127. The Snake Fairy Invites Xie to Dinner

The competition had reached a pause, and at this point, the Danxia Sect had suffered considerable losses—two disciples had died, and eight were injured, leaving only ten to advance smoothly.

The Wan Yao Hall fared even worse. The hall master’s face had turned purple with anger and frustration, as only two of their disciples had passed the preliminary rounds.

The overall results were yet to be calculated. In the first round, Xie Wuji’s Danxia Sect had secured first place, with Beast King Mountain coming in second, so the final outcome remained uncertain.

With some leisure time, Xie Wuji wandered around Long City, planning to spend some money to buy thirty-six spirit artifacts.

As he passed by a street vendor, he suddenly noticed a woman eating grilled meat skewers. She puffed her cheeks before spotting him. “Are you Xie Wuji?” she asked.

“What do you mean ‘that Xie Wuji’? How many Xie Wujis are there in the world?” Xie Wuji replied with a wry smile, stepping forward.

The woman struggled to swallow what was in her mouth and regained her composure. It was none other than the Serpent Fairy, the leader of Snake Island—one of the Ten Great Sects and apparently the youngest sect leader among them. She was dining with several disciples, looking more like a senior sister with her juniors.

The Serpent Fairy was a rare beauty. Though her female disciples were delicate in appearance, compared to her, it was like heaven and earth.

Her pale green hair was pulled back into a playful little braid, adorned with a jade-colored butterfly bow, highlighting her charm and vivacity.

She wore a flowing jade-green robe embroidered intricately with a serpent on the back, a masterpiece of embroidery that could only have been done by a master.

The garment was thin, allowing Xie Wuji to faintly see a white camisole beneath, and the fine stripes on her skirt hinted at her delicate nature. The outfit accentuated her slender, serpentine waist, giving her an altogether unique aura.

This woman was undeniably enchanting. Xie Wuji thought so to himself. It was said that the women of Snake Island possessed seductive arts so potent that any man who fell under their spell would become their lifelong slave.

Xie Wuji wasn’t sure if the rumors were true, but he decided it was wise to remain cautious.

“Ah, the Serpent Fairy of Snake Island. Disciple greets the illustrious sect leader,” Xie Wuji said with a respectful bow.

“Since we are peers, there’s no need for such formality. Besides, you saved one of our disciples’ lives. Are you free now? We’d like to invite you to dine with us,” she said.

Xie Wuji was free, of course, and an invitation from a beauty was not something to refuse. He readily agreed.

What surprised Xie Wuji even more was how closely the Serpent Fairy resembled Zhu Feifei from the real world. If it weren’t for their vastly different personalities, he might have believed they were the same person.

Zhu Feifei was not one to express herself easily and was quite adept at hiding her true feelings—very calculating and reserved.

The Serpent Fairy before him was evidently more lively, reminiscent of Zhu Feifei during her school days—before the corruption of the material world had touched her, when she was still a happy, carefree girl.

The thought brought a pang of sorrow to Xie Wuji’s heart. He sighed deeply and fell into step behind the disciples of Snake Island.

From a distance, Xie Wuji noticed a massive trailer. Upon closer inspection, it carried Asaron!

The corpse of Asaron was placed atop the trailer, which was equipped with hundreds of wheels and moved forward, causing passersby to yield the way.

Asaron was a highly valuable beast in the Li Kingdom. Legend had it that the Dragon Cave Forest remained undeveloped precisely because the armored earth dragon required vast tracts of forest for food.

Thus, Asaron’s death was an unforeseen and tremendous loss for the Li Kingdom.

The greatest beneficiaries this time were naturally the Danxia Sect and Xie Wuji himself. His courage displayed during the competition was unparalleled in the eyes of outsiders, regarded as selfless and honorable. The forbidden flight array was notoriously difficult to break, yet Xie Wuji had done so with apparent ease, leading others to believe he possessed great power.

