Chapter 2097: Missing

Along the way, Jing Teng would emerge to pester him whenever she had a moment. Zu An had been in low spirits recently and wasn't in the mood for romance, but Jing Teng’s persistent nagging was hard to resist.

White Jing Teng was alright; she was considerate and would chat with him occasionally along the way.

Black Jing Teng, however, had fewer qualms. Whenever she appeared, she would accuse him of being untrustworthy and not keeping his word.

Zu An was worn down by her relentless complaints. Since he was indeed at fault, he had no choice but to comply, helping her replenish the essence she had lost last time.

Eventually, White Jing Teng appeared less and less frequently, while Black Jing Teng appeared more and more.

Zu An became suspicious of this. After all, White Jing Teng and Black Jing Teng had been equally matched at first.

They used to appear for roughly equal durations, with neither gaining an advantage.

Why had it become so one-sided later on?

Was it because White Jing Teng was too shy and didn't receive continuous replenishment like Black Jing Teng, leading to an imbalance in their strengths?

But they clearly shared the same body.

Several times, Zu An almost asked, but he ultimately suppressed that impulsive, self-destructive urge.

Ah, sometimes it’s best to be a little muddled.

Happy times always pass quickly. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the entrance of the White Jade Capital Sect.

Before Zu An lay countless peaks, each rising like a giant brush straight into the sky. Clouds and mist wreathed their mid-slopes, and atop them, exquisite pavilions and terraces could be seen. From afar, they resembled palaces built among the clouds.

He also noticed a large river flowing on the highest peak, encircling almost all the other mountains. Numerous immortal cranes and spiritual birds circled above the river.

The crucial thing was that this great river was completely suspended in mid-air!

He wondered what method the White Jade Capital had used to make a river flow in the sky.

An ancient poem he had read before came to Zu An’s mind:“The White Jade Capital in the heavens,With its twelve towers and five cities.Immortals stroke my crown,And binding my hair, I receive eternal life.”

No wonder the White Jade Capital could become such a transcendent existence among Daoist sects; seeing it now, it was indeed extraordinary.

When he had seen the True Yang Sect on Mount Zi, it also had an impressive aura, but theirs gave more of a feeling of worldly prosperity and power. Here, however, it was an otherworldly, ethereal sensation, like an immortal realm.

No wonder it could cultivate talents like Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan.

Thinking of Chu Chuyan, Zu An’s expression dimmed, then he looked towards the distant peaks with renewed hope.

Perhaps the Chu Chuyan of this world was fine; only the Chu Chuyan from another timeline had met with misfortune...

This thought immediately silenced him. Even if it was Chu Chuyan from another timeline, would he just not try to save her?

“White Jade Capital is a sacred land; idlers, keep out!” Soon, disciples emerged to drive him away, having noticed Zu An lingering for a long time.

“Please inform Master Yan that I, Zu, have something to discuss,” Zu An said calmly, not acting arrogant despite his high cultivation.

“For years, countless people have sought an audience with Master Yan, but she has already stated she will see no one. Sir, please leave,” the disciples said, exchanging glances as if dealing with another persistent suitor.

They had originally intended to simply send Zu An away, as they could not detect any elemental energy fluctuations from him.

However, seeing his extraordinary demeanor and an inexplicable aura of authority in his brows, the disciples dared not be too presumptuous.

Seeing their obstruction, Zu An frowned. Instead of bickering with them, he simply called out to the distant peaks, “Master Yan, an old friend is visiting…”

His voice was not loud, yet it echoed among the many peaks, clearly audible to almost everyone.

The disciples at the mountain gate were astonished. How could this person’s cultivation be so terrifying?

Fortunately, they hadn’t offended him earlier.

Just then, a transparent light shield suddenly rose between the various peaks, with runes shimmering on its surface. It was the White Jade Capital’s mountain-protecting array, automatically activated.

Countless rays of light ascended from the mountains, and figures wielding flying swords soared towards the mountain gate.

They had just heard his transmitted message and were equally shocked. Anyone capable of such a feat was certainly a formidable and rare opponent.

Consequently, almost all the powerful cultivators of the sect mobilized, fearing that the opponent would take the opportunity to attack the mountain.

