"Mingyi greets the Sect Master of Tianya Sect!" Mingyi bowed slightly to Fang Qiu Mo, who sat at the head of the table, her attitude respectful.
"Oh? How did Your Highness of the Demon Clan know I am the Sect Master of Tianya Sect?" Fang Qiu Mo was genuinely curious. He had come with the other elders for caution, and his identity should not have been known.
Mingyi chuckled, "The appearance of the Sect Master of Tianya Sect is no secret, and the Sect Master did not deliberately hide his identity. I made sure to understand some things before coming, so I am sure of your identity."
"Haha, so that's how it is! Your Highness, please sit. What brings you here this time?" Fang Qiu Mo laughed heartily, seemingly in good spirits, but his eyes were filled with vigilance. He did not believe this person would gather so much information for no reason.
"No need, I will leave shortly. I am here on a matter of request. Is your sect's eldest disciple here?" Mingyi straightened her back and looked directly at Fang Qiu Mo, who was seated at the head.
Fang Qiu Mo's expression darkened. As expected, the visitor was not here for pleasantries.
"Whether he is here or not is not important, but why would Your Highness of the Demon Clan seek out a disciple of my Tianya Sect? Please give me a reason I can accept, otherwise, I will have to ask you to leave."
Fang Qiu Mo's tone was laced with a threat, and he was ready to act at any moment. The strength of this Demon Clan Highness was comparable to his own, and if a fight were to break out, he had a high chance of winning.
Mingyi was taken aback and explained, "Sect Master, you must have misunderstood. I am not here to cause trouble. Moreover, I am one of the last three. Sect Master, you do not need to worry about me having any ulterior motives."
"Then you are..." Fang Qiu Mo, though still wary, relaxed considerably.
"It's like this. Perhaps I was not clear before. I am not here to seek your sect's eldest disciple." Mingyi smiled brightly and continued,
"To my shame, the spirit beast accompanying your sect's disciple originally belonged to our Demon Clan. It was only by chance that it ended up in Tianya Sect. So, I have been ordered by my master to bring this spirit beast back."
"This..." Fang Qiu Mo looked hesitant. He was not a fool. A spirit beast that a Demon Clan Highness would personally come to claim must be extraordinary. He did not want to inadvertently aid the enemy.
"Does Sect Master not agree? Sect Master, please rest assured, we will not take this spirit beast away for nothing. We will certainly provide a compensation amount that will satisfy you."
Mingyi was determined to bring Xing Yuan back to the Demon Realm this time. Not only because her master had given her a strict order to bring her back, but also because, through the encounters of her two junior brothers, she had guessed Xing Yuan's identity and her current strength.
However, they had lost the initiative, resulting in the Ying Tian Beast growing up in the cultivation world's Tianya Sect from a young age, developing a certain affection and sense of belonging to the sect. That was why she was willing to pay a hefty price today, to sever her karma with this sect through these means, so that she could later lead their Demon Clan to a stronger future.
Mingyi's calculations were flawless, and she never expected to be refused. Even if they had guessed the spirit beast's special identity, so what? Would they give up the tangible benefits before them for an uncertain future?
However, upon hearing this, Fang Qiu Mo firmly shook his head and refused, saying, "Your Highness of the Demon Clan, although your words have some truth, this spirit beast has been raised by my disciple since she was young. How can I make decisions for her? Perhaps it would be better to let her decide?"
In Fang Qiu Mo's opinion, Xing Yue and her spirit beast had a deep bond, and she would surely be unwilling. This way, he could perfectly refuse.
When Xing Yue arrived in the hall and heard Mingyi's explanation, she nodded.
Xing Yuan: (ಥ﹏ಥ)
Xing Yuan cautiously tugged at Xing Yue's sleeve, her voice filled with grievance, "Sister, you don't want me anymore?"
When Xing Yuan's gaze fell on the excited Mingyi again, a hint of killing intent involuntarily appeared in her eyes. He deserved to die!
"How could that be?" Sensing Xing Yuan's unstable emotions, Xing Yue quickly comforted her gently.
"Sister just thinks you should go back. Perhaps you have family there. Then we can bring your family over, wouldn't that be good?" Xing Yue genuinely thought so.
For so many years, Xing Yuan had no friends besides herself. She felt it was time for her to expand her social circle.
"I have no family. Sister is my only family." Xing Yuan puffed out her cheeks and hugged Xing Yue directly, like a giant pendant.
"Didn't you promise to return to the Demon Realm with us?" Mingyi couldn't help but ask.
"I promised, but I didn't say when! Can't I go in a thousand or a hundred years?" Xing Yuan snorted and hid her head in Xing Yue's embrace.
"Uh! That seems reasonable." Mingyi scratched his head, his expression somewhat bewildered.
"Then, what does this cultivator mean?" Seeing that Xing Yuan was not easy to persuade, Mingyi placed his bet on Xing Yue.
"This..." Xing Yue was a little conflicted, but a voice in her heart kept urging her to let Ah Yuan go to the Demon Realm, as if there was something in the Demon Realm that Ah Yuan needed.
Xing Yue removed the "ornament" and gently persuaded, "After returning this time, I will likely go into seclusion to break through to the Divine Realm. I fear I won't have much time to accompany you. Moreover, since Ah Yuan has already agreed to go to the Demon Realm with them, why not take advantage of my seclusion? By the time I emerge, Ah Yuan will likely have returned."
"This... Alright!" Xing Yuan hesitated for a long time before finally nodding.
Fine, she would resolve all these matters at once. Then she could wholeheartedly accompany Sister and ignore these worldly affairs.
"Then, Sister, let's leave a communication mark! If I miss you in the future, I'll send you a message in it. If Sister is in seclusion and cannot reply, you must reply to me after you come out. I'll rush back immediately then..."
Xing Yuan's slightly immature face was full of seriousness as she instructed them word by word. Finally, finding no more words to say, she left with Mingyi and the others, looking back repeatedly.
Xing Yue watched Xing Yuan's retreating figure, her expression tinged with reluctance. Temporary separation was only for a better reunion, and she had the patience to wait.
Fang Qiu Mo stared blankly as his disciple arranged everything and then turned to ask him when they would depart for the sect. He suddenly came back to his senses.
His expression slightly excited, he grabbed Xing Yue's wrist, "Just now, just now, was that woman the spirit beast you raised before? Were her eyes blue? Do you know which clan she belongs to?"
A string of questions overwhelmed Xing Yue, but she still answered them all earnestly, "Replying to Master, it is indeed so. It's just that when she was young, she resembled a Huo Xin Beast too much, so I set up a formation to hide some of her characteristics."