…

In the air floated a faint coldness, as if even the thin mist drifting in the air would be frozen by the cold qi suddenly released from the cup.

Lu Xiangleng only felt the cold qi brushing against her cheek, yet it didn’t make her feel bone-chillingly cold – only a refreshing coolness that penetrated to the heart and lungs.

Ground scorpions lived in places with geothermal heat, often thousands of feet below ground. Unlike ordinary scorpion poison, they belonged to fire poison – incredibly evil and extremely domineering. Lu Xiangleng happened to have an extremely yin constitution, and under the mutual conflict, not only were all her meridians destroyed by the ground scorpion poison, but prolonged exposure would pose the danger of cultivation regression.

Not to mention that her strength itself was limited by this poison, as could be seen from her dropped ranking compared to Zhilin Sou’s records.

Ice Vine Jade Essence was the juice dripped from ice vines tens of thousands of years old. After such a long time, it had become jade-like in quality, hence ordinary people called it “Jade Essence.”

The “Great Medicine Classic” recorded: “This substance has extremely pure yin nature, capable of driving out all yang fire poisons under heaven, with nothing able to resist it.”

After Lu Xiangleng was poisoned, she searched through all medical texts and medicine classics, only finding this brief line in the “Great Medicine Classic.” She knew that all other so-called miraculous elixirs would have little effect. Without Ice Vine Jade Essence, her cultivation would likely be completely ruined, and she might even find death hard to escape.

However, Ice Vine Jade Essence had vanished without a trace since ancient times. Where could a present-day cultivator go to find it?

For over two years, Baiyue Valley had secretly searched for Ice Vine Jade Essence, even seeking help from the “Upper Five” sects among the Left Three Thousand, even seeking help from Yashan and Kunwu. The answer they received was invariably “none available.”

Even foundations like Kunwu and Yashan didn’t possess such a thing.

Lu Xiangleng knew the possibility of obtaining Ice Vine Jade Essence was minimal, but she never expected…

What Baiyue Valley had searched for through countless mountains and waters without finding, was now placed before her in such an unexpected, casual manner.

In this moment, Lu Xiangleng was speechless.

Her gaze lingered on the two cups of Ice Vine Jade Essence for a long while before returning to Jian Chou. She opened her mouth wanting to ask something, but when her lips parted, she found herself at a loss for words.

Jian Chou also looked at her this way, but without much emotional fluctuation.

On such a night, wasn’t meeting also fate?

She reached out to take up the cup herself, equally silent, only raising it toward Lu Xiangleng.

For Jian Chou, this cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence was also precious, but since her Body Refinement was complete, it didn’t have much use for her.

Perhaps it could be exchanged for many spirit stones, but at Yashan, Jian Chou had never needed spirit stones. So using a useless cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence to exchange for useless external possessions didn’t seem like a wise decision.

Having lost track of Lu Xiangleng today yet still encountering her – this couldn’t be called anything but fate.

Good karma was hard to form – when encountered, why not make a friend?

Besides, Lu Xiangleng was indeed someone who suited her temperament.

Acting on impulse, heart to heart.

As long as she was happy, what did it matter if others said she was wasting precious resources?

Her pale hand grasped the azure cup, the jade nectar merely floating and swaying in the cup, rippling with moonlight.

Jian Chou sat with her back to the peaceful lake, her figure slender but spine straight, naturally carrying an outstanding demeanor.

Lu Xiangleng had walked the cultivation path for quite some time, yet had never seen such a person – casually pouring Ice Vine Jade Essence into cups, merely to return the favor of a bowl she had once given, for the sake of saying “how can mere mountain spring nectar match a fairy,” placing it before her.

At this moment…

Could she say this truly befitted Yashan’s senior sister?

But none of that mattered now.

She would remember this kindness in her heart.

Jian Chou wasn’t someone who put on airs, so why should she care about such things?

