Shen Aobing's body shivered, and she looked up in disbelief, exclaiming, "How... How could you come out? Have you reached the innate stage?"

Just then, an elegantly dressed woman descended from the heavens, landing in front of the group as if stepping on clouds.

Upon seeing her, Shen Xingxue burst into tears and cried out, "Mother!" before throwing herself into the woman's arms.

"My sweet girl, I'm sorry," The woman, looking beautiful and no more than thirty, bore a striking resemblance to both Shen Xingxue and Shen Aobing.

The sisters were both captivating, but while one exuded warmth and nobility, the other was as cold as ice.

The surge of innate aura from Shen Aobing did not recede at her sister's arrival. She glanced at Shen Aoshuang coldly and said, "Don't think breaking into the innate realm gives you the right to meddle in my affairs."

"Little sister, I don't wish to interfere, but I don't want things to become hostile either," the woman in palace attire sighed softly.

Seeing this woman, Chu Mo finally understood why Shen Xingxue displayed such a gentle yet cautious temperament - she inherited it from her mother.

Despite achieving the status of an innate master, standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world, she remained tender and delicate.

Maybe that's why the Emperor of Great Xia took advantage of her in the past. Had he wronged someone else, they perhaps would have killed him at the first opportunity once recovered!

"It has nothing to do with you!" Shen Aobing responded coldly, "Since I promised you that once I reached the innate realm, you could leave the Immortal Sect, you can go now."

The woman in palace attire asked softly, "Where can I go?"

"The world is vast, where can you not find shelter? Are you really that helpless? Are you still hung up on that man?" Shen Aobing's comments targeted her sister, and she snickered, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Your worthless man has been dethroned by his own younger brother, unseated from the Imperial throne. Now, he's a mere figurehead emperor. Sounds prestigious, right? But he has no real power. You should go find him. You two would make a perfect pair."

Laughing coldly, Shen Aobing's words dripped with scorn.

Suddenly, Shen Aoshuang said faintly, "Has he finally been deposed from his throne? By his younger brother? Xia Jing did it? I see, just like how you treated me years ago."

Shen Aoshuang's statement abruptly cut off Shen Aobing's caustic laughter. A look of bitterness crossed her face "Shen Aoshuang, I knew it, you've always resented me! Today's a perfect opportunity..." Her sentence was abruptly cut off by Shen Aoshuang, marking the first time she'd interrupted her sister since they were children.

"Let me finish," Even though Shen Aoshuang's voice remained gentle, it carried an irresistible force, which left Shen Aobing stunned.

"I broke through to the innate realm ten years ago," said Shen Aoshuang gently, "I didn't want to fight with my own sister, particularly you who is more suited to be the sect leader. You leading the Immortal Sect is better than me. At least with you here, our disciples won't be bullied."

Shen Aobing stood there, the fury within her seemingly directionless.

"But today, you've gone too far," said Shen Aoshuang in a whisper, "This boy has explicitly stated that he isn't here to take our disciples away. He's here to ensure the safety of someone he cares about. We don't have to be the villains here. The child from Beyond Heaven that you mentioned, his name is Li Zhu, right?"

Shen Aobing's lips twitched and her eyelid fluttered, but she didn't deny it and just nodded in response.

It was only at this moment she began to understand that her sister was not as weak and foolish as she had pictured. She was just too gentle!

Even her hatred was expressed in such a benign manner!

She certainly didn't love the Emperor of Great Xia, she might even hate him. However, she was too kind-hearted to know how to hate someone.

Yet, her indifference to the news of the Emperor being overthrown shed light on his place in her heart.

Shen Aobing was greatly surprised by what her sister had said just now.

She suddenly felt as though she was getting to know her sister for the first time.

"Li Zhu is not a good man," Shen Aoshuang spoke up.

"How would you know? He's just an anomaly from Beyond Heaven..." Shen Aobing rebutted reflexively.

"That's irrelevant, four years ago, when you left the Immortal Sect, I was concerned, so I followed you..." Shen Aoshuang began, her voice gentle as usual.

Shen Aobing's face color changed drastically, and she stepped backward involuntarily, "You... You've been following me all along?"

"Yes, I saw everything you did in Great Xia. Though some of your actions in the imperial palace were excessive, they were understandable. He deserved his fate, you gouging out his eyes was letting him off too easy," Shen Aoshuang sighed softly, "If he wasn't Xue'er's half-brother, I would have wanted to kill him."

Shen Aobing fell silent.

Shen Aoshuang continued, "I know about the things you said in Chu Mo's room. I also know that this boy didn't lie or deceive you. His master and I once had a minor interaction in secret."

Chu Mo was startled, looking at the elegant woman.

Shen Aoshuang said softly, "I'm not his match at all, we're on different levels. If he wanted to kill me, it would be as easy as blowing off dust. Therefore, your choice to avoid a major conflict with Chu Mo when you left was the right one."

Shen Aobing's slender hand tightened inside her water sleeves, then relaxed again. Unusually, her palm was sweaty.

"I clearly saw when his master ascended," Shen Aoshuang sighed, "Most people struggle during their ascension, but that senior was merely going for a stroll."

"So what... even if he's powerful, he's still gone isn't he? Do you think he's coming back?" After a long silence, Shen Aobing finally grumbled.

She immediately regretted saying it. As the leader of a top sect, such childish words were embarrassing.

Shen Aobing had been acting out of character throughout the day.

Even Chu Mo was puzzled. What was going on with this woman? She behaved like a crazy person. Sure, they had their disagreements, but it wasn't like they had a vendetta against each other.

Why couldn't she let things go?

At this moment, Shen Aoshuang said gently, "Little sister, some things are better off being let go."

Though it was standard advice, Shen Aobing reacted as if she were a cat with its fur raised. She jumped to her feet shouting, "Shen Aoshuang... How do you know... how do you know that I prefer women?" (To be continued. If you like this novel, please go to qidian.com to vote. Your support is my greatest motivation. For mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

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