Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Yan Zaizen was situated in a guest courtyard for high-valued ones in the Ying Clan. The resident inside the courtyard had several formations that were dedicated towards cultivation support and privacy guarantees. It had a serene layout with a small pond filled with white fishes, plants of colorful nature growing in a small garden, and a big oak tree that would provide comfortable shade from the sun.

This could be considered rather upscaled if one compared to the general minimalistic design of the Ying Clan, but at this moment, Yan Zaizen didn't feel comfortable.

Sitting cross-legged near the pond, he had a frustrated expression on his face. Over the course of the several months, since he's met Han Genji, everything that has happened felt like he was just going with the flow like a spineless puppet. He went against his instincts and was now in this situation.

Firstly, he was kidnapped, forced to be a disciple of the one that kidnapped him, and then teleported away from his home.

Secondly, he was abandoned in a forest by the people who should've been his seniors.

Thirdly, he agreed to join an unknown organization with very little actual benefits the moment it was presented to him.

Lastly, he was plotted against to be this key piece of salvation for this Ying Clan.

In truth, the last two situations were because his greed got the better of him. The organization provided a soul cultivation method that he truly needed that was on par with the superior-grade arts from before. This in and of itself was worth joining an organization that didn't restrict you. As for being brought along by Ying Sumian to heal someone and get a skyship in return, that was sheer greed inspired.

His frustration was infuriatingly deep. He merely wanted to go home, not get schemed against here and there and be a tool for someone else. Why did he have to do any of this? Who did they think he was?

He was tired of this shit.

"Hehe…" Earlier, when they offered him the skyship in exchange for his name, he had little intentions to actually be the fiancé of Ying whatever. He just wanted to get his hands on the method to control the skyship. They underestimated his prowess, believing he only had the strength of a half-step Qi Unification cultivator only.

This would be their downfall.

His eyes lit up with resplendent brightness. Tapping his bag, he retrieved the qi-method that described how to control the skyship. With this, what fiancé? He was going to steal the skyship and leave. The Ying Family is technically the Yan Family's enemies, why should he help them with their issues? Let them all die.

"Hahaha!" He couldn't help but feel abnormally content with his intelligence. Normally, he wasn't very smart, but over time, he started to see more and more of the outside world, and thus didn't restrict his thoughts to just a young master. If you can scheme, why can't I?

This method wasn't extremely hard to practice either. With his Perfect Nascent soul cultivation coupled with his half-step Essence Formation cultivation base, controlling this skyship will be a cinch. As for getting there? He didn't even need to sneak around. He had the soul cultivation that was equivalent to the Origin Core Realm, who could stop him?

All he needed was the method, and now he was like a tiger with wings. Nothing could stop him.

"Hm?" He turned, noticing movement outside of his door. It was a female, young, and had a very stable aura.

"Mister Han, can I come in?" A tender and sweet sounding voice that could make some men weak sounded. Yan Zaizen was baffled. Who was this? He didn't answer at first but used his spiritual sense to examine the newcomer. After realizing she had no means to threaten him with her cultivation level at the initial-Essence Formation, he decided to see what she wanted.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He didn't get up, simply asked.

There was a silence for a while. Then, the woman didn't even bother waiting for him to open the door as a trace of qi erupted and the door opened. Yan Zaizen's eyebrows furrowed. Enter his room without permission? Was she courting death?

A flash of killing intent surged into his eyes. This was the first time he ever revealed such a look, and mostly because his privacy was being infringed on. He was prepared to wipe out the soul of the intruder, and if they ask why, then he could simply say he assumed it was an intruder.

However, when the person entered and revealed herself under the moonlit sky, he was immediately thunderstruck.

The girl was about 18-19 years of age, had a smooth as jade countenance that shimmered elegantly in the light, a set of bright blue eyes that seemed like a set of lunar stars, and a lithe figure that completed the ensemble of beauty. Her body had a silk robe that faintly shone with formation diagrams, long waist-length black hair fell elegantly from her head, soft pink lips and a perfect little nose.

This was a beauty.

The door closed behind her softly, the sound waking Yan Zaizen up from his stupor. Even the flash of killing intent in his eyes was nowhere to be found as if it never existed. He wanted to say quite a few things, but nothing came out of his mouth.

"Mister Han, my name's Ying Yimian." Her voice was like music.

Yan Zaizen loudly gulped. This girl was a weakness for many men, and he wasn't excluded. It took a long while before he got his wits about him to realize this was his supposed 'fiancé.' For a split second, he thought, if he truly married this woman perhaps he would be satisfied with life. However, that thought was immediately discarded. He had his own aspirations now, and he was going to become the Clan Leader of the Yan Clan. He wouldn't throw that aside now.

He had to show his entire family that he was no longer trash, and when those previously mocking gazes glanced at him, they would now contain fear and reverence. However, he'll definitely get his revenge on those who took it too far.

"What do you want?" He said, his expression more solemn.

Ying Yimian looked at this husband-to-be with a steady gaze. He had an ordinary appearance, not ugly, but not attractive either. His amber eyes shone with a developing form of intelligence and yet-to-solidify personality, indicating his young age. A slightly skinny form, unlike the usual muscular men who cultivate the body. These weren't too terrible, but besides his world law comprehension at his young age, he didn't have anything truly special about him.

Earlier, when she learned that her fiancé was decided, she couldn't help but feel aggrieved. Because of her beauty, she would likely be the cause of her clan's downfall. She was unwilling to not be in control of her own fate. Even though it was explained to her that this boy was only to be used as a pawn to delay the situation, she didn't believe it. She knew her father, and if this boy truly comprehended an upper-tier conceptual world law, then he would undoubtedly send her into his bed.

If it wasn't for her unwillingness to marry that scum with three wives already, and her threat of suicide, her father would be happy to send her off to garner more benefits for the Ying Family.

However, she had her own schemes and thoughts. She had already stolen a massive number of resources and wealth from the clan vault and didn't intend to be the cause of her clan's downfall, or even let this clan use her as a pawn for its own advancement while limiting her own future. Screw them all!

Her plan was simple.

Take what she can, leave the clan, and live her own life.

However, she had a problem.

She would never get outside of the city with her cultivation or an ordinary traveling vessel. Her immediate capture and retrieval were imminent.

Unless she had a skyship. This lead to another problem, she didn't have the method to use one. Only a few people had the method, and none of them would give it to her. She wouldn't ask her cousin — Ying Sumian — because she had her own thoughts and schemes. She didn't bring this boy here for Ying Yimian or the clan, but for only herself and her own future. She didn't trust Ying Sumian one bit.

However, when she learned that this boy was given the method, thoughts clicked in her mind, and she devised her strategy. All she had to do was use her beauty, get what she wanted, and vanish like a shadow.

With the most dazzling smile she could muster, she said, "I believe you can help me."