Transmigrated into the villain? Watch my epic comeback in the ethereal fairy realm!

Chapter 68 The Treasure's Authenticity and the Yao Maiden's Ingenious Scheme

"Long time no see, Ye You..." That voice, that tone, that smug face!

Dai Yao peeked out from behind Ye You and almost cried out in surprise.

It was actually Xuanyuan Po!

That self-proclaimed dashing and debonair, but in reality, an arrogant and conceited late-stage Nascent Soul expert!

Dai Yao instantly understood—this black-robed man was here to steal the treasure!

She cursed inwardly, "What a small world!"

Seeing Dai Yao's surprised expression, Xuan Yuanpo felt even more smug.

He thought it was lucky that Dai Yao and Ye You managed to snatch the treasure from the spirit array together, but he didn't expect the two of them to be so foolish as to dare to linger in the Demon Palace!

He glanced at Dai Yao with disdain and said arrogantly, "Dai Yao, if you know what's good for you, hand over the 'Qiankun Mirror' obediently, and I might spare your life!"

Qiankun Mirror?

Dai Yao's mind raced; it seemed that Xuan Yuanpo was convinced they had obtained the treasure.

Alright, let's play along!

She quickly calculated in her mind that she and Ye You were still weak and had no chance of winning against Xuan Yuanpo in a head-on confrontation. However, if they could take advantage of his greed and arrogance, they might be able to turn the tide. So, in a flash, she came up with an idea.

She feigned panic and took a step back, tightly gripping Ye You's sleeve, her voice trembling as she said, "Senior...we really didn't get any Qiankun Mirror!"

To Xuan Yuanpo, her frightened appearance was a sign of a guilty conscience.

He sneered and approached step by step. The powerful spiritual pressure came down like Mount Tai pressing down on her. Dai Yao felt a tightness in her chest and could hardly breathe.

Ye You silently shielded Dai Yao behind him, his gaze coldly confronting Xuan Yuanpo.

The atmosphere was tense and on the verge of breaking out.

Just then, Dai Yao suddenly took out a box from her storage bag. The box looked simple and unadorned, but it emitted a faint spiritual energy fluctuation.

She "accidentally" stumbled, and the box was about to fall to the ground.

Xuan Yuanpo's gaze sharpened. The spiritual energy fluctuations on this box, though faint, were incredibly pure. Could it be... the Qiankun Mirror?

He was overjoyed and was about to snatch it when he saw Dai Yao catch the box with lightning speed, pat her chest, and look extremely frightened: "I was so scared, I almost broke the treasure!"

She carefully opened the box, and inside lay a palm-sized bronze mirror, its surface dull and unremarkable.

Dai Yao winked mysteriously at Xuan Yuanpo: "Senior, is this... what you want?"

Xuanyuan Po's eyes widened in disbelief!

Although this bronze mirror looks ordinary, the pure spiritual energy fluctuations it exudes are absolutely genuine!

It must be the Qiankun Mirror!

Overjoyed, he disregarded all decorum and reached out to snatch it.

Dai Yao seemed to have expected this, and a sly smile appeared on her lips.

Just as Xuan Yuanpo's hand was about to touch the box, she slammed it shut!

With a "snap," a complex rune appeared on the surface of the box, bursting out with dazzling light!

With a loud "Boom!", a powerful force erupted from the box, sending Xuan Yuanpo flying!

Xuanyuan Po flew through the air in an ugly arc like a kite with a broken string before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

His meticulously styled hair came undone, strands falling messily across his face. His once arrogant and conceited face was now filled with astonishment and disarray. Blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes widened in anger as he stared intently at Dai Yao, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

The air around them seemed to freeze; everyone was stunned, staring dumbfounded at the scene.

"Fuck! What's going on?!"

"What...what kind of treasure is this? It's so powerful!"

"Is this for real? Where did this little girl get such a powerful treasure?"

The members of the Demon Palace were in an uproar; some were shocked, some were doubtful, and some even began to question the meaning of life.

