His hand shape was perfect, proportioned joints, skin with a cold white sheen. Because he was too thin, the delicate interwoven veins on the back of his hand were visible. When held, it had the cool texture of jade.

Xue Yu pulled him out, and Su You consciously let go, standing in the shadows of a corner wall, holding a bud scorched by lightning, quiet like a tree blooming flower buds.

In such weather, he wore only a long, wide black robe. The old-fashioned style on the youth, besides highlighting the bloodless pallor of that face, didn’t diminish half of his original charm.

As Wu Neng had said, he was indeed very good-looking.

Xue Yu’s gaze fell from his face to his hands. After a long while, she said, “Give it to me.”

Su You’s raven-feather-like lashes trembled and fell several times. Like a child who had done wrong, he dared not look at her expression, only silently placed the branch section he’d been clutching tightly into her palm. When retreating, his fingertips inadvertently curled, touching her warm palm, then shrank back as if electrocuted.

Xue Yu’s expression didn’t change. She took the branch and half-crouched, her long hair flowing forward due to this movement, covering half her profile.

She seemed unaware, only frowning as she used the branch as a brush, sketching in the already-formed “Spirit Summoning Array.” With just dozens of strokes, the array’s situation changed again and again, and the cold aura gradually diminished.

“What path did you follow before?”

Xue Yu was one of this world’s rare Spirit Array Masters. Though this body remained at the Great Spirit Array Master level, her thousand years of accomplishment remained.

She could sense that whoever laid this array wasn’t skilled, as if temporarily referring to some array diagram and groping their way through the inscription. Even so, he had still approached success.

Not only in spiritual cultivation, but even in the Spirit Array Master path, he showed talents different from ordinary people.

“None.” Su You raised his eyes. Due to inputting too much spiritual power into the array, both corners of his eyes still bore traces of spreading red, deep in color, like someone had taken a brush and painted two small clouds with rouge. He said quietly, “Learn whatever was available, not particular.”

People like them couldn’t be particular.

Early on, survival was the problem. Later, when wanting to focus on one path, what they’d learned had already become miscellaneous, with no way to change.

“That’s good too.” Xue Yu nodded: “You’re now equivalent to starting over. Forget everything you learned before.”

“This half year, focus on Yedu’s mental cultivation methods, while thinking about which path to take going forward. When we return to Yedu, I’ll take you to the library to choose suitable secret manuals.”

Only at times like this did she seem like the Young Lady who emerged from the Sacred Lands—generous in action, completely unconcerned about how much those secret manuals and cultivation methods were worth outside.

Just like that, Seven-Color Pill used on him—when she crushed it and used qi force to inject it into his body, she was as natural as when speaking these words now, without hesitation, without delay, and felt nothing inappropriate.

“Today’s array.” Xue Yu paused, turning to seek his eyes, forcing him to meet her gaze, saying solemnly: “There must not be a next time.”

“Alright.” Su You’s fingers, pale almost to transparency, moved under his wide sleeves as he spoke softly.

Deep into the night, a cold moon was half-covered by clouds, the other half trembling as it hung at the sky’s edge. Frost-like bright light was evenly scattered over the lush vegetation and ancient trees of the village.

Outside a stone house window across the way, a wall of winter jasmine was being cultivated. In this moment of deep night silence, a wonderful change occurred.

Perhaps having absorbed enough dew and frost essence, a winter jasmine on the branches silently bloomed, and from inside stumbled out a thumb-sized girl who, as if drunk, drowsily hugged a flower bud and lay on the branch, motionless for a long while.

All things gaining sentience were common in this world.

Unfortunately, her fate was poor—born in the mortal world, in a human village. What would those people do when they saw her tomorrow morning? Would they sell her at high prices to merchant families in the city with greedy eyes, or would they snuff out her life without blinking?

Su You merely glanced once before withdrawing his gaze, but found Xue Yu watching with unexpected attention.

She always held much freshness and curiosity toward lively, vibrant things and objects in the mortal world.

So he followed her gaze again, seeing that stone house quietly open a window with half a head poking out. Before long, someone slipped out from the stone house, running while haphazardly fastening clothing buttons, yet still shivering violently from the night’s temperature.

