Chapter 5

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Cultivation techniques were divided into four tiers in order from high to low, respectively: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow.

The most common cultivation technique in the continent was the Yellow tier, while only some large family clans held the Mystic cultivation technique. Those who possessed the Earth cultivation technique were among the top sects in the continent, the strongest in a region!

As for the Heaven-tier cultivation technique, it had been a long time since it appeared, not to mention the Divine-tier cultivation technique!

After taking in a deep breath to calm her agitated self down, Mu Qianyue sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes, taking her time to absorb the Essence Energy in the air using the Nine Dragons Soul-Devouring Technique.

As a successor to a family of ancient martial arts and medical skills, she was naturally not foreign to cultivation. But they called it cultivating Essence Energy here, whereas in Huaxia it was known as cultivating Spiritual Energy. Regardless, the outcome was the same.

After a night of cultivation, Mu Qianyue realized that she had already become a third-stage True Cultivator!

There were two occupations in the continent: one being a Cultivator, and the other being a Pill Apothecary.

There were seven cultivators’ levels. In order of low to high, they were respectively: the Body-Tempering Stage, True Cultivator, Spirit Cultivator, Venerate Cultivator, Monarch Cultivator, Sovereign Cultivator, and Ancestral Cultivator.

The fact that she could skip three stages in one night was beyond her wildest dreams!

Mu Qianyue went to the courtyard to stretch, feeling a burst of energy from head to toe and a sense of incredible lightness. Although this body was a little lackluster, it was pretty resilient, so she shouldn’t have too much difficulty cultivating in the future.

From the front courtyard came a great commotion, accompanied by the sound of crying. Mu Qianyue furrowed her brows impatiently and called for the shadow guard. “What happened?”

The shadow guard cast a strange look at Mu Qianyue and replied, “Master, the old general and Second Young Miss are crying in the hall because they thought you were dead… Oh, the Crown Prince has also arrived.”

“Let’s go and take a look.” The fair corners of her lips arched in a sneer. No wonder there wasn’t a single person in the entire yard. It turned out they were all in the hall.

Also, Mu Yurou, are those sincere tears you’re shedding for me? I wonder what kind of expression I’ll get to see on your face later when you see me!

Mu Qianyue moved forward, but was in no hurry to enter the hall. Instead, she lifted a corner of the curtain and watched quietly from outside.

At the seat of honor sat a white-haired elderly man who wore an expression of grief, his murky and beady eyes reddened and glistening with tears.

A young lady in purple clothing was kneeling down in the hall, sobbing pitifully. “Grandfather, this is my fault. I should have stopped Sister from going to Canopy Mountain Range. If I had done so, Sister wouldn’t have… lost her life… Sob sob…”

“Rou’er, none of this is your fault. By the time you learned of it, she had already left the city for a long time. Stop feeling sad over this, it would be terrible if you damaged your health from all that crying.” Next to her, a man clad in an expensive-looking purple robe that hinted at his noble status, spoke. His slim and long black eyes were sharp and deep, his thin lips arched in a heartless angle. Together with his silhouette that had distinct edges and corners, the suave man exuded a cold, arrogant and imposing aura.

This man was the Crown Prince, Nalan Yu. He let out a sigh, yet no hint of sadness could be detected in the depths of his eyes. “Alas, it can only be said that Yue’er and I are not fated for each other. What a pity it is regarding our betrothal agreement.”

“The man Sister loves most is Brother Yu. Sister and Brother Yu were supposed to get married in another two months’ time. Yet now Sister has left us…” Mu Yurou wept incredibly sorrowfully.

Seeing her apparent distress, Nalan Yu went up to help up Mu Yurou. With a loving look in his eyes, he said, “Rou’er, you’re the closest person to Yue’er. Now that she is no longer around, I would like for you to replace her in marrying me. I’m sure she will feel glad to see that you’re well taken care of by me.”

“Since it has come to this… I’m willing to marry you on behalf of my Sister. I will definitely take good care of Brother Yu in her place!” Mu Yurou declared with a resolute look on her face, a hint of smugness flickering by in her slightly lowered gaze.

Oh my. One was a white lotus b*tch, the other, a heartless cad. Indeed they were a match made in heaven!

A cold glint flashed across Mu Qianyue’s eyes as her sharp gaze swept over everyone in the hall. Perhaps her grandfather was the only one shedding genuine tears for her!

“What are all of you discussing here? How lively.”

Suddenly, a woman’s clear and melodious voice reverberated across the hall.

