Beyond the hillside, a circular mountain valley appeared abruptly, steep on three sides with only one entrance exposed.
In the valley, spring was in full bloom, brimming with vibrant flowers. Everything was clearly visible at a glance.
There were six or seven young women standing amidst the mountains and forests, none of whom were very old, the oldest being only sixteen or seventeen. Yet each radiated a heroic spirit with a commanding presence, their strength evidently extraordinary.
In front, a young woman wielding a longsword was engaged in battle with a mythical beast.
The beast was also covered in wounds, its breath faint, on the verge of being slain at any moment.
"Is it really an Earth Immortal Realm beast?"
Ye Qingchen’s eyes narrowed.
He could see clearly.
That young woman, barely a Half-Step Earth Immortal, not only held her ground against an Earth Immortal-level mythical beast but also gained the upper hand. Such combat prowess would certainly cause a sensation in the outside world, and even within Taotian Palace, it was a rare sight.
Who exactly were these young women? How could they possess such strength?
Suddenly.
Ye Qingchen’s eyes lit up because he spotted a familiar figure among the crowd.
It was Ye Qing!
Ye Qing was dressed in a fluttering white dress, her long hair reaching her waist, graceful and charming. She had not been seen for years, no longer the young girl of the past, but had grown into a poised and captivating young woman.
"Junior Sister Tan’s strength has improved quite a bit recently. No wonder Master let her descend the mountain to obtain the Earth Immortal Certificate!"
A young woman smiled and said.
"As disciples of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace, being able to slay Earth Immortal-level mythical beasts with Half-Step Earth Immortal cultivation is the minimum requirement! We are not comparable to those ordinary sects outside!"
Another aloof voice sounded.
It was seen.
The speaker was a tall, proud woman. She wore a set of silver armor, holding a sword in both hands, seemingly overseeing the battle. As she spoke, everyone kept nodding:
"Senior Sister Han is right!"
The sycophancy was becoming more apparent.
Han Yue Ran was surrounded like a moon among stars, her pride soaring. She nodded and said, "Although the assessment location is a safe zone designated by the sect within the Celestial Extinction Mountain, there is still a danger of falling!"
Before she finished, her gaze suddenly turned, directly looking at where Ye Qingchen was, and she shouted sternly, "Who is there, sneaking around? Come out!"
Swish!
Almost simultaneously.
Everyone turned to look.
Clang! Clang! Clang!...
All present drew their weapons, full of vigilance.
Ye Qingchen remained calm, hands behind his back, and stepped forward.
"Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to trespass the heart of our Ice and Snow Divine Palace? Dare to spy on us? Do you believe I’ll gouge out your eyes?"
Han Yue Ran stepped forward, shouting sternly.
Ye Qingchen frowned slightly.
This young woman’s high-and-mighty attitude made him very uncomfortable.
"You wretched cur, are you deaf? I’m speaking to you, did you not hear?"
Seeing Ye Qingchen remain silent, Han Yue Ran’s True Qi surged abruptly, her body tensed, ready to strike at any moment!
"It’s..."
Beside him, Ye Qing looked up suddenly and was stunned at first glance. This famous girl of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace, known for not mingling with strangers and not smiling easily, suddenly covered her mouth, not daring to believe as she looked at the man in front of her.
"Qing’Er, what, don’t you recognize me?"
Ye Qingchen smiled gently, looking at Ye Qing with a smile.
"Brother!"
Ye Qing rushed forward, almost flying into Ye Qingchen’s arms, trembling all over, unable to speak, as tears flowed down her face.
Meanwhile.
The other tense young women in the scene all froze.
Brother?
Ye Qing was actually calling this young man brother?
Han Yue Ran’s delicate brows knitted together, and a touch of contempt appeared on her face as she asked, "Ye Qing, what did you call this wretched cur? He’s your brother?"
"Yes, he is my brother! Han Yue Ran, you’d better speak with some respect!"
Ye Qing’s face was as cold as frost.
"You..."
Han Yue Ran was furious. She always looked down on Ye Qing, who came from the Barbaric Continent, and now seeing her dare to contradict herself, she was about to explode, but suddenly thought of something, glancing coldly at Ye Qingchen and Ye Qing, said:
"Fine! I’ll let you go for now!"
"Senior Sister Han, why let them off? Ye Qing usually relies on the master and doesn’t take anyone seriously. Now that she dares to contradict you, this is the perfect opportunity to teach them a lesson!"
After they left, a young woman said.
Han Yue Ran turned back, casting a cold glance at the siblings Ye Qingchen and Ye Qing, with a hint of coldness in her eyes:
"It’s easy to deal with them, isn’t it? Ye Qing, at the core, is a lowly being brought from the lower realms by Yu Feixuan. Her brother certainly can’t be much better. We can deal with them after we get the Earth Immortal Certificate!"
...
"Brother, why are you here?"
After Han Yue Ran and her group left, Ye Qing quickly looked at Ye Qingchen, her eyes filled with hope.
Ye Qingchen smiled, casually explaining, and said little about the affair with Zhan Tiancheng, just wanting to prevent Ye Qing from worrying. "By the way, what is the Earth Immortal Certificate you mentioned earlier?"
"As a disciple of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace, to advance to Earth Immortal status, we must hunt the Nine-headed Demon Beast in the Celestial Extinction Mountain as proof!" Ye Qing quickly said, "Once the certificate is obtained, one can enter the Divine Palace for training and step into the Earth Immortal realm!"
"I see!"
Ye Qingchen nodded, but before he could speak, Ye Qing had already looked him over carefully and smiled, "Brother, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve already stepped into the Earth Immortal Realm, right?"
"That’s right! Earth Immortal Second Layer!" Ye Qingchen did not hide.
"Amazing!" Ye Qing exclaimed in surprise, then seemed to remember something and quickly said, "I want to get the Earth Immortal Certificate on my own ability, so unless necessary, you don’t need to intervene!"
"Alright!"
Ye Qingchen paused slightly, then felt countless emotions surge in his heart.
The little girl who used to tag along behind him is now about to step into the Earth Immortal threshold, enough to stand on her own.
But.
This also showed how powerful the Ice and Snow Divine Palace must be!
Consider this.
He had gone through so many adventures and entered countless secret realms, experiencing life and death just to step into the Earth Immortal Realm. And Ye Qing, who originally had no cultivation, is now also about to step into the Half-Step Earth Immortal!
After the brother and sister met, they naturally had endless things to talk about, walking and laughing along the way, enjoying their time together thoroughly.
However.
Far away, Han Yue Ran and her group were still full of cold demeanor.
As they approached the assessment location.
Ye Qing’s hunting action officially began!
...
Extreme North.
Outer perimeter!
"I see!"
"Ye Qingchen pursuing Zhan Tiancheng, yet being thrown into the depths of the Extreme North!"
"If that’s the case, then I’ll visit the Zhan Family myself!"
Listening to the discussions around.
Marquis Guangjun clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across this piece of heaven and earth, ultimately landing on the distant Nu Bing City, whereupon a hint of coldness appeared at the corner of his mouth as he directly headed towards the Zhan Family.