Chapter 23: Chu Xuanyuan's Astonishment

## Chapter 23: Chu Xuan'er's Astonishment

*How can it be her?*

Upon seeing Chu Xuan'er, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Chu Ling'er, Ye Chen's foot, which had just stepped out, was swiftly retracted.

*Could she also be a member of the Heng Yue Sect?*

His mind raced, and Ye Chen immediately spun around, lifting his legs to flee. Perhaps in his haste, he tripped over a creeping vine, tumbling to the ground in an embarrassing sprawl. Disregarding his disheveled state, he scrambled to his feet and began to roll and crawl towards the deeper parts of the forest.

Seeing this, Chu Xuan'er's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her jade hand extended outwards.

Swiftly, Ye Chen, who had only managed to run a few *zhang*, was carried back like a small chicken by Chu Xuan'er. As Ye Chen attempted to move, he was held fast by Chu Xuan'er's powerful aura.

"Fro... senior, early... early greetings!" Ye Chen offered a fawning smile, his heart already half-cold. He cursed countless times inwardly, truly feeling the saying "enemies on a narrow road." He had actually encountered his destined nemesis here.

At this moment, Ye Chen silently mourned his own fate. His little heart pounded incessantly. An Empty Nether Realm cultivator was far too strong; they possessed the power to instantly kill him. Perhaps in the next moment, his head and body would be separated.

Suddenly, cold sweat streamed down Ye Chen's forehead.

However, the Chu Xuan'er in his imagination did not suddenly erupt in rage, nor did she reveal any killing intent. Her powerful aura simply held Ye Chen tightly. Her pair of beautiful, water-like eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at Ye Chen.

The most crucial point was that she actually didn't recognize Ye Chen.

"Are you a disciple of the Heng Yue Sect?" Chu Xuan'er stared at Ye Chen.

Upon hearing these words, Ye Chen was instantly stunned.

*She doesn't remember me?*

Ye Chen's heart was filled with shock. *It's only been a few days! Your damn memory is a bit too poor!*

Recalling the absurd events of that night, Ye Chen involuntarily rubbed his eyebrows. Who would have thought he would... well, *that* with a beautiful senior of the Empty Nether Realm? It was clearly a rescue attempt, yet he had almost lost his little life.

"Are you answering my question? Are you a disciple of the Heng Yue Sect?" Seeing Ye Chen's lack of response, Chu Ling'er asked again.

"Yes, yes, yes." Although muttering inwardly, Ye Chen fumbled to present his identity token.

Chu Xuan'er glanced at the identity token, then gazed at Ye Chen again. "Why are you sneaking around in the back mountain so late at night?"

"I... I'm picking spirit herbs."

"Then why did you run when you saw me?" Perhaps due to Ye Chen's somewhat panicked expression, Chu Xuan'er's gaze intensified. Her words carried a great oppressive feeling, as if Ye Chen's every action and word were under her scrutiny. If Ye Chen were to lie, he would absolutely not escape her discerning eyes.

*Do I look that scary?*

"I... I was afraid you would rob my things." Ye Chen casually concocted a reason and said it timidly, acting even more convincingly. His innocent face would make anyone think he was a good child.

*Rob your things?*

Chu Xuan'er was amused.

Where was this? Although it was the back mountain of the Heng Yue Sect, it was still under the Heng Yue barrier's cover. Besides people from the Heng Yue Sect, could there be people from other sects? Would a dignified elder of the Heng Yue Sect rob a disciple of the Qi Condensation Realm?

Chu Xuan'er thought, *Perhaps my actions just now scared this little guy. He looks like he's been frightened.*

She glanced at Ye Chen and didn't ask anything further. Instead, her beautiful eyes scanned the surrounding lush forest, sometimes glancing towards the void. "Just now, did you see anything fly past?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, a streak of white light flew past." Ye Chen thought of the whooshing white light that had just streaked across the sky.

"Which direction did it go?"