As they formed their ranks, preparing to face the enemy, someone suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t that the Regent King?”

Some White Jade Capital disciples had seen Zu An during the battle on Mount Zi.

Upon learning his identity, the experts of the White Jade Capital awkwardly put away their hostile intentions.

Many people were aware that he had rendered a great service to the White Jade Capital.

However, the White Jade Capital had always maintained minimal contact with the imperial court. Welcoming him with such fanfare now would inevitably send misleading signals to the outside world.

Wait, it seemed he was here to see Master Yan?

Oh, and his wife happened to be Master Yan’s personal disciple...

As the group found themselves in a dilemma, a graceful white figure drifted from afar.

“Greetings, Master!” the many disciples saluted in unison.

Many secretly marveled at how ethereal and refined Master Yan was, and for some reason, she seemed even more beautiful today than usual.

Upon seeing the familiar figure, Yan Xuehen’s eyes shone with an unusual brilliance, though she quickly masked it, resuming her usual cool voice: “Regent King, what brings you from so far away?”

“I came specifically for you,” Zu An said, gazing at her. Her features were exquisite, her long hair flowed, and as her white dress fluttered slightly, her entire being seemed to glow.

Hearing his words, Yan Xuehen’s cheeks instantly flushed. How could he say such a thing in front of so many people? How could she face them now?

However, she noticed that the White Jade Capital disciples’ expressions were normal. Only then did she realize that, in the eyes of the world, she was Zu An’s senior and his wife’s master. He must be here about his wife, so naturally, they wouldn’t think anything else.

Realizing this, she wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or disheartened.

Composing herself, she said clearly, “Come with me.”

She then turned and walked up the mountain, leaving behind only her beautiful silhouette.

The crowd was somewhat astonished. They had grown accustomed to Master Yan rejecting all men for years, yet now they saw her so easily allow this person inside.

Did this mean that Master Yan had agreed to the marriage between the sect’s Holy Maiden and him?

Zu An, ignoring the varied thoughts of the crowd, quickly caught up to Yan Xuehen and quietly took her hand.

Yan Xuehen jumped in surprise and immediately tried to pull her hand away, but he held her so tightly she couldn’t move it even an inch.

“Are you mad?” Yan Xuehen’s heart pounded with panic.

They were surrounded by White Jade Capital disciples. To be seen holding hands so openly would not only cause an uproar throughout the sect, but the White Jade Capital would likely become the laughingstock of the world—a master stealing her disciple’s man...

“Don’t worry, they can’t see clearly,” Zu An smiled. From his previous battle with the Shadow Demon King, he had realized that the Gluttonous Sky-Swallowing Art could create “black holes” that distorted the surrounding space, naturally distorting light as well.

The onlookers would only see them walking shoulder to shoulder, with a blurry area between them, unable to discern what was actually happening.

Yan Xuehen paused, then quickly released her spiritual sense to perceive their surroundings. Finding that indeed nothing could be clearly seen from the side, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“How did you do that?”

“Just a little distortion of the surrounding space…”

Zu An then briefly explained the general principle to her. Yan Xuehen listened, her eyes shining with amazement, and after a moment, she exclaimed, “You truly are a cultivation genius.”

“Of course I am,” Zu An smiled. “Otherwise, how could I be holding your hand?”

Yan Xuehen’s heart pounded. She had never imagined that they would one day be able to walk hand-in-hand so openly within the sect. This feeling was both forbidden and carried a certain inexpressible joy.

“This is the sect, after all. Let go of my hand once we get ahead.”

“Didn’t you want to walk with me a little longer? Otherwise, you would have just flown earlier instead of walking along this mountain path,” Zu An said, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

“You…” Yan Xuehen looked as if her thoughts had been exposed, instantly feeling both shy and flustered.

For some reason, Zu An enjoyed seeing her flustered and embarrassed like this. However, remembering why he had come, he sighed inwardly and abandoned the idea of further teasing. “By the way, how is Chu Chuyan?”

His voice trembled as he spoke.

Yan Xuehen suddenly fell silent. After a long moment, she replied, “I’m sorry, Chu Chuyan is missing.”