Ling Luo couldn’t help but smile when she recalled Yue Liangze’s bewildered expression as he was knocked to the ground.

She was in an excellent mood, with joy spreading from the corners of her eyes to the tips of her eyebrows. As she left, she spread her arms and stepped lightly, like a butterfly dancing along the forest path.

While she was still savoring the satisfaction of defeating Yue Liangze in one move, her jade listener emitted a humming sound, its edge patterns glowing with golden light.

Ling Luo took the jade listener from her waist and held it to her ear.

It was a voice message from Yu Xiu, saying: “Dinner has been prepared. Master asked me to inquire when you’ll be returning.”

Dinner?

Ling Luo, who was already full: “…”

Today’s evening meal was specially provided by the Evening Meal Hall for hall masters and above.

A balanced mix of meat and vegetable dishes, perfect in appearance, aroma, and taste, along with exquisitely plated desserts.

At Qingshi Manor, Zhaixing Tower.

Yu Xiu glanced at the food on the table, put down the jade listener, and said to Yun Shouxi who was sitting across from him: “Junior Sister says she’s on her way back.”

Yun Shouxi rested his chin on one hand, looking toward the suspended bridge. The deep blue lake surface reflected the cold moon above.

Yu Xiu told him about the day’s sect affairs, and Yun Shouxi occasionally responded.

Until he saw a graceful figure walking onto the suspended bridge, the corner of his lips curving slightly.

Yu Xiu said: “Senior Brother sent a spirit bird message saying there’s an interesting and difficult Xiao flower maze formation at Luodang Mountain that might take several days to solve, so his return will be delayed again.”

Yun Shouxi smiled and said: “He has never liked staying at Tianji. He’s probably delighted to come back later.”

Yu Xiu’s expression showed slight helplessness as he said: “The Ancestral Worship Ceremony is next month. He must return by then.”

Yun Shouxi said: “Then tell him, if he doesn’t return before the ceremony, he need never return at all.”

As the two were chatting, Ling Luo crossed the suspended bridge, passed through layers of corridors, and arrived at the top of Zhaixing Tower, calling out to them: “Master, Second Senior Brother.”

“Sit,” Yun Shouxi nodded at her. “Did you retrieve everything?”

Ling Luo obediently sat down and said: “I did. I’m sorry to have kept Master and Second Senior Brother waiting so long.”

Yun Shouxi didn’t mind and smiled, saying: “Eat more. Look how thin you are.”

The atmosphere at the dining table was harmonious. Yu Xiu would talk to her about future lessons, clearly trying to help Ling Luo adapt to the atmosphere and avoid awkwardness.

Ling Luo ate until she was stuffed. After dealing with her master and senior brother, she returned to her residence in the Lower West Courtyard, where after a while, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and vomited everything she had just eaten.

Eat more.

Look how thin you are.

These words played repeatedly in her mind, reminding Ling Luo of Yun Shouxi’s terrifying nature. Yun Shouxi not only required her outward appearance and voice to be like that person, but even her food, clothing, and weight had to be controlled to match.

Her self was completely erased by him, treated like a blank canvas to be freely painted and remolded.

Ling Luo always felt that Yun Shouxi never saw her as a person from beginning to end.

People said she had gone mad and fallen into demonic ways, but she felt Yun Shouxi was the truly insane one.

Yet he died as a righteous character.

Even if she made public what Yun Shouxi had done to her, no one would believe it.

Yun Shouxi would forever be the immortal sect’s supreme being, the lofty San Xi Zhen Jun.

Ling Luo spat out the mouthwash listlessly and washed her face with clear water. As she raised her hand to wipe the water droplets from her face, her gaze passed through the window toward the top of Shen Tower.

That was the place closest to the moon, where Yun Shouxi lived.

She returned to her room expressionlessly, laying spread-eagle on the bed, revisiting scenes from the past.

Before her death, she had only one obsession, which was to destroy the Way of Heaven.

Its way did not accommodate me, and I will not accommodate it.

Ling Luo didn’t want to live at that time either.

Grudges settled, loved ones gone, only she remained all alone on Mount Tianzhao… well, not entirely alone, there was also Yue Liangze.

Thinking of Yue Liangze, Ling Luo’s thoughts wandered.

Where did that man go on the day she forced the Way of Heaven to perish with her?

This belated curiosity made her determined to find an answer, but to no avail, leaving her sleepless until dawn.

The crisp sound of the deer-startler in the courtyard woke Ling Luo from her brief, hazy slumber. She rubbed her eyes as she got up.

After washing up, Ling Luo returned to find her jade listener flashing with message notifications on the bedside.

She flopped back onto the bed and opened the notifications.

Tianzhou Sect’s Xu Shen invites you to join [Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Disciples’ Chamber]

Ling Luo: “…”

Xu Shen, ranked second in the written test, seventh in the martial trial, a personal disciple under the Sixth Hall Master.

She remembered this [Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Disciples’ Chamber], which included the four personal disciples who had entered the inner sect this year. Back then, Xu Shen had invited her, but she hadn’t joined.

Ling Luo decided to try a different choice.

She accepted.

