Volume 8, Chapter 488 – She Once Slaughtered Lü Yi’s Doppelgänger (Part 2)

“Lü Yi? That monstrous genius from the Lü Family? You’re saying his first doppelgänger was killed by this woman?”

Even Xiao Dian, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t help but speak up in astonishment.

Zuo Bo smiled faintly, knowing he had successfully piqued the interest of the father and son. He replied leisurely, “Oh? So Nephew Xiao is also acquainted with Lü Yi?”

“Not exactly acquainted. We crossed paths during the Evergreen Conference. His first doppelgänger should have reached the late-stage Incarnation Realm by then, right?” Xiao Dian answered with feigned composure. The Evergreen Conference he referred to was, of course, the continental-level event.

“To be precise, it was at the peak of the Incarnation Realm. How does it compare to Nephew Xiao’s first doppelgänger?” Zuo Bo’s tone carried a hint of teasing.

“My first doppelgänger recently broke through to the Divine Realm,” Xiao Dian replied without arrogance or humility.

“What? Your doppelgänger has already entered the Divine Realm?”

A complicated expression flashed across Zuo Bo’s face. He hadn’t expected that after living for three to four hundred years, he would still be surpassed by a mere youngster. A sour feeling welled up in his heart, but as an old fox, he quickly regained his composure and flattered, “Nephew Xiao truly lives up to his reputation as one of the top three most talented geniuses of the younger generation!”

“Elder Zuo flatters me. It’s all thanks to the blessings of my ancestors!” Xiao Xi, standing beside him, once again humbly deflected the praise.

“Sect Master Xiao, you’re far too modest! Even with ancestral blessings, one still needs sufficient effort in cultivation to achieve such heights!”

Zuo Bo forced out another insincere compliment before shifting the topic. “However, despite Nephew Xiao’s outstanding talent, he still falls slightly short compared to the Cheng Hongling I mentioned earlier.”

“Oh? Is that so? May I ask which immortal’s descendant this Cheng Hongling is?” Xiao Xi’s smile stiffened slightly, clearly displeased.

“As I said, she is the top immortal seedling of Yongning Province in the Western Radiance Dynasty. How could such a remote, backwater country produce any immortals? It’s just that this girl’s talent is extraordinary. By the age of eighteen, her first doppelgänger had already reached the mid-stage Divine Realm.” Zuo Bo resumed his sales pitch.

“Eighteen?”

“Mid-stage Divine Realm?”

Xiao Xi and his son exchanged glances before shaking their heads with a laugh.

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“Elder Zuo, are you mocking this sect master? If her doppelgänger has already reached the mid-stage Divine Realm at just eighteen, how strong must her main body be?”

Sect Master Xiao’s expression quickly returned to calm, his interest evidently waning.

“Indeed. Even a descendant of an immortal with perfect bloodline purity couldn’t cultivate at such a speed,” Xiao Dian chimed in.

The so-called “perfect bloodline” referred to a lineage so pure that it would score a full ten points on the Phoenix Selection Token. Such a peerless genius only appeared once every few thousand years.

“The strange thing is, her main body’s cultivation is only at the second level of the Incarnation Realm.”

Zuo Bo knew he couldn’t keep exaggerating, so he stuck to the facts.

“Her main body is only at the second level of the Incarnation Realm, yet her doppelgänger has reached the mid-stage Divine Realm? Elder Zuo, are you certain you didn’t get it backwards? Have you just escaped from a medical ward? The Immortal Alliance’s tasks may be burdensome, but they shouldn’t drive a Divine Realm cultivator like you to madness.”

Xiao Xi could no longer hold back his sarcasm. He felt the old man was treating him like a fool.

“Exactly. If that’s the case, why hasn’t her doppelgänger staged a coup?” Xiao Dian also raised doubts.

“Madness?”

Zuo Bo’s beard bristled in anger, but he suppressed his temper and retorted, “I didn’t misspeak. First, she isn’t an immortal’s descendant. Second, she was born in a godforsaken backwater. If I told you her main body had reached the mid-stage Divine Realm, would you believe me?”

“Brother Zuo, with all due respect, even if you say her doppelgänger reached the mid-stage Divine Realm, it’s even more absurd. Who would believe that?” Xiao Xi scoffed.

“Doesn’t that just prove how extraordinary her talent is? If she were to marry Nephew Xiao, they’d be a match made in heaven!”

Zuo Bo began his brainwashing, then added cautiously, “Of course, if you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to investigate for yourselves. As an elder of the Immortal Alliance, I stand by my words.”

“No need.”

Xiao Xi refused without hesitation.

