Ye Yun smiled faintly at Xing Lian’s disbelief.
“If I lacked confidence, why would I have provoked the Qian Yuan Domain?”
“This… is true.”
Of course, Xing Lian didn’t find his reasoning convincing.
Instead, she inexplicably recalled past interactions with him. She had initially thought him easy to deal with, only to suffer numerous setbacks. Now that she stood on the same side as Ye Yun, she should trust him more.
Ye Yun took a deep breath and gazed into the distance.
“But this Qian Yuan Domain truly treats us like soft persimmons to be squeezed.”
“It’s normal. Who told them to have higher cultivation?”
Xing Lian didn’t feel it was anything unusual. She herself had come from a world of the strong preying on the weak, where the former Heavenly Dao Divine Hall had dominated the Heavenly Domain.
She understood the arrogance of the Qian Yuan Domain, but that didn’t diminish her anger towards them.
Ye Yun let out a soft hum. “Cultivation? When the time comes, I will show them that high cultivation isn’t everything.”
“Mm… I look forward to your performance.”
Xing Lian nodded thoughtfully. Now, she also wanted to see just how incredible Ye Yun could be.
However, it wasn't just Ye Yun's own confidence.
Though his strength wasn't earth-shattering, he did have a trump card.
If the other party dared to mess with the Heavenly Domain, he wouldn't be polite.
The key was that in such a predicament, the weaker side’s attitude absolutely could not be soft. Otherwise, if they were truly treated as easily manipulated soft persimmons, the opponent would only become more excessive.
“Let’s not talk about this for now.”
Ye Yun withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Xing Lian beside him, appraising her from head to toe.
“How has your work in the Dao Preaching Hall been recently?”
It had been quite some time since they last met after their previous parting. Her aura had changed significantly.
Compared to the domineering demeanor she had as the Hall Master of the Heavenly Dao Hall, she now seemed much more gentle…
Not long ago, he had learned from his wife, Xing Wu, that she was serving as the Hall Master of the Dao Preaching Hall, but he hadn’t visited much since then.
Upon hearing his question, Xing Lian nodded slightly and replied with a relaxed expression.
“Thanks to you, I’m doing quite well. My life is leisurely and carefree, without the anxieties I used to have.”
To be honest, as time passed, she was starting to feel grateful that Ye Yun had displaced her from her previous position.
Saving the Heavenly Domain aside, the crucial point was that his presence meant she no longer had to constantly worry about the lives of all beings or the survival of the Heavenly Domain.
Although she had appeared steadfast in the past, she was ultimately alone. After a long time, loneliness would set in.
Fortunately, all of that was now in the past.
Seeing her relaxed tone, Ye Yun smiled with relief.
“That’s all that matters. You should get along well with your sister from now on and don’t need to worry about anything else.”
“Even if the sky were to fall or the universe were to be destroyed, I will be here to hold it up for you.”
Ye Yun was unaware that, unintentionally, he was stirring Xing Lian’s heart.
After listening, Xing Lian fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
“I understand. Thank you.”
She paused, then looked up at Ye Yun and abruptly asked.
“Oh, and there’s one more thing. When will you have time for me after this?”
“Time?”
Although Ye Yun was quite free recently, he still asked preemptively.
“What do you want to do?”
Xing Lian’s answer was, as expected, very direct.
She paused slightly, and two words slipped out.
“Consummate our marriage.”
“…”
Ye Yun was completely stunned by those two words.
He raised his eyebrows, almost choking on his breath.
“Good heavens, did I hear that right? Consummate our marriage???”
If not for her earnest expression, Ye Yun would have suspected she was teasing him.
However, Xing Lian clearly wasn’t the type of woman to joke about such matters.
Her expression was calm, almost devoid of emotion as she explained.
“I promised that man that after everything is over, I would become your concubine. Before then, it’s natural for me to offer myself to you.”
At this moment, she sounded as if she were discussing something completely unrelated to herself.
In fact, having experienced so much and undergone so many emotional shifts, she no longer placed as much importance on romantic matters.
Moreover, Ye Yun was outstanding in every aspect, making him flawless in her eyes.
She gazed at Ye Yun, seemingly waiting for his response.
“Uh, isn’t this a bit too sudden?”
Ye Yun said helplessly, spreading his hands. “Regarding the matter of becoming a concubine, we can discuss it further in the future.”
Xing Lian looked at him and slowly said.
“What? Do you think I’m not good enough? Or, do you want me to serve you alongside your sister?”
Even such words were spoken by her with great composure.
However, Ye Yun found his heart stirring slightly upon hearing them.
“Cough, cough, cough. That’s not what I meant, I just feel it’s too rushed.”
“Then what do you mean?”
Xing Lian stared at him intently.
Afterward, Ye Yun sighed and said, “As for me, I hope that the person chooses to be with me because they genuinely like me.”
“Rather than out of some agreement or other reasons.”
Honestly, Ye Yun had a good impression of Xing Lian’s appearance.
Furthermore, with Xing Wu’s mediation, the matter became even more complicated.
Therefore, he planned to see how things unfolded later, waiting for Xing Lian or Xing Wu to change their minds.
Xing Lian pondered for a moment and replied.
“It’s not entirely due to the agreement; it accounts for about half the reason.”
“Uh, and the other half?”
Ye Yun asked subconsciously.
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Xing Lian’s face.
“The other half is naturally my admiration for you as a person. Simply put, I quite like you.”
As she spoke, she paused, as if remembering something, and continued.
“From our first encounter, if you hadn't posed a threat to me, I likely would have taken you to the Divine Hall and cultivated you as a future successor or husband.”
“This…”
Watching Xing Lian recount past events as if telling a story, Ye Yun felt a strange sensation. It wasn’t that her actions were odd, but he was filled with emotion.
Xing Lian and Xing Wu were truly sisters; even in such matters, they were so alike!
Just as Ye Yun was pondering how to respond, a melodious voice echoed from a distance.
“What are you two talking about over here?”
Ye Yun blinked in surprise and looked up to see Xing Wu, who was supposed to be exploring the Great Thousand World outside.
She was standing not far away, gazing intently at him and Xing Lian.