She also reached out to take up the wine cup before her, holding it with both hands. Lu Xiangleng smiled slightly: “Xiangleng would be rude to refuse.”

Jian Chou nodded slightly and together with Lu Xiangleng, they concealed their cups within their sleeves and drank fully.

Ice Vine Jade Essence was inherently an extremely domineering spiritual substance. When Jian Chou refined her body, she had also drunk it directly.

For Lu Xiangleng, a full cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence was neither too much nor too little. Even drinking it directly, it seemed she completely need not worry about having enough.

The moment the Ice Vine Jade Essence entered her mouth, the black qi floating around her body immediately seemed startled and was forced out, churning violently within her!

Her fingers formed hand seals, and a purple-gold light immediately brightened at her fingertips.

Originally, a line of black qi had condensed into a thread extending from her heart and lungs, passing through her arm’s meridians, spreading across her palm, having nearly reached her fingertips. However, the moment the purple-gold light appeared, the black line seemed to encounter some terrible natural enemy and suddenly retreated backward!

It was like a person-devouring insect, being driven back by that point of purple-gold light, yet unwilling to retreat thus, showing signs of counterattack.

The purple-gold light immediately began to waver.

Lu Xiangleng slowly lowered her eyes, steadying her mind and gripping her fingers tighter. The purple-gold light stabilized again and blazed forth!

Immediately, like destroying dry weeds and rotten wood, that black line frantically retreated backward, shrinking back toward Lu Xiangleng’s heart and lungs!

…

Jian Chou only watched this scene. Though somewhat surprised, it was still within expectations.

The Ice Vine Jade Essence’s effect was too domineering. Once entering the body, it triggered a war with the ground scorpion poison.

However, for her, having previously drunk a cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence with a drop of essence within, this half cup of jade essence had little effect on her. She only felt that the flesh and blood throughout her body received another layer of nourishment, though the effect was no longer very obvious.

After all, Jian Chou’s current body strength had reached a level difficult for ordinary people to achieve. Even drinking ten more cups of jade essence probably wouldn’t create a qualitative breakthrough.

So from beginning to end, she remained quite calm.

Lu Xiangleng was expelling poison, and Jian Chou didn’t disturb her.

Looking at the westward-setting moon, she felt no sleepiness whatsoever. Cultivators’ spirits occasionally needed relaxation through sleep, but today she had no such intention.

Gradually withdrawing her gaze from Lu Xiangleng, Jian Chou looked again at the chess board before her.

Lu Xiangleng had already thrown in her piece in surrender, but Jian Chou dared not say she had truly won.

The original master of this chess game should be someone with very strong chess skills.

Jian Chou developed deeper curiosity and began picking up the black and white pieces from the chess board. Since dawn hadn’t yet broken, why not replay the game to see?

The nearly full chess board was quickly cleared by Jian Chou.

During her game with Lu Xiangleng, she had firmly memorized the appearance of that previous game and analyzed the opponent’s strategy. Though without a written record, she deduced the only possible sequence of moves and began placing the pieces back one by one.

Black moved first, white followed.

The pieces fell silently, immediately beginning battle around Tianyuan and the “stars” at the four corners.

Step by step, when Jian Chou reached a certain move, she suddenly felt a moment of shock.

…

This strategy – wasn’t it somewhat familiar?

She vaguely remembered that in a drowsy afternoon, she had once replayed a game for someone with exactly this feeling, this same full-board layout. Playing against oneself, reaching the end was nothing but a dead game.

Human wisdom might reach heaven, might defeat heaven, but could never defeat oneself.

The finger pressing on a white piece suddenly loosened slightly.

The divine light in Jian Chou’s eyes grew cold.

The wooden chess board was casually carved from surrounding tree stumps, still bearing many small wood splinters. The natural growth rings of the tree circled the board, dividing it into sections.

Within Kunwu’s boundaries, close to the main peak, this empty chess board was not new at all.

“Crack.”

Jian Chou finally couldn’t control herself. When her finger left the white piece, she heard a soft sound, not very obvious in this night filled with insect chirping.

