Volume 3, Chapter 144 – She’s Actually as Beautiful as Our Holy Maiden

“Shuiyu Valley?”

Qi Huang was no stranger to this name. Shuiyu Valley was the largest all-female sect in the Western Radiance Dynasty, and each generation’s Holy Maiden was renowned for both her beauty and strength, drawing attention from all sides from the moment she debuted.

Take the current Holy Maiden, Mu Ruoyi, for example. Over a decade ago, she had already earned the title of the most beautiful woman in the Western Radiance Dynasty’s cultivation world. Though she was only in her mid-twenties now, her cultivation had already reached the late-stage Unity Realm.

“You’ve heard of Shuiyu Valley’s Holy Maiden, Mu Ruoyi, right? The one hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Western Radiance Dynasty’s cultivation world. Her cultivation is about the same as mine. She practices a technique called ‘Wooden Exquisite’, which allows her to imbue plants with sentience in an extremely short time. With her help, we could easily identify the murderer.”

Cheng Hongling explained at a rapid pace.

“But would she be willing to help us for no reason?”

Qi Huang was somewhat worried—after all, they had no prior relationship with her.

“Of course not! We’re strangers to her. Did you expect her to be like Young Master Dong, swayed by your looks?”

Cheng Hongling mocked.

“Uh…”

Qi Huang’s face flushed red at the mention of those embarrassing memories.

Cheng Hongling then straightened her expression and said, “But we can always propose a trade, can’t we? If she needs help with something, we can offer our assistance in return.”

“That’s the only way.”

After a moment of contemplation, Qi Huang nodded.

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Given the urgency of the situation, the two immediately set off toward Nansheng Prefecture, where Shuiyu Valley was located.

Their moods were heavy throughout the journey, so they spoke only occasionally. However, Qi Huang did learn one thing from her main body’s words—Shuiyu Valley had once tried to recruit Cheng Hongling into their ranks.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Cheng Hongling had made a name for herself at the Evergreen Conference, and Shuiyu Valley only sought the most outstanding female cultivators in the Western Radiance Dynasty. Naturally, they would extend an olive branch.

“Well, this is just great. You rejected them before, and now we’re going to them for help. This won’t be easy.”

Qi Huang sighed.

“For Father’s sake, no matter how difficult, we must succeed.”

Cheng Hongling bit her lip and accelerated toward Nansheng Prefecture.

Exhausted, Qi Huang decided not to waste any more divine sense and retreated into her main body’s Sea of Consciousness to recuperate.

The distance was nearly eight thousand li. Cheng Hongling didn’t hold back, continuously circulating her qi, but even after four days, she had only covered half the distance—about the same speed as a thousand-li horse. After all, human endurance couldn’t compare to that of a horse, so despite her superior speed, this was the best she could manage.

By the fifth day, Cheng Hongling was utterly exhausted, while Qi Huang had fully recovered. Thus, they switched roles.

To conserve divine sense, Qi Huang didn’t emerge from the Sea of Consciousness. Instead, she wrapped her main body’s form in her energy and flew at high speed.

In just two days, Qi Huang brought them to Shuiyu Valley. This wasn’t because she was twice as fast as her main body while carrying someone—it was simply because the shortest distance between two points was a straight line.

Cheng Hongling, however, felt a pang of frustration. ‘If not for me holding her back, my doppelgänger could have moved much faster unburdened.’

‘Is divine sense really as useless as I thought?’

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A faint doubt began to stir in her heart.

Shuiyu Valley was located within the Colorful Bamboo Sea of Nansheng Prefecture. From high above, Qi Huang gazed down at the vibrant scenery bathed in golden sunlight. A crystal-clear stream wound between two bamboo-covered mountains, beneath which birds sang and flowers bloomed amidst dense bamboo forests. Pavilions and towers were hidden among the greenery, shrouded in a faint mist, making the place seem like a paradise on earth. The distant sound of “melodious laughter and chatter” made her heart yearn for it.

The reason Shuiyu Valley had such an exquisite environment was simple—it was the largest all-female cultivation sect in the Western Radiance Dynasty, home to three to four thousand official female disciples and over ten thousand outer disciples. The permanent non-cultivator female population also numbered around three to four hundred thousand.