He couldn’t care about much else, first propping his head to look left and right. Seeing no one around, he carefully extended his hand, placing that pitifully small flower demon into his palm, then scampered away like an agile monkey.

“Su Yun.” Xue Yu watched this scene, recalling the youth who had jumped up to warn them on their first day, recognizing his identity.

“He went toward Thunder Sea.” Su You quickly caught her rhythm.

“Let’s follow and see.”

The two silently merged into the darkness, borrowing the gaps between night and forest, trailing behind Su Yun at a moderate distance.

Su Yun hadn’t practiced any arts, but the youth was active and skilled in the forest. When running, he didn’t even pant, and occasionally stepping on fallen leaves, the crisp crunching sounds were quickly covered by the wind.

He passed through the forest, turned onto an abandoned path overgrown with weeds, then ran in one breath to the tidal flats before finally stopping to gasp heavily, randomly raising his hand to wipe sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Wave sounds roared from all directions. Su Yun stood with her left foot over her right on a boulder being beaten by waves, shouting several unknown phrases toward the deep sea.

At some moment, the seawater almost stopped surging.

Su You sensed complex auras slowly approaching like entangled seaweed, one particularly terrifying, like magma bubbling in blazing sun, needing only the slightest leaked breath to burn any released divine consciousness beyond return.

Many had come, and they were extraordinarily powerful.

Just as he was about to turn and warn her, his shoulder was pressed down by a hand, neither light nor heavy. In his peripheral vision was a large expanse of porcelain-white, delicate skin. The girl’s faint fragrance kept drilling into his nose, her clear, cold voice still carrying exhaled warmth, brushing his ear bit by bit: “They’re coming.”

“Don’t move.”

Whether due to these two sentences or something else, Su You’s dark pupils trembled, as if someone had cast a paralysis spell on him. Slowly, even his breathing became stagnant.

Xue Yu stared at the ocean’s center, her expression completely grave.

This development was indeed beyond her expectations. The youth called Su Yun, when he jumped out to argue with them that day, she had investigated. His aura was pure; he was an ordinary person, so she hadn’t paid attention.

These days, she’d been busy investigating Nine Phoenix, Chen Huainan, including Golden Light Temple and Chen Jianxi. She’d never considered that a pure human youth would have such deep connections with the demon race.

Under the cold moonlight, the undulating sea surface suddenly split from the middle, as if forcibly torn by some irresistible power. It trembledly arched up a water bridge, on which figures gradually appeared, some leaning, some standing. As if someone had casually dropped several strokes from mid-air, painted figures vividly appeared before their eyes.

Xue Yu’s gaze directly passed over those with weak auras—small demons and monsters not yet established—finally settling on the woman in the center.

The woman wore flamboyant, passionate red immortal robes. Her upswept hair was adorned with the most fashionable pearl hairpins of the day, elaborately and exquisitely arranged. The remaining hair flowed softly to her waist. Between her brows, vermilion-like pigment perfectly outlined phoenix feathers—the ingenuity was admirable.

She casually raised her chin, and the gorgeously dressed female demons around her swarmed forward, each displaying their abilities to make that small water bridge bloom with various flowers. Only then did she seem slightly satisfied as she stepped down from the “flower bridge.”

Her momentum was too overwhelming, her aura too flamboyant. Without needing identification, anyone with eyes could recognize her identity.

This was the Nine Phoenix from the Demon Capital who made Wu Neng and others wary.

“Little ghost, making noise in the middle of the night.” Nine Phoenix had charming phoenix eyes. When speaking carelessly, she seemed to flow with lazy meaning throughout her body. She extended her long finger, poking Su Yun’s forehead, her tone soft and sweet to the bone: “What good things did you bring sister?”

“It’s this.” Su Yun naturally twisted his head to avoid that boneless finger, opening his palm to reveal the little flower demon who couldn’t even crawl.

Perhaps because he couldn’t stay out too long, he spoke especially quickly: “I noticed some spiritual energy on the flower bud recently, thinking a little flower immortal might be born. These days, I’ve been especially careful with the jasmine vine. Because people from the Sacred Lands came, my grandfather has been particularly unhappy lately. Whenever he sees me, he scolds, saying I neglect my studies, fooling around with cats and dogs without proper behavior. Getting worked up while scolding, he poured a pot of hot water on the flower stand.”