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“Why not? Although her main body’s strength is only at the second level of the Incarnation Realm, it’s likely due to inadequate techniques or resources. Just the fact that her doppelgänger has reached the mid-stage Divine Realm should be enough to qualify her to enter the Xiao Family, shouldn’t it?” Zuo Bo pressed eagerly.

“Indeed, but the woman who becomes my son’s partner must also be an immortal’s descendant.”

Xiao Xi spoke with pride.

“She doesn’t have to be the main wife! She could be a concubine!” Zuo Bo continued persuading.

“My apologies, Elder Zuo. I am a believer in pure love, one person for a lifetime.”

Xiao Dian declared shamelessly, without a hint of embarrassment.

Zuo Bo spent a long time trying to convince them, but the father and son remained unmoved. In the end, he could only leave the Jingtian Sect in frustration.

“Hmph! Does that old fool think I live under a rock? His own granddaughter married into the Lü Family! If this were truly a good opportunity, why would he offer it to us?”

After setting up a divine sense barrier, Xiao Xi snorted coldly.

“His granddaughter married into the Lü Family?”

A look of realization dawned on Xiao Dian’s face. “No wonder! So he’s trying to eliminate a potential rival for Lü Yi! Those three women have made it clear, any man who wants to pursue them must not only be outstanding in strength but also have no wives or concubines. Otherwise, who’d bother pretending to be a ‘pure love’ advocate?”

“Oh? Is Lü Yi still competing with you for those three girls?”

Xiao Xi asked curiously. The “three girls” he referred to were the three fairy-like geniuses among the Nine Great Monsters, who also occupied the top three spots on the Sinking Fish Grand Ranking of peerless beauties.

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“Exactly! That guy sticks to me like a leech, following me everywhere, afraid I’ll beat him to it.”

Xiao Dian’s face twisted in disgust.

“That explains it.”

Xiao Xi suddenly understood, then changed the subject. “By the way, how are things progressing with those three girls?”

“Same as always. Those women are so arrogant, I’m starting to feel like giving up.”

Xiao Dian sounded somewhat defeated.

“That’s to be expected. The dynamics between men and women are determined by supply and demand. In the mortal world, men outnumber women, so men are looked down upon. In the cultivation world, women outnumber men, so men are revered. But among your group of monstrous geniuses, since men outnumber women again, it’s like a microcosm of the mortal world. Those three girls can afford to be picky. Did you really think it’d be easy to win them over?”

Xiao Xi analyzed the situation with piercing clarity.

“Hmph, what’s so great about them? There are plenty of women in the cultivation world. Even an ordinary disciple of the Jingtian Sect can have his pick. As the young sect master, why should I cling to a single tree?”

Xiao Dian retorted stubbornly.

“The problem is, no other woman is worthy of you! Son, don’t act on impulse. Only by finding a woman with immortal bloodline can you ensure the Xiao Family’s descendants remain exceptional. So keep pursuing them. If you need anything, just ask your father. As the saying goes, ‘Where there’s sincerity, even metal and stone can be split open.’ You’ll succeed.”

Xiao Xi encouraged him.

“Understood.”

Xiao Xi agreed reluctantly.

“Hmph! That old fool Zuo Bo has some nerve, trying to pawn off some country bumpkin from the Western Radiance Dynasty as my daughter-in-law. Does he think the Jingtian Sect is a garbage dump, where we’ll take any trash thrown our way? A woman like that isn’t even fit to be a maid, let alone a wife or concubine!”

Xiao Xi’s anger flared up again as he cursed.

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That night, just as Qi Huang was about to sleep, she suddenly remembered the treasures she had looted from Ye Donglai when she raided the Donglai Sect. She still hadn’t examined them properly and had no idea what they were.

Unable to resist her curiosity, Qi Huang took out the dozen or so boxes from her spatial ring. The results, however, were both amusing and frustrating. Despite her formidable strength, her knowledge was still lacking. Aside from the vial of Heaven-Deceiving Water, she couldn’t identify any of the other items. Still, judging by the aura they emitted, none were ordinary.

In hindsight, it made sense, anything worth hoarding by someone of Ye Donglai’s caliber had to be extremely valuable.

‘Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the Golden Fortune Auction House and ask Liu Yingyue to appraise these for me.’

Qi Huang made a mental note before storing the treasures away again.

Just then, a mental transmission from her main body echoed in her mind.

“Are you free right now?”

Cheng Hongling’s voice was soft and alluring, completely unlike her usual tone.

“Y-yes! What is it?”

Qi Huang stammered, her skin tingling as if brushed by slender willow branches. Her heart raced uncontrollably.

“Come to my room. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Cheng Hongling’s whisper was an irresistible invitation.