeated.
Just then, several martial artists from the first realm, alerted by Feng Chen Zi's dying plea, arrived.
"Boy, did you kill Senior Brother Feng Chen Zi?" they asked, glaring at Yun Fan. Feng Chen Zi had told them about his grievance with Yun Fan, so they had identified him.
"Yes, I killed him," Yun Fan admitted.
"Kill him! Avenge our senior brother!" As they prepared to attack, they froze upon seeing Yu Xin.
"Your Highness, the Saintess?" They prostrated themselves, terrified. Their earlier arrogance had vanished with Yu Xin's appearance.
Yu Xin's voice was cold. "You dare to kill my person?"
"We dare not, we dare not!" They were nearly scared to death. Had they known Yun Fan had such a powerful backer, they'd never have interfered. They cursed Feng Chen Zi under their breath.
Yun Fan was also astonished. No wonder Yu Xin lived on the ninth floor; she was a Saintess, a position of immense authority. She was practically a tier-two or three figure, far surpassing Xuan Xuan, even if Xuan Xuan was a lead dancer. He'd stumbled upon a truly reliable tree to lean on.
He sneered, "If Your Highness the Saintess hadn't appeared today, would you have killed me?" They scrambled to explain it was a misunderstanding. But Yun Fan, still simmering from their earlier threats, wasn't about to let it go.
"You don't need to explain," Yu Xin said. They looked at her, confused. "I don't listen to explanations from the dead!"
The words struck them like lightning. Yu Xin had pronounced their death sentence. Her decisiveness surprised Yun Fan; he found himself admiring her for it, feeling it was worth becoming a "three-clan slave" for.
As they tried to flee, Yu Xin's power turned them to dust.
"Hiss!" Yun Fan sucked in a breath. Yu Xin's power was likely at least fourth realm, perhaps higher. Her strength was immense, making killing them effortless, and killing him just as easy. She was far more powerful than Xuan Xuan. Her decisiveness, however, wasn't something Yun Fan blamed Xuan Xuan for; their statuses were vastly different. He believed Xuan Xuan, in a similar position, would act similarly. Now, he felt indebted to Xuan Xuan, not the other way around.
"See? Am I treating you better than Xuan Xuan?" Yu Xin asked. "These people offended you, and I, your Saintess, killed them without a second thought!"
"Your Highness the Saintess, from today onwards, I am your person!" Yun Fan declared.
"That's more like it!" Yu Xin smirked. "Follow me, and you won't suffer. Anything Xuan Xuan can give you, I can give you, and anything she can't, I can!"
"Yes!" Yun Fan was content. He blamed Biyao for bringing him to the immortal realm prematurely, where every step required caution. Now, he could only rely on a powerful patron.
"When we see that wretch Xuan Xuan later, you know how to act, right?" Yu Xin prompted.
"Your Highness the Saintess, rest assured, I know what to do!"
"Good!" Yu Xin urged, "Let's go!"
"Your Highness, I have a question," Yun Fan ventured.
"Speak!"
"Do you have a grudge against Xuan Xuan?" he asked cautiously.
"No deep hatred," Yu Xin replied. "As Saintess, I wouldn't normally bother with her, but she stole the attention that rightfully belonged to me. So, I'm very displeased with her!" She declared, "It's either her or me!"
Yun Fan quickly interjected, "There's no need. Her status and achievements are far inferior to yours. You shouldn't stoop to her level!" He intended to dissuade Yu Xin. While following Yu Xin was pleasant, being a Saintess meant she could kill anyone who offended him, and Yu Xin would help. But Xuan Xuan had helped him so much; it felt wrong to trample on her with Yu Xin. It wasn't his style.
"Are you trying to rekindle your old feelings with her?" Yu Xin asked.
"No, no!" Yun Fan hastily denied, finding the term "rekindle" misplaced.
"Then that's that!" Yu Xin stated. "Following me is better than following her. With me, you won't have to stay on the first floor anymore. You'll be on the ninth floor with me!"
"Understood!" Yun Fan nodded. The ninth floor offered significant resources, and his current priority was getting stronger. Beyond that, nothing else mattered.
They arrived at the eighth floor, Yu Yuan. Seeing Yun Fan, Xuan Xuan exclaimed excitedly, "Young Master Yun, you've arrived!"
However, Yun Fan appeared deeply guilty, his head bowed. Xuan Xuan was perplexed but understood once she saw Yu Xin. "What have you done to Young Master Yun?" she demanded.
Yu Xin declared triumphantly, "From today onwards, he is my person!"
"What?" Xuan Xuan froze.
Yu Xin continued, "If it weren't for me, he would have been killed long ago. So, he's better off with me than with you. A wise bird chooses its perch, after all."
"It's not like that!" Yun Fan quickly said, "Xuan Xuan, I'm sorry, because..." He trailed off, unsure how to finish, fearing his words would hurt Xuan Xuan. Hearing this, Xuan Xuan understood his unspoken meaning. She was a reasonable person and said, "Since this is Young Master Yun's choice, I will respect your decision!"
"I..." Yun Fan was speechless. He knew Xuan Xuan was disappointed.
"See?" Yu Xin said. "He has a brighter future with me. From now on, when you see him, take a detour!"
"Hmph!" Xuan Xuan coldly snorted. "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a Saintess. One day, I will win Young Master Yun back!"
Yun Fan was deeply touched. At least Xuan Xuan understood his predicament.
"Don't worry, you won't get the chance, because you never had one to begin with," Yu Xin said. Seeing Xuan Xuan flustered, Yu Xin felt a surge of satisfaction and called to Yun Fan, "Little Yun Zi, let's go!"
He supposed he was now a eunuch. He then asked Yu Xin, "Your Highness the Saintess, may I bid her farewell?"
"Of course! Do as you please," Xuan Xuan said, relieved. "After all, you won't have any more contact from now on."