With such a large population, the yang energy was abundant, so Shuiyu Valley enjoyed far more sunlight than sects like Honghua.

Since they were seeking help, Cheng Hongling didn’t dare barge in recklessly. She asked Qi Huang to land nearby before withdrawing her into her Sea of Consciousness—bringing a doppelgänger along would be far too ostentatious.

Once inside, Qi Huang pressed herself against the “Window of the Heart” to observe the outside world. She was naturally curious about this all-female sect. Rumor had it that no man was allowed to set foot inside, making it a true “Kingdom of Women”.

‘If I enter today, I might just be the first man in history to step into Shuiyu Valley, huh?’

Qi Huang mused dreamily—assuming, of course, she still counted as a man.

Cheng Hongling adjusted her appearance before gracefully walking toward the gate. This place was frequented by many outstanding female cultivators and idle elites—she couldn’t afford to embarrass Honghua Sect or herself.

The gate of Shuiyu Valley wasn’t grand but rather exquisitely delicate, its walls carved with intricate floral patterns that reflected feminine subtlety and refinement.

At the moment, four fair-faced female disciples stood guard, while a steady stream of women passed in and out, bustling like a marketplace.

Despite the liveliness, order was impeccably maintained. Inner disciples could only enter or exit with their waist tokens, while other women carried identity permits issued by Shuiyu Valley.

Cheng Hongling naturally had no pass, so she had to approach for negotiations.

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“Greetings, Senior Sister! I am Cheng Hongling of Honghua Sect, here to request an audience with your Holy Maiden, Mu Ruoyi.”

She stepped forward gracefully and presented her Immortal’s waist token.

“Honghua Sect? Oh, that sect near the rat’s nest. But Cheng Hongling? Who’s that? Our… our Holy Maiden isn’t someone just anyone can meet.”

The female disciple clearly wasn’t well-informed. She examined the token for a moment before looking up, her tone gradually faltering. Her pretty face soon twisted in shock as she blurted out reflexively:

“H-How can you be this beautiful?”

“Born this way.”

Cheng Hongling’s lips twitched slightly. The question was awkward, and if not for her need for assistance, she wouldn’t have bothered answering.

The surrounding women all turned their gazes toward Cheng Hongling, their expressions shifting to astonishment.

“Heavens! This is the first time I’ve seen a woman who rivals our Holy Maiden in beauty!”

“In terms of pure facial beauty, she might even be slightly superior. The only thing she lacks is our Holy Maiden’s figure—but give her a few years, and she’ll surpass even that.”

“Isn’t our Holy Maiden the most beautiful woman in the Western Radiance Dynasty’s cultivation world? How can there be someone else on her level?”

“Wait, is she Cheng Hongling?”

“Cheng Hongling? Who’s that?”

“A female disciple from Honghua Sect in Huangtian County, Yongning Prefecture. Not only did she break into the top sixty of the Western Radiance Dynasty’s cultivation world at just twelve years old, but her looks are peerless—enough to rival our Holy Maiden. Some people outside have already started calling them the ‘Twin Moons of the Western Radiance Dynasty’.”

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“Why ‘Twin Moons’?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying—‘fish sink, geese fall, the moon hides, flowers shy’ ¹ 沉鱼落雁, 闭月羞花 – A classical Chinese idiom describing supreme feminine beauty ? It’s used to describe women of unparalleled beauty. ‘Twin Moons’ means they’re almost on par with the legendary beauties of the ‘Sinking Fish Ranking’.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs as they took in Cheng Hongling’s appearance.

Qi Huang wasn’t the least bit surprised. She knew exactly how striking Cheng Hongling’s beauty was at first glance.

As the onlookers gawked, Cheng Hongling’s expression gradually turned impatient. She had heard such praises since childhood—by now, she was numb to them.

“Junior Sister Hongling, right? Please wait a moment. I’ll inform the Holy Maiden.”

Another, slightly older female disciple was more tactful and immediately headed inside.

“Thank you, Senior Sister!”

Cheng Hongling responded politely.

About fifteen minutes later, the female disciple returned and gestured invitingly:

“Junior Sister Hongling, our Holy Maiden will see you!”

‘Am I really about to meet the most beautiful woman in the Western Radiance Dynasty’s cultivation world?’

Qi Huang’s heart raced with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see how this legendary beauty compared to her main body.