Tianyun Sect’s Ling Luo has entered [Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Disciples’ Chamber]

Fourth Hall’s Chang Fei: “Wowwwww she joined!”

Seventh Hall’s Song Yuanyuan: “Xu Shen, you’ve got skills! How did you manage it? I heard people say this girl is as distant as the moon in the sky, just like the Third Sect Leader, so cold and aloof!”

Sixth Hall’s Xu Shen: “Fate works in mysterious ways.”

Fourth Hall’s Chang Fei: “Ling Luo! Ling Luo! Is Qingshi Manor beautiful? Is the Third Sect Leader handsome? Is he as ethereal as the legends say?”

“What kind of clothes does the Third Sect Leader like to wear? What tea does he prefer? What’s his favorite food? Where does he usually like to go?”

Seventh Hall’s Song Yuanyuan: “Can’t you ask something interesting? Like, does the Third Sect Leader play rock-paper-scissors with the spirit tiger? Or throw balls? Or hide-and-seek?”

Sixth Hall’s Xu Shen: “Actually, I’m more curious whether the Third Sect Leader and Senior Brother Yu ever argue.”

Ling Luo: “…”

As she read the messages sent by the three, her spirits lifted.

The jade listener functioned through a massive formation array that covered the entire Eastern Island Tianji—Wanxiang—making the transmission of messages quick and convenient. With sufficient spiritual energy, one could transmit text, voice, and even images.

The corresponding magical techniques were called Text Transmission, Voice Transmission, and Image Transmission.

Text Transmission was the simplest; every inner disciple knew how to use it.

Ling Luo snickered and casually answered their questions:

“The Third Sect Leader is an immortal. He only drinks dew and eats moon grass.”

“Besides enjoying staying in Qingshi Manor, he likes to ascend to the heavens.”

Fourth Hall’s Chang Fei: “Only drinks dew and eats moon grass! As expected of the Third Sect Leader. I’m going to collect Dew right now!”

Song Yuanyuan looked at the jade listener with a twitching eye. Do you believe that?!

Sixth Hall’s Xu Shen: “By ascending to the heavens, do you mean flying on a sword?”

Ling Luo: “Even more impressive than that. He doesn’t even need a sword, just whoosh, and up he goes!”

Song Yuanyuan fell into deep thought. How is that possible?

The Third Sect Leader truly deserves to be the immortal sect’s supreme being, with unfathomable power! Most admirable, most admirable.

Sixth Hall’s Xu Shen: “Then in the future, we must observe the sky more carefully.”

Maybe they would catch a glimpse of the Third Sect Leader ascending to the heavens.

After reading this, Ling Luo hugged her quilt and collapsed on the bed laughing, not only gasping for breath but even shedding tears.

At that moment, Yu Xiu’s voice came from outside the courtyard: “Ling Luo, it’s already the hour of Chen. It’s time to follow me to Shouxin Hall for class.”

“Alright, coming right away!” Ling Luo put away the jade listener, though the smile still lingered on her brow.

When she came out, she wiped the corner of her eye. Yu Xiu saw that her eyes were moist, obviously from crying, and asked: “Why were you crying?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I accidentally got some spicy oil in my eye,” Ling Luo told this lie with a bright smile to Yu Xiu.

Yu Xiu was skeptical. “Did you wash it with clear water?”

Ling Luo nodded and said: “It’s fine now. Second Senior Brother doesn’t need to worry.”

Only then did Yu Xiu let it go.

The two first went to pay their respects to Yun Shouxi, then left Qingshi Manor to attend the morning class at Shouxin Hall in the inner sect.

On the way, Yu Xiu noticed many disciples collecting dew. When they saw him, their gazes shifted evasively as they tried to hide the water bottles in their hands.

Although Yu Xiu was puzzled, he didn’t ask further.

As for Ling Luo, walking beside him, the corners of her mouth were turned up, and she could barely suppress her amusement.

“Yu Xiu!”

“Junior Brother Yu!”

Encountering two close sect brothers on the way, Yu Xiu stopped and said: “Senior Brother, Zi Xiu, good morn—”

Before he could finish, the two pulled him over and stuffed their items into his arms, sincerely saying: “Why didn’t you tell us about this earlier? Even if we’re not in the Tianyun Sect, we’re still fellow disciples. We should do our part to help.”

Yu Xiu was stunned. “Senior Brother An, what do you mean?”

Senior Brother An winked at him. “This is dew I collected from the Sacred Qiong Tree using a jade transformation bottle. Fresh, delicious, sweet, guaranteed to please the Third Sect Leader!”

“Me, me, me! I just picked moon grass from the Immortal Herb Peak, from the very top of the mountain that absorbs the essence of the sun and moon! Perfect in appearance, aroma, and taste, and there’s plenty—enough for the Third Sect Leader to eat for several days!”

Yu Xiu became increasingly confused as he looked at the jade transformation bottle and the basketful of moon grass in his arms.

Meanwhile, Ling Luo couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Thanks to the jade listener’s transmission, in just a short while, the news that the Third Sect Leader liked to drink dew and eat moon grass had spread throughout the entire Eastern Island Tianji.