"Northeast." Ye Chen hurriedly pointed to the northeast direction. His heart at this moment yearned for this female in front of him to leave quickly, in case she remembered, for heaven knew what absurd things might happen.

Hearing this, Chu Xuan'er hurriedly took out a glowing sound transmission talisman. She spoke softly into the talisman, "Senior brother, it went in your direction."

"Guard the southwest, do not approach here," a vigorous voice echoed from the sound transmission talisman.

"Understood." Chu Xuan'er waved her hand, putting away the sound transmission talisman. She sat down cross-legged, then formed hand seals. A grand light suddenly surged from the top of her head, forming a massive array in the void.

Boom!

Quickly, a shocking booming sound came from the northeast direction, shaking the ground and causing it to tremble incessantly.

Roar!

Then, a heaven-shaking roar sounded.

This roar was very strange. Not only was it deafening, but it also carried a powerful demonic force. Even separated by such a distance, Ye Chen's mind felt somewhat in a trance. He stumbled in place, nearly falling.

Seeing this, Chu Xuan'er lightly brushed her jade hand, sending a streak of spiritual light into Ye Chen's brow.

Ye Chen's mind then cleared, and he looked towards the northeast direction with shock. A single roar had nearly caused his mind to lose its guard. With his eyesight, he naturally saw the extraordinary nature of that white light.

Extreme doubt made Ye Chen completely forget about Chu Xuan'er beside him.

"What exactly is it?" Staring blankly in that direction, Ye Chen muttered to himself, knowing that Chu Xuan'er must have also followed that white light. Their meeting here was purely a coincidence.

Beside him, Chu Xuan'er saw Ye Chen's dazed state and then said in a low voice, "Don't just stand there, leave here quickly."

Hearing this, Ye Chen finally reacted.

As if granted a great pardon, his tense body seemed to act out of conditioned reflex. Disregarding the origin of that white light, he immediately plunged into the lush forest, not looking back, rolling and crawling away.

"Do I look that scary?" Chu Xuan'er's expression was astonished as she glanced at Ye Chen, who was escaping as if his life depended on it. If she weren't controlling the array, she truly would have wanted to catch Ye Chen back and interrogate him again.

In the distance, Ye Chen had already disappeared from view.

After Ye Chen left, divine rainbows once again flew across the sky, landing beside Chu Xuan'er and transforming into a beautiful, white-clothed female. Looking closely, she was exactly the same as Chu Xuan'er. There was no need to say, it was Chu Ling'er.

*Eh?*

After landing, Chu Ling'er's heart first let out a light *eh*.

Looking at the direction Ye Chen had escaped in, she involuntarily let out a light *eh*, her beautiful eyes flashing with uncertain light. She scratched her head and muttered to herself, "A very familiar aura."

"Ling'er, weren't you in closed-door cultivation? Why are you out?" Chu Xuan'er looked at Chu Ling'er with some worry.

Retracting her gaze, Chu Ling'er twisted her hand, then shrugged her shoulders. "Such a big commotion, it's impossible not to come out of closed-door cultivation!"

"Indeed, this time's riot is too much bigger than usual." Chu Xuan'er's expression became a bit more solemn.

"Can this barrier trap it?" Chu Ling'er lifted her head and glanced at the array in the void, then her gaze fell on Chu Xuan'er's body.

"Head teacher senior brother and the others are surrounding it," Chu Xuan'er lightly replied to Chu Ling'er's question, her expression not looking very good. "It's been rioting more and more in these days. I don't know if we can still seal it in the future."

"I'll come help." Seeing Chu Xuan'er's solemn expression, Chu Ling'er also hurriedly sat cross-legged on the ground and sacrificed her spiritual light.

"Oh right, I just encountered a strange little guy."

"Strange little guy? How strange?" Chu Ling'er blinked her big eyes, looking at Chu Xuan'er. Although she had cultivated for nearly a hundred years, she was still as pure as a worldly-inexperienced girl, curious about everything.

"Anyway, just... just very strange." Chu Xuan'er scratched her head, not knowing how to describe it.

"Urh! Consider I didn't ask."

()