But when she moved her finger away, the white piece that had been under her fingertip had scattered into a pile of crushed stone fragments.

What a fine game of chess.

Bit by bit, killing intent gathered in her eyes.

The cold moon was like frost!

Across the vast Western Sea, on a distant lonely island in the mortal world.

Within Qingfeng Nunnery, the same plain moon provided cover.

Inside the hidden realm, there was no sun or moon, no distinction between day and night.

The flowing wind had stopped at some unknown time.

The hidden realm within Qingfeng Nunnery was turbulent, having almost lost connection with the outside world. Its self-contained rules were already weak, and now, drained of all spiritual qi, it could rarely receive replenishment. The entire hidden realm seemed hollow.

The yellow sand of the desert had somehow transformed into nothingness and disappeared within the hidden realm.

Countless rocks also fell into the void due to the destruction of the rules.

The endless yellow disappeared without trace, leaving only darkness where one couldn’t see their own hand.

A bloody figure floated in the void.

The only light in the darkness came from the battle disc rotating beneath him.

Kunxian lines extended outward one by one, but their light seemed as weak and dim as their master. Thus, the Wanxiang Battle Disc continuously absorbed spiritual qi from outside, yet could never fill the entire disc.

The point of golden light in Tianyuan had gradually spread outward, becoming blindingly bright.

There was no time left…

The pure golden color seemed to flow, finally gradually reaching an extreme.

Then, a phantom suddenly emerged.

Black pieces, white pieces, all like dao pieces, falling one by one on this octagonal battle disc, forming an almost perfect drawn game!

The moment the final white piece fell, suddenly a brilliant golden light shot up from Tianyuan, piercing straight through the void, as if to illuminate the entire night-like hidden realm!

A fierce fire seemed to ignite from Tianyuan, roasting flowing gold, gradually refining it…

Countless golden lights scattered, beginning to reveal points of golden, perfectly round phantoms. Initially small, they continuously grew larger through constant rotation!

If any cultivator were present, they would immediately recognize it –

Core Formation!

Xie Buchen’s eyes never opened.

His body still bore mottled bloodstains, even the wounds from falling rocks remained. Whenever spiritual qi flowed over the terrible wounds trying to heal them, a deep blue sword qi would vaguely emerge from the wounds, interrupting the healing process!

Yashan, Qu Zhengfeng!

What a fine Sea Light Sword…

Xie Buchen’s features suddenly showed pain, and that sky-filling golden light trembled slightly, showing signs of instability…

On the horizon, a fish-belly white gradually appeared.

Jian Chou looked at the moon whose outline was gradually blurring, finally withdrawing her gaze to look at Lu Xiangleng across from her. Borrowing the Ice Vine Jade Essence’s effect, a frost-blue color flashed between her brows, and the purple-gold light at her fingertips, after a moment of intensity, finally gradually calmed.

A wisp of black qi separated from between her brows and suddenly dispersed into the void like smoke.

A breeze scattered it completely.

As the purple-gold light at Lu Xiangleng’s fingertips gradually dimmed, Jian Chou lowered her gaze and reached out to gently brush away the debris from the chess board.

This game had been fought to the middle stage, but Jian Chou still couldn’t complete it.

What remained here was an unfinished game.

No victory, no draw, only an abrupt end.

Slowly withdrawing her hand, the chess board was clean. Only then did she calmly look toward Lu Xiangleng.

The purple-gold light at her fingertips finally disappeared completely.

Lu Xiangleng finally opened her eyes.

A golden light from the horizon pierced through the dim dawn and entered her eyes.

“Dong…”

From atop Kunwu’s main peak came the distant sound of a long, resonant bell.

The final day of entry selection had finally arrived.

One night had passed just like that.

Flowing through Lu Xiangleng’s body was clear spiritual power, rare in these past two years.

