It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Chapter 294: Winning the Battle, Losing at Life

“They seem to be looking at you.”

Wei Mengrou, noticing the gazes of the Dao Integration experts, pursed her lips and alerted Mu Zhi’an through voice transmission.

What’s so interesting about me? I don’t have words written on my face… Mu Zhi’an looked up and saw the Dao Integration experts hovering in the sky.

Some of them he had never seen before, like the Evil Deity from the Southern Wilderness, who always concealed himself within a black mist.

And the Buddha from the Western Regions, his expression serene, a golden light emanating from behind him.

Then there was Yao Meng, the fairy he respected and admired, and the Sect Master.

Beside Yao Meng stood a woman in a white dress with gold embroidery. She was beautiful, her eyes smiling, her gaze sweeping over the cultivators below.

Nice figure, not very big breasts, probably a handful… but her aura is elegant, and the white dress, black stockings, and knee-high boots are a plus… Mu Zhi’an thought, assessing her appearance.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze upon him, and he looked up. The woman in the white dress was looking at him with a faint smile.

Mu Zhi’an’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head, maintaining a respectful demeanor.

Although he didn’t know her identity, being able to stand alongside the Sect Master and the others meant she was one of the most powerful beings in the Nine Realms.

Luo Tan’s beautiful eyes twinkled with amusement. “This disciple is interesting. He wasn’t intimidated by my gaze,” she said softly.

Countless disciples were present within the Two Polarities Sect!

Yet, none of them had dared to look at her with such… appreciation.

Even the scions of the Primordial Clans would lower their heads respectfully before the Empress of Yu State.

The Buddha from the Western Regions, his gaze serene, looked at the young man on the ground. “His Spiritual Energy is unstable, his aura fluctuating. It seems he failed his tribulation,” he said.

“Failed his tribulation…?”

The Southern Wilderness’s Evil Deity’s eyes flickered, and he immediately thought of someone. “Mu Zhi’an…?” he murmured.

Mu Zhi’an had used his tribulation to eliminate seventeen cultivators in the Martial Realm, including several strong contenders in the Ascension Ceremony. Both the Southern Wilderness and the Western Regions had suffered losses because of him.

And with Regina’s matter… the Evil Deity was naturally familiar with his name.

Luo Tan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile curving her lips. “He’s Mu Zhi’an?”

“He doesn’t look like someone who would do something so reckless.”

For the sake of his maid, he had even sacrificed his own cultivation level to punish those who had threatened her. Initially, these powerful beings had imagined him to be a reckless brute.

However, this Mu Zhi’an seemed to be a refined and elegant young man, like a well-educated scholar.

And… why did he possess two different types of Spiritual Energy within his body?

Luo Tan’s eyes twinkled with interest. She chuckled. “I heard that a young cultivator named Mu Zhi’an played a role in the Jade Empress’s return. And what the Primordial Demon Emperor said earlier was also intriguing.”

She turned to Yao Meng. “Could it be that his constitution is so special that it can even help a Dao Integration expert reconstruct their Vessel?”

Yao Meng looked at Mu Zhi’an calmly, her voice clear and melodious. “Young friend Mu promised to help the Primordial Demon Emperor reconstruct his Vessel, but for the sake of the Eastern Realm, he chose to help me instead. The medicinal herbs I used to reconstruct my Vessel were all painstakingly gathered by him.”

Yao Meng was giving him face, not revealing that he had chosen her because he was attracted to her, instead presenting him as a righteous hero.

She also subtly avoided Luo Tan’s question, changing the topic.

Luo Tan’s interest grew, and she observed Mu Zhi’an more closely. “I remember the two treasures needed to reconstruct a Vessel are the Heavenly Phoenix Fruit and the Rebirth Water from the Forbidden Zone… The Forbidden Zone’s Master doesn’t give anyone face. How did he obtain the Rebirth Water?”

“The Forbidden Zone’s Holy Maiden is cultivating in the Two Polarities Sect as an inner disciple. She happens to have a good relationship with young friend Mu.”

Yao Meng’s voice was gentle and ethereal, her flawless skin glowing, her bare feet treading on air as she glanced at Mu Zhi’an.

“In short, I owe young friend Mu a favor. He paid a heavy price for me.”

“To have earned a favor from Fairy Yao Meng… his future cultivation path will be smooth,” Luo Tan said, pausing for a moment. “If you recommend him, Fairy Yao Meng, I can make an exception and accept another exchange student.”

She felt that there was something unusual about Mu Zhi’an’s Spiritual Energy, but she couldn’t pinpoint the reason. The sect’s grand formation had been activated, concealing the auras of the disciples within, even from Dao Integration experts.

Yao Meng shook her head gently. “There’s no need. I intend to repay his kindness personally. It wouldn’t be convenient if he went to Yu State.”

