Could it be… that An Lan was actually Ye Yu all along?!
As Hu Liena stared at the young man seated inside the Creation Temple's canopy, surrounded by women, the thought surfaced in her mind—a notion so absurd it almost frightened her.
It was difficult to believe, nearly impossible even.
Yet when she eliminated all other possibilities, the last remaining option, however outlandish, had to be the truth.
Her heart pounding, Hu Liena bit her lip and stepped forward toward Ye Yu.
At once, others noticed her approach.
"That's… the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, Hu Liena?"
"What is she doing here?"
Aside from Ye Yu himself, everyone else wore expressions of puzzlement and curiosity.
"Your Excellency Poison Douluo," Hu Liena said softly, bowing slightly, "I came to find Ye Yu. Would you allow him to step out for a moment?"
At her words, Dugu Bo, Zhao Wuji, and the women at Ye Yu's side all turned to look at him in surprise.
Since when did Ye Yu have any dealings with Hu Liena?
Even Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling looked utterly baffled.
Ye Yu, however, simply rose to his feet.
"I'll step out for a bit," he said.
The moment he stood, Hu Liena's emotions grew tangled and heavy.
So it was true.
There was no "An Lan" in this world.
An Lan… had always been Ye Yu.
The two left the Creation Temple's canopy and walked to a quiet, deserted clearing.
Hu Liena's lips trembled as she finally spoke, eyes filled with conflicting emotions.
"So… should I call you An Lan, or should I call you Ye Yu?"
Ye Yu smiled lightly.
"Either is fine," he replied. "They're both me. Liena… it's been so long. Have you been well?"
Hu Liena's eyes shimmered faintly red, her voice low.
"I've been well… but I couldn't stop thinking of you. I thought that once you left the Slaughter City, you would come find me in Spirit City. But you never came…"
As they exchanged words, Hu Liena could no longer restrain the storm of longing and sorrow in her heart.
She suddenly threw herself into Ye Yu's arms, embracing him tightly, pressing her delicate face against his chest.
Not far away, hidden in the shadows, Yan clenched his fists as he witnessed the scene. His heart burned with anguish.
The pain—it was unbearable.
For as long as he could remember, Hu Liena had been his goddess.
But she had never once returned his feelings.
When she returned from the Slaughter City, Yan realized she already harbored someone she loved.
Yet that person had never appeared, and so Yan still nurtured hope.
Just moments ago, he had watched as Hu Liena suddenly rose to her feet, eyes alight with joy as if she had seen the one she had yearned for all these years.
Though she gave an excuse, as her admirer, Yan knew better. His instincts screamed that she had seen him.
Now, following her here, Yan saw the truth for himself.
Hu Liena had indeed found that man.
His chest felt as though he had swallowed bitter wine and broken glass. Resentment and despair churned inside him.
Why?
Why would Liena never look at me?!
What does this pretty-faced boy have that I don't?
Now that he knew Ye Yu's identity, Yan ground his teeth, making a vow.
No matter what… he would never let Hu Liena be taken from him!
After her meeting with Ye Yu, Hu Liena returned to Spirit Hall filled with sweetness and joy.
But awaiting her outside was Bibi Dong herself, standing tall with her papal scepter in hand, as if she had been waiting.
"Nana, come with me."
When Hu Liena approached, Bibi Dong pulled her aside.
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Hu Liena asked in confusion.
Bibi Dong's amber eyes sharpened as she asked directly:
"You just went to meet with Ye Yu, didn't you?"
How… how did Teacher know?!
Hu Liena's face paled, shock overtaking her.
She forced a smile.
"Teacher, what are you saying? I only went for a walk."
"Nana!" Bibi Dong's brows furrowed, her tone cold and stern. "You would dare to lie to me?!"
Faced with her teacher's anger, Hu Liena could no longer hold her lie. Her shoulders trembled as she admitted quietly:
"…Teacher, I'm sorry. Yes, I went to see Ye Yu. But what's wrong with that? I heard Spirit Hall has already begun cooperating with his Creation Temple."
She looked at Bibi Dong with hope, yearning for approval.
But Bibi Dong's reply was ice-cold.
"Others may not know, but you are my disciple—you should understand. Even if the plan succeeds, it is only the beginning. That Ye Yu belongs to her side. In the future, he will be our enemy."
"You are forbidden from being with him."
"Teacher!!"
Hu Liena was a little anxious.
She didn't understand. The usurpation plan was proposed by her teacher—shouldn't success mean everything would finally be complete?
Why did there have to be more strife within Spirit Hall itself?
But no matter what she said, Bibi Dong could not be swayed.
Her obsession with vengeance against Spirit Hall and the Qian family was unshakable.
As for Ye Yu, she could not bring herself to like him at all.
She had once sought from him a way to evolve her Martial Soul. After failing to obtain it, she had investigated his past, discovering that he had insulted and humiliated the one she cherished most—Yu Xiaogang.
How could she ever forgive that?
Yet what Bibi Dong did not realize was this—once upon a time, Spirit Hall itself had stood in the way of her and Yu Xiaogang.
Truly… the dragonslayer had become the evil dragon.
Half an hour later, the Selection Tournament of the Upper Three Sects and Lower Four Sects officially began!
The first to be held was the Upper Three Sects competition.
"The tournament for the Upper Three and Lower Four Sects shall now commence!"
"First, the trials for the Upper Three Sects!"
"Any sects or forces wishing to contend for the Upper Three positions, send forth your strongest Spirit Masters to register!"
"Afterward, Spirit Hall will arrange the matches fairly, and the rightful seats of the Upper Three will be decided!"
As the appointed time arrived, a red-robed cardinal of Spirit Hall summoned his Martial Soul, spreading wings of light as he rose into the air. Holding an amplification soul tool, he declared in a booming voice.
Quickly, the contenders stepped forward to register.
Among them were Ning Fengzhi alongside Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, Dugu Bo, Ling Zhantian with Ye Zhilan, Hu Yanzhen, Tuoba Xi, and even the legendary Dragon-Serpent Duo.
Once registration concluded, Spirit Hall swiftly arranged the order of battles—thus beginning the contest that would decide the fate of the Upper Three Sects.