No longer was there polluting black qi destroying her cultivation. Even her body’s meridians and organs, once damaged by the ground scorpion’s fire poison, had recovered their original vitality under the Ice Vine Jade Essence’s nourishment – even becoming more refined!

Her divine light was brilliant, carrying an unprecedented fullness.

The pallor on her face had disappeared, replaced by a healthy fairness. Even her lips had regained some bright color.

Just at this moment when heaven and earth, day and night converged, the Medicine Woman Lu Xiangleng of old had returned.

Jian Chou had never seen Lu Xiangleng like this. She felt like she was seeing a moon goddess from the Jade Terrace – coldly incomparable, yet with an additional composure born from strength.

“Expelling poison took quite long, keeping Daoist Jian Chou waiting.”

Lu Xiangleng let out a long breath.

Jian Chou smiled: “Daoist Xiangleng is too modest. I’ve heard ground scorpion poison is extremely troublesome. Though I don’t know pill dao or medical dao, I know that if it were an ordinary cultivator, even with Ice Vine Jade Essence, they couldn’t successfully detoxify without ten days to half a month. Comparatively, Daoist Xiangleng only used half a night – if word got out, it would shock people.”

“That’s nothing compared to Daoist Jian Chou producing Ice Vine Jade Essence with a casual gesture.”

Lu Xiangleng shook her head and sighed.

If she told her Baiyue Valley fellow disciples and elders about last night’s experience, it would probably cause a round of stunned stares, wouldn’t it? To think that from a chance encounter over a bowl, she could meet Yashan’s senior sister and mysteriously drink her cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence.

This was good fortune no one would believe even if told.

Jian Chou didn’t think it was anything special.

From her adventure in the Killing Red Small Realm, she still had Dijiang Guyu and Wind Thunder Wings.

A mere cup of Ice Vine Jade Essence seemed to be just a small gift from Luye Laozu, master of the Killing Red Small Realm, to the younger generation.

“Now we both consider this Ice Vine Jade Essence precious, but if someday we both reach the Heaven-Connecting Realm, what would this substance amount to?” Jian Chou spoke from the heart, glancing at the chess board before her and smiling. “At the small gathering’s Heaven-Reaching Platforms, yesterday there were still one hundred sixteen remaining. Among those one hundred sixteen platforms, only Daoist Xiangleng was missing.”

Indeed.

The Left Three Thousand small gathering’s entry qualification contest still had one final day.

Lu Xiangleng also smiled, her eyes showing clear brilliance. Though her cultivation hadn’t fully recovered and her frail figure still showed some sickly fragility, her entire spirit had returned.

Though today she might not necessarily rise above all heroes, taking down a Heaven-Reaching Platform was still more than enough.

“Now that the poison is resolved, someday I shall share the stage with Daoist Jian Chou.”

With the new day, Jian Chou also needed to return within one hour.

According to the rules, Heaven-Reaching Platforms with masters whose owners hadn’t returned must have their owners return within one hour after the new day began, or the platform would become masterless again.

Jian Chou’s current Heaven-Reaching Platform was formed from four platforms combined into one – the largest among all platforms.

If she lost it…

Jian Chou thought about it. Hmm, that would be somewhat regrettable.

So she should hurry back.

Rising from beside the chess board, Jian Chou took one last look at the board, then with a cold expression, left the lake boardwalk alongside Lu Xiangleng, following the forest stream toward the foot of Kunwu’s main peak.

At the mountain’s foot, there was already a commotion.

Seeing this was the final day, the masters who hadn’t previously acted finally stopped holding back and began making their moves.

So when the bell rang, as people went up on stage one after another, there were continuous cheers, shouts, sighs, discussions…

The Heaven-Reaching Platforms were filled with endless fighting, dazzling everyone watching.

However, many people’s gazes still fell on the highest Heaven-Reaching Platform.

Cultivators who had arrived early discovered in the morning that no one was up there.

That Yashan senior sister was still nowhere to be seen even now?