Mu Qianyue was then seen walking out from behind the curtains in a light green dress. There wasn’t a single ounce of makeup on her exquisite, gorgeous and petite face, and her hair was casually twisted into an elegant style. She exuded a tranquil and faraway aura, looking elegant, refreshed, and celestial.

“Yue’er, is it really you?!” Mu Hong’s aged face radiated with joy and agitation, his body quivering against his will as he stared fixedly at Mu Qianyue, fearing his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“Y-you’re not dead?!” Mu Yurou couldn’t help shrieking. Her eyes were wide open, and her expression was as though she had just seen a ghost.

Nalan Yu wore an identically shocked and perplexed expression. He stared at Mu Qianyue in a daze, surprised that this trash was actually so good-looking! In the past, every time he saw her, her face would be heavily covered in makeup, bringing about much irritation in him.

“Why? Did you wish I were dead?” Mu Qianyue snickered at Mu Yurou and retracted her gaze. When she looked towards Mu Hong, her gaze softened. “Grandfather, I am here.”

“Sister, you’ve misunderstood… How could I possibly wish you were dead? You’re my one and only older sister… I merely heard the servants saying you had gone to Canopy Mountain Range and went missing. That was why I thought you were eaten by a demonic beast, Sister,” Mu Yurou said, feigning pitifulness.

“You heard the servants say I went to Canopy Mountain Range? Ha…” Mu Qianyue scoffed. Suddenly, the look in her eyes turned stern and she bellowed angrily, “Mu Yurou, you sure can act! Clearly you were the one who told me it’ll be the Crown Prince’s birthday in a few days’ time. You were the one who instigated me to go to Canopy Mountain Range to capture a demonic beast to present to him as a birthday present. How did it suddenly become ‘heard from the servants’?”

In the face of this allegation, Mu Yurou’s face turned stiff. Catching a glimpse of Mu Hong’s gaze which turned cold at the revelation, she was so frightened her legs turned weak, causing her to nearly drop down on her knees. Gripping her ten fingers together tightly under her sleeves, she raised her head and plastered on a perfectly guileless look as she said, “Sister, I know you’ve never been fond of me, but you can’t accuse me like this. Since you were born with the inability to cultivate and do not have a shred of Essence Energy in your body, how could I possibly have asked you to go to Canopy Mountain Range?”

Although she was addressed as the Second Young Miss in the Mu family, she didn’t actually carry the Mu family blood, for she was adopted by Mu Hong when she was young.

Mu Hong narrowed his eyes and a stern glint flickered in his eyes. “What exactly is going on?’

On the side, Nalan Yu leapt up in rage. “Don’t accuse someone without any evidence! How is it possible that the kind Rou’er would do something like this! Clearly it was you who didn’t know your limits and tempted fate despite knowing the risks. Yet now you’re pinning the blame on Rou’er! Mu Qianyue, let me tell you, don’t ever dream of becoming the Crown Princess! No way will I marry a piece of trash like you! When I return to the palace, I will tell Father of my desire to annul the betrothal agreement, to break off the engagement with you!”

“Your Highness, you may be the Crown Prince, but let me remind you that you don’t call the shots where this marriage is concerned!” Mu Hong was so infuriated when he heard those audacious words that he slammed his palms on the table. How dare this fellow even think of breaking off the engagement with his granddaughter! He must be tired of living! So what if he was the current Crown Prince! Previously Mu Hong only didn’t blow up because he was grieving over Mu Qianyue’s death, thinking that she was dead.

Nalan Yu’s countenance was terrible and stiff. He indeed didn’t have the power to make the call where this betrothal agreement was concerned. Back then when he first found out that his father was going to betroth Mu Qianyue to him, he had vehemently objected to it, but it was futile.

After those royals learned that Mu Qianyue was to become the future Crown Princess, he became the object of their blatant mockery.

A trace of jealousy and hatred flashed by in Mu Yurou’s eyes.

“This betrothal agreement indeed has to be terminated. But you’re not the one breaking it off with me, you are not worthy. Instead, I, Mu Qianyue, am the one who is abandoning you. I will announce to everyone in Phoenix Shadow Nation that I, Mu Qianyue, am breaking off the engagement with you!” Mu Qianyue slowed down her speech, articulating each and every word clearly. Everyone thought they must be hallucinating and their eyes were widened in shock!

What? Did Eldest Young Miss just say she was going to annul the engagement with the Crown Prince?!