Bai Shuang, Ling Feng, Zi Yun, Ying Yue, and the others were also startled by this sudden turn of events. They all stopped in their tracks and cautiously observed the box in Dai Yao's hand.

Dai Yao clapped her hands, blinking innocently, "Oh dear, I'm sorry, senior, this little treasure is a bit... temperamental. Are you alright?"

Xuanyuan Po got up from the ground, his face ashen, both shocked and furious.

He never expected that he would be tricked by this girl!

He, a powerful cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage, was actually outmaneuvered by a mere Golden Core stage girl!

How could this make him feel so embarrassed?

Xuan Yuanpo's anger burned like a raging fire, but beneath this anger, a trace of apprehension also quietly grew. He had never imagined that this little girl in the Golden Core stage would have such methods, which made him begin to re-evaluate this opponent he had once looked down upon.

"You...you dare to mock me!" Xuan Yuanpo roared.

Dai Yao shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Teasing? Senior, how could I dare? This treasure is something I obtained with great difficulty, so naturally I must protect it well. What if it gets stolen?"

"You...you!" Xuan Yuanpo trembled with anger, yet dared not make a move.

He had just personally experienced the terror of that power; it was definitely not something he could withstand!

The members of the Demon Palace also began to discuss it, with some believing that the treasure in Dai Yao's hands was real, while others thought it was fake.

"Is this really the Qiankun Mirror? Why does it look so ordinary?"

"I don't think so. The Qiankun Mirror is a legendary divine artifact. How could it be obtained so easily?"

"Maybe it's true? Look at that power just now, how terrifying it was!"

Dai Yao watched the crowd arguing endlessly and secretly chuckled to herself.

This was exactly the effect she wanted.

What she wanted was for these people to distrust and suspect each other, so that she could buy herself more time.

She opened the box again, revealing the bronze mirror inside.

"This...this..." someone stammered, pointing at the bronze mirror, "This...this is really the Qiankun Mirror?"

Dai Yao smiled mysteriously, said nothing, but gently stroked the bronze mirror, a sly glint in her eyes.

“Dai Yao, you…” Ye You looked at Dai Yao, hesitating to speak.

Dai Yao turned to look at Ye You and smiled slightly: "Shh..."

Dai Yao mysteriously closed the box again, then smiled slightly at Xuan Yuanpo: "Since Senior is so curious, how about we play a game? We'll bet on whether this treasure is real or fake." She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, her tone carrying a hint of provocation, "Gentlemen, anyone interested in playing along?"

This completely ignited everyone's curiosity and greed.

"Play! How do we play?" Bai Shuang raised a flirtatious eyebrow and spoke first.

Dai Yao cleared her throat and explained, "It's very simple. I have two jade slips here, one labeled 'True' and the other 'False.' Choose whichever you prefer. Choosing 'True' means you believe it's the Qiankun Mirror, and vice versa. If you choose correctly, I can grant you a small request that doesn't violate my principles. If you choose incorrectly…" Dai Yao drawled, smiled meaningfully, "...you'll have to punish yourself with a drink! How about that?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances. The bet seemed easy, but it actually concealed a hidden scheme.

If this really is the Qiankun Mirror, then the "small request" is quite a lot!

For a moment, greed and caution clashed in everyone's hearts.

In the end, Xuan Yuanpo was the first to step forward, snatching the jade slip with the word "True" written on it: "I don't believe that a little girl like you can play any tricks!" Seeing this, the others also made their choices.

As Dai Yao looked at everyone's choices, her smile deepened.

She made a mysterious hand gesture, and the box opened again. This time, inside lay a rusty, broken bronze mirror!

Everyone's eyes widened instantly, their mouths agape. Xuan Yuanpo stood frozen, as if struck by lightning, his expression frozen, his previous confidence instantly replaced by astonishment and shame. A deathly silence fell, followed by a burst of laughter. Some of the Demon Palace members laughed so hard they were doubled over, while others pointed at Xuan Yuanpo and whispered amongst themselves. This sudden reversal caught everyone completely off guard.