A gust of wind blew past, ruffling her green dress and her hair, accentuating her ethereal beauty.

Many cultivators were captivated by her, although they could only see a hazy silhouette bathed in a silver glow. This indistinctness only added to her allure.

Yao Meng looked down at the young man, her lips curving into a seductive smile.

“I’ll guide his cultivation myself.”

Even the Southern Wilderness’s Evil Deity couldn’t help but glance at Yao Meng, his eyes filled with confusion.

Since when was the Jade Empress so concerned about a young cultivator?

And Regina had said that Mu Zhi’an could help her perfect her Soul Reading constitution, making it the strongest in the Southern Wilderness… And she had confirmed with her Soul Reading ability that he wasn’t lying.

…A mere Core Formation cultivator, how could he possibly help Regina evolve her constitution?

There must be some secret surrounding this Mu Zhi’an… That was why even the Jade Empress was so interested in him.

As the Dao Integration experts observed Mu Zhi’an, a beautiful woman in a white palace dress stepped out of the Jade Glass Palace.

She looked up, her gentle eyes scanning the cultivators outside, then she spotted Mu Zhi’an and called out softly, “Mu Lang.”

Seeing him struggling against the pressure of a Dao Integration expert’s aura, Bai Ruoxi rushed towards him and replaced Wei Mengrou, supporting him. “Are you alright?” she asked with concern.

The cultivators stared at Bai Ruoxi as if she were a monster. The Primordial Demon Emperor’s black phoenix hadn’t dissipated yet, and its Dao Integration aura was suffocating, yet this inner disciple of Boundless Sea Peak seemed completely unaffected?

And this Mu Zhi’an… he’s going too far!

Some of the cultivators who had passed the Martial Realm trial and the sect disciples glared at Mu Zhi’an with envy and resentment.

There were many talented female cultivators in the world of cultivation, but for Mu Zhi’an to monopolize two beauties… Many male cultivators were jealous, wanting to punch him in the face for his blatant display of affection.

…Even though it wasn’t intentional.

Even Ye Yu, who had been proud of his ability to withstand the Dao Integration pressure, couldn’t smile anymore. He stared at Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi, who seemed to have eyes only for him.

Bai Ruoxi had occasionally acknowledged his presence in the past, but now, the beautiful young lady from Tianxuan City seemed completely devoted to Mu Zhi’an, her gaze filled only with him.

He was clearly superior to Mu Zhi’an in every aspect, even their testing stele results were the same, yet why was everyone paying attention to him?!

Ye Yu’s fists clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms, his eyes filled with uncontainable hatred as he stared at Mu Zhi’an.

But no matter how many tricks Mu Zhi’an used, he had still passed the Martial Realm trial, and his performance during the Primordial Demon Emperor’s attack had been witnessed by the Dao Integration experts.

If there were any ‘exchange student’ programs in Yu State or the Southern Wilderness in the future, his name would be the first to come to mind.

His maid and Bai Ruoxi were indeed talented, but that had nothing to do with Mu Zhi’an himself.

Those Dao Integration experts weren’t blind… As Ye Yu thought this, his anger subsided slightly.

Meanwhile, Luo Tan, the beautiful and elegant Empress of Yu State, looked at the woman in the palace dress who had just emerged from the Jade Glass Palace. Seeing her looking at Mu Zhi’an with concern, her eyes filled with a tenderness that could melt even a woman’s heart, she couldn’t help but ask, “Who is she?”

The Southern Wilderness’s powerful being also spoke up, “This is strange. Logically, only Nascent Soul cultivators can withstand the aura of a Dao Integration expert and move freely. For a Core Formation cultivator, just staying on their feet is already a struggle. But this woman seems completely unaffected… She can even move freely.”

The Buddha from the Western Regions opened his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the woman in the white palace dress.

His expression was serene, but those familiar with his techniques knew that he was trying to see through Bai Ruoxi’s true nature.

Neither Yao Meng nor Shang Yanfei stopped him. They remained silent, their actions perfectly synchronized.

Suddenly, a consciousness within Bai Ruoxi’s body seemed to awaken, and the Western Regions’ Buddha shuddered, the golden light behind him almost shattering.

He clasped his hands together and chanted, “Amitabha.”

A golden light, like ripples on water, emanated from his palms, stabilizing his fluctuating Spiritual Energy.

If the Spiritual Energy of this wisp of his will was damaged, it would also affect his true body in the Western Regions.

The other two powerful beings were also shocked as they looked at Bai Ruoxi.

Even a normal Core Formation cultivator couldn’t injure a wisp of the Western Regions’ Buddha’s will. Yet, he had clearly seen something that had damaged his Spiritual Sense.

The Buddha calmed his turbulent energy, opened his eyes, looked at Bai Ruoxi, and said slowly, “…Gong Lianyue.”

