Shang Si didn’t know why, but as her eyes met Lu Shiyuan’s limpid, watery gaze, a string in her heart seemed to pluck suddenly.
Three years of summer’s heat and winter’s chill had made their companionship utterly natural and at ease. As Lu Shiyuan yielded with a soft sway of her pinky finger, the cold sharpness in Shang Si’s brows gradually softened.
She could never stay angry for long—barely the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn. Lu Shiyuan always knew just how to coax her.
“Fine, but no next time,” Shang Si relented. Yet her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Lu Shiyuan’s exquisite, picture-perfect face as she slowly voiced the rest of what had been weighing on her heart. “Shiyuan, if one day you truly find another fated marriage, don’t go begging the Moon Elder. Come to me instead.”
Even she herself was stunned after those words left her lips.
That said, Shang Si hadn’t promised to grant it. Everything remained uncertain.
Lu Shiyuan clearly hadn’t expected such “magnanimity” from her. But she quickly noticed Shang Si starting to pull her hand away. Reacting faster than she could think, she gripped it tightly. “Since we’re skipping the Moon Elder, let’s keep wandering. It’s still early before noon, and you haven’t been down to the mortal realm in ages, have you?”
Shang Si said nothing, which counted as agreement. Neither of them mentioned the faint awkwardness that had suddenly sprung up between them.
Stone City wasn’t large. After the morning market’s peak bustle, the streets gradually emptied out. By the time the sun had climbed high, they settled into a teahouse and ordered two bowls of noodles. They hadn’t set a strict meeting time with Li Xiu; things had gone smoothly, so he arrived a full half hour early.
With everyone together, they wasted no time, soaring westward toward Kunlun with flight techniques.
To their surprise, they ran into several groups of unfamiliar faces along the way, all heading to Kunlun as well. This left Li Xiu scratching his head. “Strange. When did Kunlun territory get so popular?”
No sooner had he spoken than Lu Shiyuan’s gaze sharpened on something a hundred meters distant. Her voice grew grave. “Look—demon qi.”
The demon qi billowed skyward without any attempt at concealment. The newcomers clearly had no intention of hiding their identities.
Those people spotted the trio too, but it didn’t slow them down. If anything, they picked up speed, arrowing straight for Kunlun Mountain.
“Nine-Tailed Fox, even the noble families of the Demon Realm have sent people. Looks like something big’s brewing at Kunlun Sect.” Shang Si narrowed her eyes. With just a distant glance, she’d already identified the group that had flown past.
The three hovered in midair, their robes whipping in the wind. Li Xiu soon felt two probing gazes land on him.
He waved his hands in a hurry. “Junior Sisters, I swear I have no idea what’s going on up the mountain. The voice transmission I sent to the sect this morning still hasn’t gotten a reply.”
Lu Shiyuan fell silent. She tightened her grip on the Azure Frost Sword and glanced at Shang Si.
Shang Si tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her red lips curving up. The gold forehead ornament on her brow caught the sunlight, scattering flecks of golden light, and that familiar thrill-seeking smile bloomed on her face. “Well then, we’ll just have to go see for ourselves.”
With that, the three transformed into streaks of light and shot toward Kunlun Mountain.
The Kunlun Mountains lay along the border of the Great Tang. They had stood since Pangu cleaved open the heavens and earth, enduring for countless years unchanged while mortal dynasties rose and fell. Legend held that the highest peak was the closest point in the mortal realm to the Immortal Realm.
Of course, no one could prove it. Most folks just took it for a tale.
With Li Xiu leading the way, they flew straight to the Kunlun Sect’s mountain gate, midway up the slope. Their plan was to head up and question the sect disciples about what was going on. But along the route, they spotted groups from all over—even some familiar faces among the arrivals, as Lu Shiyuan noted.
“It’s not just people from the Demon Realm. Even major cultivation sects like Spirit Mountain Sect and Azure City Mansion have sent representatives.” The more familiar faces she recognized, the more alarmed she grew.
These sects each guarded their own territories, maintaining peace in the mortal realm. They rarely gathered like this unless something monumental was afoot. Yet today, they had all converged.
“What a spectacle. It’s almost like a secret realm opening.” As Lu Shiyuan spoke, Shang Si leaned against the mountain gate with her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with ever-growing interest.
No wonder she felt the pull. Back when her parents and Eldest Sister were still around, she’d roamed the Nine Provinces and Four Seas without restraint, always chasing the biggest crowds. But after the upheavals in Yedu and across the Three Realms, heavy burdens had settled on her shoulders. She could no longer act freely.
Now, on this rare outing, to stumble into such excitement—how could she resist?
“Who knows what could draw a crowd like this to Kunlun Mountain…” As Shang Si mused aloud, she closed her eyes and unleashed her vast divine sense. Moments later, she opened them again with a look of understanding.
She turned to Lu Shiyuan, her tone laced with surprise. “There really is something. Deep in these mountains, spiritual qi is overflowing in vast waves—like a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure on the verge of emerging.”
This explained why so many disciples from prestigious families of various sects had gathered here. Never mind that this was Kunlun Sect territory—even the heavens themselves couldn’t stop these people from coveting a heaven and earth spiritual treasure.
Such spiritual treasures, nurtured by the world itself, could ensure a clan’s prosperity for a thousand years if one was fortunate enough to claim one!
However, Li Xiu had already seen his expression shift several times upon overhearing their conversation. Even the lowliest cultivator knew the immense significance of a “heaven and earth spiritual treasure.”
Gritting his teeth, Li Xiu offered Lu Shiyuan a cupped-fist salute. “My apologies, Junior Sisters. I must hurry up the mountain to see my master right away. Will you come with me, or…?”