In a corner of the crowd below, the chubby Jianghe stared wide-eyed at the top: “Really no one there…”

“Really strange…”

Shen Jiu was also somewhat dumbfounded.

Yesterday they had given Senior Sister that booklet, and they were waiting to see Senior Sister display her divine prowess today for a good first-place entry ranking. They never expected that when they went to knock on Senior Sister’s door this morning, there was no one inside.

They had originally thought Senior Sister must have already been at the Heaven-Reaching Platform early as before, but unexpectedly, they had overthought it.

Senior Sister wasn’t there.

Subconsciously, Shen Jiu looked toward the area not far in front of him.

Qu Zhengfeng, in a black robe, stood with hands behind his back. Beside him stood Kunwu’s White Bone Dragon Sword Wu Duan. Both were looking up together.

Wu Duan pondered for a long while and actually said: “Could it be your Yashan senior sister has another riverside appointment?”

Qu Zhengfeng turned to look at him, his eyes carrying some inexplicable meaning: “From Daoist Wu Duan’s words, it seems you’re questioning Senior Sister’s conduct.”

“I meant an appointment to fight.”

Wu Duan seriously corrected this.

Of course, seeing Qu Zhengfeng’s expression change, he wisely didn’t dwell on this topic and directly shifted: “I wonder who Brother Qu thinks can ascend the single platform this term?”

Was there any need to wonder about this?

Qu Zhengfeng finally couldn’t be bothered to communicate further with Wu Duan.

People from Kunwu without problems all had several holes in their heads.

Wu Duan was rebuffed for no reason and immediately looked disgruntled, so he simply stopped talking.

He refused to believe Jian Chou wouldn’t come.

On the other side.

The Baiyue Valley group was also panicked.

Feng Li stood in place, looking around for a long while, feeling her hands and feet grow cold.

“Not there, not there… Senior Sister Lu has disappeared…”

“Senior Sister Feng, don’t worry. Senior Sister Lu won’t have problems,” someone comforted.

“What do you know?”

Feng Li, usually gentle-natured, suddenly snapped harshly.

That persuading female cultivator was startled: “Senior Sister Feng…”

“…”

Feng Li suddenly realized – why was she venting her anger on others?

For a moment she wanted to laugh but somehow tears fell instead.

Senior Sister Lu’s poison had reached her heart meridians and organs. Now disappearing before the third day – how could she not worry?

“Senior Sister Lu…”

She murmured softly.

“Quick, look over there!”

“Am I seeing things?!”

“Quick, quick, quick…”

“Look!”

…

Extremely shocked voices suddenly rang out from the crowd’s edge!

Feng Li, who was still weeping, immediately heard these voices but wasn’t initially interested.

But unexpectedly, the female cultivator beside her already showed delighted surprise, directly tugging Feng Li’s sleeve: “Senior Sister Feng, Senior Sister Feng, look! It’s Senior Sister Lu!”

“What?”

Feng Li was stunned and almost immediately turned to look.

At this moment, the densely packed people standing in the field all heard the commotion.

From the crowd’s edge, gradually toward the crowd’s center, everyone turned their heads out of curiosity!

The moment they clearly saw the two figures walking side by side from the forest, everyone felt a shock in their hearts!

One in moon-white, one in snow-white.

One was Yashan’s senior sister, one was Baiyue Valley’s Medicine Woman.

Jian Chou and Lu Xiangleng!

The moment Feng Li recognized Lu Xiangleng, she almost immediately wanted to run over, but the instant she took her first step, she suddenly widened her eyes, staring at Lu Xiangleng’s flawlessly fair face!

No one knew better than Feng Li what Lu Xiangleng, invaded by ground scorpion poison these past two years, actually looked like.

Now there was clearly not a trace of gloomy black qi surrounding her!

“Senior Sister’s poison…”

Was it cured?

On the other side, the Yashan group plus Wu Duan all turned to look together.

With this look, they were all immediately dumbfounded.