The Empress of Yu State’s eyes flickered as she looked at Bai Ruoxi, her ample bosom swaying enticingly.

The reincarnation of the Sword Palace Master…?

The Southern Wilderness’s Evil Deity’s eyes widened in disbelief. “She’s still alive…?”

The Buddha remained silent, but his usually calm eyes held a hint of unease.

Including the Two Polarities Sect’s Sect Master and Ling Long, and now, the Jade Empress and the Sword Palace Master… Four Dao Integration experts!

This was an astonishing number. In the Nine Realms, there could only be one Dao Integration expert at a time, unless the previous one sealed themselves within a formation or went into seclusion, allowing another to emerge.

This was the law of heaven and earth. And the world’s Spiritual Energy couldn’t sustain too many Dao Integration cultivators.

The Sword Palace Master had cultivated for much longer than Yao Meng and the other Dao Integration experts from Yu State, the Southern Wilderness, and other regions.

It was because the heavens believed Gong Lianyue to be dead that new Dao Integration cultivators could emerge.

But now, the Sword Palace Master had appeared before them…

Even though she was only at the Core Formation Realm now, once the consciousness within her awakened, Bai Ruoxi, her scabbard, could quickly return to the Dao Integration Realm.

No wonder Shang Yanfei was so confident. Even if the Demon Realm Empress absorbed the Primordial Demon Emperor’s essence, she wouldn’t dare to attack the Eastern Realm.

Four Dao Integration experts… Even the Demon Realm would have to think twice.

And this didn’t even include the Forbidden Zone, which remained neutral.

If they included the Forbidden Zone’s Master… the Eastern Realm’s current strength was unimaginable.

Some realms only had a single Dao Integration expert, some even none.

And the Eastern Realm alone now had four!

And two of these Dao Integration experts were connected to a Core Formation cultivator…

The three powerful beings looked at Mu Zhi’an.

Everything seemed a bit too coincidental. He had saved Yao Meng, become the Sword Palace Master’s Dao Companion, and had an exceptionally talented maid…

Was it because of his luck, or…

As they pondered, a sharp phoenix cry echoed from the depths of the Pilgrimage Palace.

The sky turned a dark crimson as the leaden clouds were set ablaze, trembling violently, the thunderous roars shaking the heavens.

A phoenix, its wings engulfed in black flames, emerged from the Pilgrimage Palace, threatening to incinerate the entire sky.

This sight forced even those who had been struggling to resist the pressure to fall to their knees.

Mu Zhi’an also felt the strain, his arms wrapped around Bai Ruoxi’s waist, his body pressed against hers, her fragrance filling his senses, his desire almost overwhelming him.

Suddenly, a black mist surged skyward, and from within it, a delicate hand reached out, grasping towards the black phoenix, then gently squeezing it.

Boom!

The black phoenix shattered, the impact shaking the entire Two Polarities Sect.

The Demon Realm Empress, shrouded in black mist, looked down at the world below, feeling the power coursing through her veins. Her gaze shifted to Shang Yanfei.

Shang Yanfei, her alluring figure outlined by her black robe, seemed to sense her gaze and turned to look at her.

“A pleasant collaboration, Sect Master Shang,” the Demon Realm Empress said, her voice soft and seductive, sending shivers down their spines.

Even the Southern Wilderness’s Evil Deity and the Western Regions’ Buddha were wary of the Demon Realm Empress, whose strength had just increased significantly.

However, Shang Yanfei’s expression remained unchanged. She simply smiled and replied, “Indeed.”

Their voices, audible only to each other, echoed through the air.

The Demon Realm Empress looked up at the spot where the Primordial Demon Emperor had vanished. She extended her hand, watching the snowflakes land on her palm. “To think that eliminating that old man would actually increase my strength… Did you trust that the Demon Realm wouldn’t invade the Eastern Realm, or are you simply that confident in your own abilities?” she asked softly.

She glanced at the beautiful woman in the black robe.

Shang Yanfei smiled. “A bit of both.”

The Demon Realm Empress narrowed her eyes. “To protect your sect, you opened your doors and let your enemy in… If this were a game of chess, you would have already lost,” she said calmly.

“Perhaps,” Shang Yanfei replied indifferently.

The Demon Realm Empress looked at her intently, then waved her hand, the black mist dispersing as she vanished into the night.

Having obtained the Primordial Demon Emperor’s essence, she needed time to refine it.

And after that, her strength, already at the Dao Integration Realm, would increase even further, perhaps even allowing her to transcend and achieve immortality!

Shang Yanfei calmly watched her depart, then her gaze shifted to Mu Zhi’an, who was standing before the Jade Glass Palace.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Mu Zhi’an looked up.

The beautiful Sect Master looked down at him from the sky, then suddenly smiled brightly.

“You’ve already lost,” she said softly.

However, it was unclear who she was addressing.