“No need for Senior Brother Li to concern yourself with us,” Lu Shiyuan replied courteously, returning the gesture. “Since representatives from the major sects have arrived, I expect Kunlun Sect elders will soon emerge to handle negotiations. We’ll stay here and observe a little longer.” Her words betrayed a clear change of heart.
Lu Shiyuan’s thinking perfectly mirrored Shang Si’s. They didn’t even need to speak—a single glance sufficed to convey their mutual understanding.
Lu Shiyuan carried herself with such refined poise, neither servile nor arrogant, her every word and action bearing a faint echo of Shang Si’s own demeanor. Shang Si’s lips curved faintly, and the gold bell on her hand chimed softly in the breeze.
After bidding Li Xiu farewell, the two left the mountain gate and plunged into the vast, majestic mountain range. Lu Shiyuan had intended to exchange greetings with some familiar faces ahead, but Shang Si waved it off.
“Since we’ve stumbled upon this today, we might as well claim our share. But Shiyuan, have you considered that if a heaven and earth spiritual treasure truly lies below, those so-called righteous sects will show you any courtesy?” Shang Si smiled, though the expression never reached her eyes and carried no warmth.
“Come join the fun, but stick close to me.” With that, Shang Si produced a spirit ring from thin air and tossed it skyward. The plain band didn’t fall; it hovered in place, radiating specks of strange light.
A wisp of green mist soon drifted from the ring, skimming the ground as it sped into the distance.
“Follow it!” Shang Si called to Lu Shiyuan before darting after the mist.
Yedu’s profound heritage outshone that of countless immortal sects and clans.
Shang Si knew countless secret arts—so many she couldn’t even tally them herself. From her earliest memories, she’d trailed behind Eldest Sister, picking up all sorts of esoteric techniques.
Leaking spiritual energy always had a source. To pinpoint the exact entrance, they simply needed to trail the mist to the spot in the range where the energy was most concentrated.
Evidently, the spiritual energy spilling from the Kunlun Mountains wasn’t a recent phenomenon; otherwise, it couldn’t have drawn such a crowd so quickly.
Lu Shiyuan followed Shang Si through layers of dense forest, trailing far behind the green mist. Gradually, the barren woods gave way to lush greenery. As the terrain sloped downward, the air grew thick with spiritual energy—so dense that soon, no special senses were needed to detect it.
The swift green mist finally halted at the mouth of a ravine cave and dissipated abruptly.
“Uncle Feng, looks like someone’s here,” came a clear male voice from the cave entrance, where shadows shifted.
Lu Shiyuan paused in surprise—others had beaten them to it. She stopped and stood shoulder to shoulder with Shang Si, waiting silently for the figures at the cave mouth to appear.
Thick branches parted, and several people emerged one by one from behind.
The man in front froze upon looking up and spotting Lu Shiyuan. “Junior Sister Lu?”
Lu Shiyuan hadn’t expected an acquaintance. “Song Cong?”
“Junior Sister Lu, what brings you here? Did Sword Spirit Sect send people today too?” Song Cong was an old friend of Lu Shiyuan’s. Both had been rising stars among their sects’ younger generation. Before her spirit veins were crippled, they’d even been assigned to the same mission.
But things had changed. In the years since, these sect prodigies had surged ahead, while Lu Shiyuan had stagnated—no longer in the same league.
Pushing aside branches that blocked his view, more figures stepped out behind Song Cong. Their attire marked them all as disciples of Azure City Mansion.
Shang Si tilted her head toward Lu Shiyuan, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Friends of yours?”
Lu Shiyuan nodded softly. “From Azure City Mansion. Before my spirit veins were ruined, I crossed paths with a few of them on missions.”
As the two murmured, the Azure City Mansion group conferred quietly among themselves. Song Cong leaned toward his “Uncle Feng” and whispered a few words, clearly briefing him on Lu Shiyuan’s background. It was plain Uncle Feng was leading this Kunlun expedition.
A moment later, Uncle Feng nodded faintly and turned to Lu Shiyuan. “So you’re the little disciple Yuan Fu took in?”
Yuan Fu was Lu Shiyuan’s master’s name.
“Senior, do you know my master?” Lu Shiyuan asked as she politely bowed to him according to the proper etiquette for a junior.
“He once personally climbed Qingcheng Mountain to seek advice from my sect leader senior brother on methods to repair spirit veins,” the man replied. As for who it had been for, everyone present knew full well.
Lu Shiyuan had quite a reputation in the past, and most of the people there had heard at least some of her exploits.
At this point, Feng Xing paused, his turbid eyes seemingly casually sweeping over Lu Shiyuan before revealing a hint of surprise. “There really is a way to repair wasted spirit veins?”
“However, little girl, this isn’t a place you should be. Forget about you—even if your master himself came, he might not have the strength to compete for a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure like this. For the sake of my connection with your master, you should leave and not get mixed up in this muddy water.” In just a moment, Feng Xing had confirmed that Lu Shiyuan had come alone this time. Given the gap in seniority and strength between them, he spoke bluntly without any politeness.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, it elicited a silver bell-like light laugh.
The Gold Bell rang crisply, mingling with the rustling of leaves in the forest, and only then did the crowd notice the woman who had arrived with Lu Shiyuan—the one they had deliberately ignored until now.
There was clearly no wind in the forest, yet Shang Si’s bright red dress fluttered gracefully, as if she were a peerless enchantress who had stepped out of a painting.
It turned out to be another little girl. Feng Xing narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction. “Little girl, what are you laughing at?”
Shang Si’s phoenix eyes lowered slightly, her voice cold and clear as she lightly hummed, “I laugh that you, sir, do not rise with the wind and soar straight up ninety thousand li.”
“Such a big mouth—you’re really not afraid the wind will flash your tongue?”