“Uh… why would Senior Sister be with Baiyue Valley’s Medicine Woman?” The chubby Jianghe, seeing these two people who obviously knew each other and had returned together, immediately felt unable to understand.

Shen Jiu also murmured: “Who am I supposed to ask…”

Senior Sister was clearly asking about Lu Xiangleng’s situation yesterday!

If you two already knew each other, why did you ask me?!

What the hell is going on?!

Qu Zhengfeng’s eyes carried some strange color.

He said nothing, only watched silently.

Jian Chou walked alongside Lu Xiangleng while casually chatting about some popular figures at this gathering.

They weren’t in a hurry. Walking from the lake area to the mountain’s foot only took two quarters of an hour – time was more than sufficient.

“So Daoist Jian Chou believes that besides those few people this term, there are several other masters who haven’t acted yet, including that genius from thirty years ago, Tongling Pavilion’s Jiang Wenchao…”

After hearing Jian Chou’s account of Jiang Wenchao’s situation, Lu Xiangleng also fell into thought.

She was just emerging from the forest to the crowd’s edge when a wave of exclamations arose around them, seeming quite surprised.

So in just that instant.

Standing at the crowd’s edge, Jian Chou and Lu Xiangleng saw that everyone in the entire field had turned to look at them, one after another!

For a moment, the atmosphere was strange.

What was with all these uniform gazes?

Jian Chou silently glanced at the highest Heaven-Reaching Platform above, which was still empty, and her heart already had some understanding.

Young Master Ruhua had somehow already moved his flower platform onto the Heaven-Reaching Platform and was now lazily leaning against it, also watching Jian Chou with interest, and also watching Lu Xiangleng standing beside her.

“It seems everyone has been waiting for a long time…”

Lu Xiangleng smiled slightly, like ice melting.

Jian Chou nodded. Her gaze flashed across the crowd and she had already seen the Yashan group staring at her dumbfounded, naturally including Qu Zhengfeng, with Wu Duan thrown in as a bonus.

Lu Xiangleng also saw them.

Jian Chou said: “Daoist Xiangleng’s fellow disciples haven’t seen her and are probably anxious. The days ahead are long – we’ll talk again later.”

“We’ll talk again later.”

Lu Xiangleng cupped her hands and simply bid farewell to Jian Chou.

Jian Chou nodded and directly walked through the crowd toward the Yashan group under various gazes – surprised, suspicious, or challenging.

“Senior Sister.”

Everyone called out together, while Qu Zhengfeng stood aside without speaking.

After everyone finished speaking, Jian Chou glanced at him.

Qu Zhengfeng also looked at her.

Between their meeting gazes seemed to be some subtle, hidden meaning.

Curling his lips, Qu Zhengfeng inexplicably smiled and also called: “Senior Sister.”

Tsk.

Reluctant and unwilling.

Jian Chou remembered her previous agreement to fight with Qu Zhengfeng. The smile on her face deepened as she also said: “Junior brothers have waited long. Last night I went out and encountered a friend. We didn’t expect to chat so long and nearly delayed the time. Currently, is there any situation?”

Situation?

There wasn’t really any.

But…

After looking at Jian Chou, Qu Zhengfeng withdrew his gaze and looked toward the twenty-eighth high platform to the east.

The son of Yashan Elder Qi, who had once fought with Jian Chou in the beast arena, Qi Shaofeng, wore a somewhat silent, shy expression as he lowered his body, standing guardedly on top.

His eyes full of vigilance, he watched his opponent.

In a dark red robe that covered every part of his body completely, not even showing his fingertips.

A scar fell from between his brows – a line of blood!

Brilliant sunlight fell on him like golden sun illuminating faded beauty, and even his gaze seemed to carry a faint dark red.

The youth’s face was shrouded in gloom, yet coldly expressionless.

Following Qu Zhengfeng’s gaze, Jian Chou felt her heart tremble.

Fengmo Sword Sect –

Xia Houshe!