Ye Fan only took Li Zhaojun and Sang Yuan away from their residence without explaining where they were going, nor did he let Sang Yuan use the method of tearing through space to get there. He said nothing along the way.

Because it was night, their departure posed no issue. When Li Zhaojun sensed they were heading towards the Arctic, she seemed to realize something.

"Young master, are we heading to the ancient relics?" Sang Yuan finally asked.

"Yes," Ye Fan nodded, "I'll explain in detail once we arrive."

The ancient relics in the Arctic are where the Jiuyou Su Girl hid and cultivated. Ye Fan found a small purple crystal there during his visit and brought it back. At that time, he didn't understand why the Jiuyou Su Girl stayed in the Arctic for thousands of years.

Later, Ye Fan realized that the Jiuyou Su Girl was "occupying the magpie's nest." The Arctic relics she cultivated in were actually the stronghold of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman. After taking over her palace, the Jiuyou Su Girl began to cultivate recklessly, forcing the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman to retreat to the East China Sea's depths.

The trio took just over an hour to reach the Arctic, descending from the sky. Although it was night, it was still a polar day in the Arctic, allowing for sunlight, even though the sun lingered near the horizon.

At the entrance to the ancient relics they had previously visited, Ye Fan examined it and said, "It seems the Jiuyou Su Girl hasn't returned since she left; it's the same as when we left."

Li Zhaojun asked, "But why are we back? Is there an artifact we left behind?"

"It's hard to say if there's an artifact left, but I know this place is perfect for cultivation for a female cultivator with a yin body like yours," Ye Fan explained. "Didn't you mention you couldn't break through to the seventh level of the Cultivation Technique? I suspect it's because you have mundane worries that prevent you from concentrating during cultivation. This place, once a site where ancient experts cultivated to immortality, should be an unparalleled cultivation ground for you."

"Really?" Li Zhaojun remained skeptical.

Ye Fan smiled and said, "Let's head to the underground Ice Palace. Although we might have damaged part of it last time, you should be able to find the core source here, which will aid your cultivation significantly."

Guided by Ye Fan, the three quickly reached the entrance to the underground cellar, which was also the entrance to the relics. Inside the palace, many areas were damaged. Ye Fan observed a mural on the wall and said, "Zhaojun, does this image seem familiar to you?"

Li Zhaojun looked at the mural, which depicted a bird-like icy creature with a phoenix crown. Feeling no familiarity, she shook her head.

Ye Fan asked, "Sang Yuan, are you unfamiliar with this place too?"

Sang Yuan responded with surprise, "Young master, is this…"

"Yes, it's as you're thinking," Ye Fan replied. "I discovered this incidentally after the ancient relics collapsed. Your former master, the Mysterious Woman, was born and ascended to immortality here, becoming an ancient power. Like Zhaojun, she has a pure yin physique. Hence, when she chose to retire, she returned to Earth, but unfortunately, her cultivation site was taken over by her good friend, the Jiuyou Su Girl."

Sang Yuan shook her head slightly and said, "Young master's words, I don't quite understand. I was created after the Mysterious Mother completed her Immortal Law."

Li Zhaojun asked, "Ye Fan, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand?"

"Zhaojun, there's something I must tell you. Recently, the little Xuan with us is actually the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman. She is one of the ten ancient powers who created the Pan Gu Secret Realm and also Lan Jing's mother. But she's currently an ordinary human woman with an indestructible body that cannot be cultivated," Ye Fan explained.

"Ah?" Li Zhaojun was a bit astonished, never realizing that the seemingly inconspicuous woman by her side had such a significant background.

Ye Fan continued, "She was also Sang Yuan's original master, whom I helped Sang Yuan reconnect with, so Sang Yuan became my servant as promised. The Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman chose to stay to be near her daughter. But I never revealed her identity."

"No wonder," Li Zhaojun mused, "She knew I could put Taiping into my storage bracelet."

"This is also the strange part. She explicitly said that Taiping was formed by the universe, not created by human hands. Even an ancient power like her doesn't know Taiping's true master, yet she knew you could store it within your space, which doesn't make sense," Ye Fan noted. "She's certain you're not the chosen one, but I feel she's hiding something. Sang Yuan, do you know why?"

Sang Yuan lowered her head and answered, "I dare not speculate wildly."

Ye Fan nodded, acknowledging that as a creation of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman, Sang Yuan might harbor an inherent sense of loyalty. Ye Fan felt he shouldn't criticize her in Sang Yuan's presence. However, since Sang Yuan was now his servant, there was no need to withhold his thoughts. For Sang Yuan to break free from her faith in the Mysterious Woman, she had to accept that the Mysterious Woman was using them.

Ye Fan continued, "I suspect the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman hasn't lost her powers; she has merely hidden them. She fears former associates like Wuying, Jiuyou Su Girl, or other ancient powers tracking her down. Her presence among us isn't to accompany her daughter, Lan Jing, but to find the chosen one and kill them to disrupt the original cosmic order!"

Not only was Li Zhaojun startled this time, but even Sang Yuan also found herself at a loss for words.

"You probably think I'm being overly alarmist. But all this, I deduced from Wuying's reactions. If the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman hadn't truly hidden her powers, she couldn't evade Wuying's detection. Yet Wuying indirectly confirmed she had no cultivation techniques, implying the one deceived was actually us. Why would the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman deceive Sang Yuan, her own creation, and us, mere mortal cultivators? The only explanation I could fathom is that she seeks the chosen one. Her fluctuating stance on the chosen one shows she's searching for them. If she intended to aid them, there'd be no need to hide from us. Our goals align. Her silence indicates her true objectives clash with ours," Ye Fan analyzed.

This time, even Sang Yuan found some logic in Ye Fan's reasoning, "Young master, are you saying… the Mysterious Mother… truly intends to destroy the chosen one, to obliterate the Secret Realm?"

"The deeper the love, the deeper the hate. What must have transpired for an ancient power, tasked with saving the masses, to resort to destroying everything she created? This baffles me," Ye Fan stated. "Besides bringing Zhaojun out here to cultivate, I wanted to inform you of this matter, to make you wary."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.