Chapter 774 - 695: Ascend to the Peak 94
However, the taste she once knew began to lose its original sweetness upon learning the truth about Liang Ziqian and Tan Shuangshuang’s marriage alliance, further tainted by Liang Ziqian’s constant words of admiration and praise for Tan Shuangshuang.
Hua Qingcheng wished she could overlook these matters, but she could not forget the time when Liang Ziqian and Tan Shuangshuang were the couple blessed by the immortals, nor could she forget what Tian Fang had once seen—the sweet interactions between Liang Ziqian and Tan Shuangshuang.
Hua Qingcheng began to doubt, question whether Liang Ziqian was attracted to Tan Shuangshuang from time to time, and each word of praise from Liang Ziqian towards Tan Shuangshuang deepened her suspicion, until eventually, Hua Qingcheng could not bear to hear Liang Ziqian mention Tan Shuangshuang at all.
Just like now, while Liang Ziqian and Tan Shuangshuang chatted and laughed together, a flame of anger surged within Hua Qingcheng’s heart, accompanied by feelings of grievance and fear.
She completely ignored the fact that it was actually Lu Tianyi who spoke the most with Liang Ziqian, not Tan Shuangshuang, and her mind was filled with the gentle expression Liang Ziqian had when looking at Tan Shuangshuang, the soft tone when speaking, and the resentful energy in her heart grew stronger.
Hua Qingcheng’s resentful energy was almost unmasked; it was evident not only to the targeted Tan Shuangshuang but also to Liang Ziqian. Liang Ziqian wanted to establish a good relationship with Tan Shuangshuang, whose talent and strength destined her to stand at the pinnacle of the world.
No matter what complex feelings Liang Ziqian held towards Tan Shuangshuang, befriending Tan Shuangshuang was an important matter, significant to the Liang Family and to Bishui Sect. Yet, while he was trying to forge a closer connection, his fiancée stood by with resentment, making it awkward.
If not for Tan Shuangshuang witnessing this, Liang Ziqian would have sighed. Initially, he planned to make a rare encounter with Tan Shuangshuang count by establishing a good relationship. If they could travel together and explore, to shorten the distance between them it would be even better.
The Liang Family and the Tan Family had already forged an alliance to maintain generational goodwill. He belonged to Bishui Sect, which had good relations with Tan Shuangshuang’s Wuji Sect, both among the Five Great Sects. Although not as excellent as Tan Shuangshuang, he was one of the few talents in Bishui Sect, his status and position comparable for friendship with Tan Shuangshuang.
But all these were premised on there not being someone dragging him down, seeing his fiancée regarding Tan Shuangshuang as a rival, and looking displeased as he spoke a few more words. Liang Ziqian felt if he continued to stay, it wouldn’t be about forging close ties, but rather about breaking ties with Tan Shuangshuang.
Driven by a secretive thought even he didn’t understand, Liang Ziqian did not really wish to leave; he deeply desired to establish a good relationship with Tan Shuangshuang. However, Hua Qingcheng’s behavior put him in a difficult position.
As Hua Qingcheng’s fiancé, he could not just abandon her or do anything other than reluctantly give up on the idea of continuing to establish good relations with Tan Shuangshuang. With a sense of disappointment, he bid farewell to Tan Shuangshuang and left with Hua Qingcheng.
After Liang Ziqian left, Tan Shuangshuang couldn’t help but rub her chin, always feeling that Hua Qingcheng was peculiar. She had never shown any sign of fondness for Liang Ziqian, so why did she regard herself as Hua Qingcheng’s rival and feel the need to be alert?
"That Hua Qingcheng, just now with a long face, as if instead of rescuing her from a crisis, we owed her countless Spirit Stones, it’s ridiculous," Tan Feiyu said with a slight anger as Liang Ziqian and Hua Qingcheng left, frowning.
Tan Shuangshuang was indifferent, strong enough not to be affected whether Hua Qingcheng resented or guarded against her. Seeing Tan Feiyu’s brows furrow and his eyes ablaze, she blandly comforted him: "No need to get angry over such people. Her vision is limited, and it’s common for people to fear losing something they think is valuable. After all, we belong to the Five Great Sects, it’s best not to tear faces, and in the future, just avoid interactions with these two."
"Sister Shuangshuang is right, the path we walk will only get higher, whereas Hua Qingcheng indulges in love and is narrow-minded, her future achievements will surely be limited. When we stand high, she’ll have already become invisible to outsiders. It’s not worth getting angry over someone destined to be left behind," Lu Tianyi chimed in, agreeing warmly with Tan Shuangshuang.
Fei Hu’s response was most straightforward, rubbing his furry head against Tan Feiyu’s leg, transferring Feiyu’s thoughts without needing to speak.
Only Bai Sheng leaned against the chair, neither joining in nor speaking more, sitting there with a calm expression, sipping tea, untouched by the previous dust.
The appearance of Liang Ziqian and Hua Qingcheng was just an interlude that left no trace in the hearts of everyone. After staying in this border town for nearly a month and buying several types of particularly delicious local foods, they finally set off again.
Though leaving Baiyue Country, their journey remained leisurely, enjoying the sightseeing. Without landscapes to favor them, they sat under the corridor made from Purple Vine Flowers, indulging in food and drink.
This enormous Purple Vine Flower stretched over thirty meters high with countless branches; though a corridor, it seemed like a sea of Purple Vine Flowers hanging from the sky, filled everywhere with clusters of light or deep purple blooms, the serene fragrance omnipresent. Inside, it seemed like a dream, never tiring the eyes with its beauty no matter how long one stayed.
The Flying Heaven Palace moved leisurely onward until one day, they passed by a vast desert. This desert was peculiar in color, not the usual golden hue, but a blood-red, with red tornadoes occasionally sweeping across, though not large, covering the entire desert in a layer of blood-red mist, eerily intimidating.
This area was known as the Blood Mist Desert, located at the junction of three countries. Due to the harsh climate and lack of an oasis, it was uninhabitable, rarely populated even by Magic Beasts, thus becoming a no man’s land.
Despite the harsh climate, the Blood Mist Desert was rich in a valuable refining material—Blood Sand Stone, so it never lacked treasure hunters. But each moment, many treasure hunters perished in the Blood Mist Desert, yet this couldn’t stop the throngs of exploration.
Its allure lay in the priceless value of Blood Sand Stone, an essential material for crafting Earth-level weapons and Magic Treasures. The more Blood Sand Stone, the better the crafted Magic Treasure, crucial in determining the quality level of an Earth-level Weapon.
A Blood Sand Stone the size of a fingernail was worth ten Top-grade Spirit Stones; the more Blood Sand Stone, the greater its utility in weapons, similar to the Fire Spirit Essence—the more, the richer; for example, a Blood Sand Stone the size of a child’s fist was worth a Top-grade Spirit Stone.
It should be noted the exchange rate for low-grade Spirit Stones to Top-grade Spirit Stones is one to ten thousand, except for Top-grade Spirit Stones, requiring ten thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones for one Top-grade Spirit Stone.