"Holy crap! Is...is this for real?!" Xuan Yuanpo felt like his face had been slapped repeatedly, and his whole body was cracking open!

Everyone else was stunned; the reversal came too fast, like a tornado!

"Sorry everyone, it seems you're not so lucky." Dai Yao shrugged, looking innocent.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed by, and Dai Yao felt a blur before her eyes as a warm and strong hand tightly gripped her wrist.

"Come with me!" A deep voice sounded in her ear.

Before Dai Yao could react, she was pulled into the depths of the Demon Palace, winding her way through several turns until she entered a hidden passage.

She felt the warmth and strength emanating from his hands, and a sense of peace settled over her.

“We…” Dai Yao was about to ask a question when he interrupted her.

"Don't speak!" He abruptly pulled her into a corner, and then...

"Holy crap! This is a disaster!" Dai Yao thought to herself, her mind racing. This plot was completely different from what she expected!

She should have been the one to slip away with the fake Qiankun Mirror, but instead she's being dragged around like a chick. Something's not right here!

The person pulling her along was none other than Yingyue, a confidante of the Demon Palace Master.

Looking at the panicked Dai Yao, Yingyue recalled a time when she had unintentionally helped him out of a predicament. Although it was just a small gesture, he had always kept it in mind. Now that he saw her in such a crisis, he did not hesitate to help her.

He's usually quiet and reserved, like a moving iceberg, so why is he suddenly so enthusiastic today?

His enthusiasm made her a little flustered.

Yingyue ran wildly, and Dai Yao was pulled so hard that she stumbled and almost fell flat on her face.

She finally managed to steady herself and was about to ask what was going on when Yingyue suddenly pulled her into a narrow secret passage.

"Shh, don't make a sound!" Yingyue warned in a low voice, and casually set up a simple concealment array.

Dai Yao then noticed that the secret passage was filled with a faint musty smell, and there were some strange runes carved on the walls, which looked very old.

She was about to study the runes when she heard noisy footsteps outside.

"Damn it! She got away!" Xuan Yuanpo's roar echoed outside the secret passage, making Dai Yao's eardrums buzz.

"The Palace Master has ordered that Dai Yao be captured at all costs!" another voice rang out, its tone icy and devoid of any emotion.

Dai Yao and Ying Yue exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Although the secret passage was well-hidden, it was not absolutely safe. If they were discovered, they would be trapped like turtles in a barrel.

"What should we do?" Dai Yao asked softly, her heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of her throat.

Yingyue did not answer, but stared intently at the end of the secret passage, her face terribly gloomy.

Dai Yao followed his gaze and immediately felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

The secret passage... is a dead end!

"Uh..." Dai Yao awkwardly touched her nose, "Doesn't this scene seem a little familiar?"

Just then, an energy fluctuation came from the entrance of the secret passage, clearly indicating that Xuan Yuanpo and his group were breaking the formation.

Dai Yao's heart tightened. This formation wouldn't last long; they had to come up with a solution as soon as possible!

"Don't panic." Yingyue suddenly spoke, his tone unusually calm, as if everything was under his control.

He took a black stone from his sleeve and handed it to Dai Yao, saying, "Take this."

Dai Yao took the stone; it was icy cold to the touch, and a strange energy flowed through her palm.

Before she could react, Yingyue grabbed her hand and pressed the stone against the wall of the secret passage.

With a soft "click," a hidden door appeared in the wall!

"I..." Before Dai Yao could even marvel at this amazing operation, she heard Xuan Yuanpo's cold laughter from outside: "Found you!"

Yingyue pushed Dai Yao through the hidden door and quickly followed her in, simultaneously slamming the door shut with a backhand.

In the darkness, Dai Yao only heard Ying Yue whisper in her ear, "Hold on tight to me."