One must understand that a qilin Immortal Beast, upon reaching adulthood, is destined to become a Saint, or even a Great Saint-level existence.
Yet four of them stood before their eyes, reduced to mere draft animals pulling a carriage.
How powerful must the backing be to accomplish such a feat?
Yun Xi and Li Luo, positioned at the front of the flying ship, naturally noticed that incredibly luxurious qilin carriage as well.
Yun Xi recognized it immediately. That was Ye Qian's carriage.
Li Luo, however, remained oblivious to this detail.
His expression soured as he watched Yun Xi gaze at the qilin carriage with undisguised interest, and displeasure churned in his chest. He had gone to great lengths to please her, yet she wouldn't spare him a proper glance.
Now someone else was showing off before him, completely disregarding his presence.
His mood blackened.
Li Luo deliberately raised his voice, ensuring Yun Xi would hear.
"Hmph! Four qilin pulling a carriage—what a grand display!
I wonder which family's wastrel is so brazen."
Yun Xi turned her head to look at him.
Her eyes filled with surprise, as though seeing him in an entirely new light.
Li Luo's heart soared. She's finally looking at me.
Yun Xi, who wouldn't even meet his gaze before, now regarded him differently simply because he'd spoken about the qilin carriage's owner. Perhaps he had a chance after all.
"Yun Xi, tell me—which family's wastrel uses such rare qilin Immortal Beasts as common draft animals?
Isn't that too arrogant?
Even our Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, capable of such a thing, wouldn't attempt it so casually."
As Li Luo continued speaking, he completely failed to notice the hint of pity flickering in Yun Xi's eyes.
Though her contact with Ye Qian had been limited, Yun Xi had heard plenty about his deeds.
Possessing the Supreme Immortal Body capable of achieving Great Emperor status, he stood as the future pinnacle expert of the Immortal Domain—with a rather eccentric temper to match.
If Ye Qian overheard what Li Luo had just said, a lesson would certainly follow. No question about it.
From their previous time together, Yun Xi knew Ye Qian's moods shifted like quicksilver. For Li Luo to call him a wastrel at this moment... the consequences were all too imaginable.
Whoosh!
A cyan stream of light descended beside the flying ship.
"Cousin, I've come to pick you up."
Before the words fully settled, a dashing young master appeared at the very front of the flying ship.
Midnight robes draped his frame, long dark hair cascading behind him and dancing in the breeze, lending him an ethereal aura suffused with Immortal Qi.
"Cousin?!"
The moment he heard that address, Li Luo's smile froze solid.
Even with the brain of a pig, he could guess by now who occupied the qilin carriage.
Yun Xi's father had only one sister—Yun Yao, Madam of the Ye Family. Yun Yao had borne only one son, which meant Yun Xi had only one cousin in the Ye Family: Ye Qian.
He had just called this person a wastrel.
Good heavens!
He'd accidentally kicked an iron plate.
His attempt at showing off had buried him instead. In this mortifying situation, Li Luo didn't know what to say—or what he could say.
If he'd known earlier that the person riding the qilin carriage was Ye Qian, he never would have spoken so carelessly.
Gulp~!
Swallowing hard, Li Luo lost all his previous composure. Nervousness seized him completely.
Ye Qian, having just boarded the flying ship, spotted Yun Xi dressed in white, as ethereal as a fairy, and immediately recognized his older cousin.
Though several years had passed and both had grown, their features changed by time, they could still identify each other at a glance.
He also noticed Li Luo standing a short distance from Yun Xi.
The man's head remained slightly bowed, seemingly not daring to meet his eyes. Ye Qian felt puzzled. Why wouldn't this fellow look at him? He wasn't even emitting a terrifying aura.
It couldn't be that intimidating, could it?
Yun Xi's face brightened with a soft, sweet smile
"Dear cousin, why did you come alone? Are there no others with you?"
She found it strange. Ye Qian had clearly suffered Qi Deviation before, yet the number of people accompanying him hadn't increased at all.
Shouldn't more attendants have been sent to protect his safety?
"I came alone. My maids wanted to accompany me, but I refused them.
I'm just here to pick you up, Cousin—there's no need for so many people."
Ye Qian walked down from the front of the flying ship and reached Yun Xi in a few strides.
When they were younger, Yun Xi had been older and taller. Now, standing together again, Ye Qian towered over her.
Tilting her head back to look up at him, undisguised shock colored Yun Xi's expression.
She reached out, her delicate hands gently touching his arm twice.
"Ye Qian… I didn't expect you'd grow so tall after all these years.
You've become incredibly strong too. You've changed so much…"
Her memories remained frozen in those childhood recollections.
As the two chatted and laughed with such easy intimacy, Li Luo stood nearby with his head still bowed, his face growing increasingly grim.
When he was with her, Yun Xi never smiled once.
But the moment Ye Qian arrived, her smile became constant—gentle, warm, like being bathed in spring breeze.
Li Luo wanted such a smile directed at him. Unfortunately, Yun Xi would never show him such happiness, let alone such tenderness. If she did, the world itself would have turned absurd.
Ye Qian finally remembered someone else stood nearby.
He pointed at Li Luo. "Cousin, who is this?"
Suddenly asked about Li Luo's identity, Yun Xi glanced up at the Third Prince, then retracted her gaze with evident disinterest.
"He is the Third Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, under the jurisdiction of our Yun Family.
This time, he specifically came with me to visit the Ye Family, to congratulate you on safely overcoming your tribulation."
Her tone carried absolute indifference toward Li Luo.
Ye Qian knew a little about the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty—the largest force within the Yun Family's territory.
Its strength was formidable; apart from lacking any Venerable Realm existences, its overall power rivaled the Yun Family itself.