What no one realized was that everything had been predestined. Xie Wuji had broken the forbidden flight array out of a sense of guilt, never expecting that the newly developed “Spring Breeze Nineteen Degrees” technique by Ximen Xin would be so potent.

It had caused the collapse of the Celestial Tower, which in turn crushed and killed the armored earth dragon Asaron. Although Xie Wuji was not directly responsible, all of it stemmed from the powder he had used.

Jilian Cheng naturally wished to keep Xie Wuji’s involvement secret. If word got out in the Li Kingdom, it could trigger a war at any moment.

Even the slightest damage to the Celestial Tower would be enough for the Li Kingdom to declare war. With the tower’s collapse and Asaron’s death combined, if the Li Kingdom directed its anger at the Danxia Sect and the Cloud Kingdom, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“Here’s a toast to Brother Xie!” a coquettish female disciple of Snake Island raised her cup to Xie Wuji, her eyes full of charm as she gazed intently at him. Xie Wuji blushed deeply and quickly downed the drink.

“Wuji, why have you been staring at me since earlier? Is there something on my face?” the Serpent Fairy teased.

Xie Wuji scratched his head awkwardly, unwilling to say, “You look just like my ex-girlfriend,” lest he be accused of teasing.

Instead, he shifted the topic. “I’m just curious—how did the Serpent Fairy become the leader of Snake Island at such a young age? I don’t mean to offend; I only mean to say it’s impressive. Among the sect leaders, you’re one of the youngest and most capable.”

Having worked in sales, Xie Wuji knew how to speak with tact. He deftly turned what could have been an awkward remark into a compliment.

The Serpent Fairy set down her cup, her expression darkening as she sighed. “The leaders of Snake Island have always been women. Recently, my mother fell seriously ill and has been bedridden, unable to speak for some time. I was anxious, but there was no choice—the island needed someone to step up.”

She glanced at Xie Wuji. “As you can see, I bear all the glory in public, but in truth, I face many frustrations. First, my cultivation is insufficient. Second, my experience is limited. Although Snake Island ranks average among the Ten Great Sects—not too good, not too bad—I came to represent my mother in this competition. This gave the impression that Snake Island’s strength has declined significantly over the years.”

“Has no doctor been able to help?” Xie Wuji asked.

“We’ve consulted every doctor, but none can cure her. They say they’ve never seen this illness. If anyone could save my mother, I would do anything for them. I—I naturally do not wish for anything to happen to her,” the Serpent Fairy’s face darkened further.

Xie Wuji quickly comforted her, “Serpent Fairy, rest assured, Snake Island’s reputation is well known. Heaven will surely show mercy... Your mother will recover.”

Though she understood it was mere consolation, the Serpent Fairy nodded and said, “Thank you for your kind words. Now, tell me about you. Were you not afraid to die back then?”

“Afraid of death?” Xie Wuji hesitated to reveal his true feelings, so he stood upright, hand over his chest, and declared with resolve, “The disciples of Danxia Sect are primarily healers and alchemists. Our foremost mission is to save lives. When so many innocent disciples were in danger, how could I stand by? As a disciple of Danxia Sect, I had to act. Even if I died, I could not betray the name of my sect!”

His passionate words drew applause from the surrounding Snake Island disciples.

Other disciples in the restaurant, upon hearing Xie Wuji’s presence, came over to offer their toasts. In a short time, Xie Wuji was showered with admiration and praise. The owner of the eatery, upon learning that Xie Wuji had saved so many lives, immediately waived the bill.

The Serpent Fairy felt embarrassed. “How awkward. I had promised to treat Xie Wuji to this meal, but in the end, it was your kindness that got the bill waived. I owe you this meal. When there’s another chance, I will treat you properly.”

“No need, no need. We are all cultivators. There’s no need for such earthly formalities. The world belongs to all,” Xie Wuji said.

Her eyes brightened at his words. The image of Xie Wuji resolutely accepting death to save others flashed through her mind, leaving her with a deep and favorable impression of him.