“This caused its insufficient birth.”

“Can you see if there’s still hope?”

“Oh? Is that so?” Nine Phoenix’s eyes lightly swept over the weak flower demon in his palm. Covering her lips, she yawned before saying heartlessly: “I can’t manage this.”

Su Yun became anxious, scratching his head: “How can you not manage it? Aren’t you the boss of this sea? This little flower immortal could work for you when grown up.”

Nine Phoenix truly laughed now: “Little ghost, do you take me for the mountain bandit chief you speak of?”

“Fine.” She seemed the type whose ideas could easily change when happy: “Then keep it. I happen to be missing such a jasmine among my twelve flower immortals.”

Su Yun visibly relaxed.

“However.” Nine Phoenix’s eyes lowered, pressing out an especially cold line at the corners. Her entire momentum rose layer by layer in an instant: “In some people’s eyes, this wouldn’t be called a flower immortal.”

Her tone was so light it was bone-chilling: “This would be called a damned flower demon.”

The moment her words fell, explosive air waves burst from her blood-red sleeves, then continued unabated, carrying tremendous force and hurling into the forest dozens of miles behind Su Yun under his contracting pupils. Immediately, waves of sound rolled and mud churned.

“Didn’t you want to see me?” In mid-air, Nine Phoenix looked down from above, red lips parting slightly: “Why don’t you come out?”

Xue Yu had long expected she couldn’t hide from her. She stepped out gradually, looking up at Nine Phoenix without embarrassment or timidity of being discovered.

“Your hands are truly stained with much of my demon race’s blood.” Nine Phoenix’s eyes seemed to burn with two brilliant fire lotuses. She licked her lips, her face full of seductive charm: “Truly disgusting.”

“Thanks to the Demon Capital’s blessing.” Xue Yu’s fingertips pulled snow silk into countless threads, surrounding their entire area impenetrably, then turning to ash and disappearing in the air. Thus, the sea surface for miles around seemed to grow countless doors, isolating wind and wave sounds together: “Yedu would be very willing to return this governing authority to the Demon Capital.”

Nine Phoenix snorted coldly. Behind her appeared a huge phoenix phantom, its gorgeous tail feathers each seemingly adorned with flowing gold, enchantingly blooming with fire lotuses.

“You want to fight me here?” Nine Phoenix smiled with curved lips, finally gathering some fiery color between her brows: “Good. I haven’t met someone so straightforward in a long time.”

Xue Yu frowned: “If I don’t fight you, is there room for discussion regarding Thunder Sea?”

Nine Phoenix finally examined this never-before-seen Yedu princess carefully. After a long while, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “No.”

Xue Yu nodded, raising her chin toward her, speaking especially simply and efficiently: “Then come, fight.”

Though she and Nine Phoenix had never met, she knew demon nature from many people and many books. They seemed born with fighting instincts, settling everything with strength. Only by displaying recognized power would they truly value the person before them.

Before that, saying any other nonsense was useless.

Nine Phoenix looked at her deeply: “Simplify complexity—three moves decide victory.”

Xue Yu nodded, her sleeves waving out a gentle force, pushing Su Yun and Su You far from this area.

They rose into the air. Nine Phoenix’s momentum was mighty—countless meteor fire arrows burst forth, carrying solemn killing intent, attacking Xue Yu from all directions. Where the fire arrows passed, the air seemed scorched through by such high temperatures, then melted. Xue Yu slowly closed her eyes.

One extremely dynamic, one extremely still.

When the two collided, the air momentarily stilled.

The next moment, the scene suddenly shattered. Countless fireballs flew backward, then were crushed by some aura midway, falling grayly into the sea.

After the brief exchange, Nine Phoenix felt exhilarated and spirited: “Again.”

This time, Xue Yu took the initiative. Countless spiritual lights flew out like fireflies, forming a small array. From within extended a vine extended that fiercely pulled down Nine Phoenix, who was about to take flight and avoid it. When she turned to sever it, the person had already entered the array.

Xue Yu stood quietly outside the array, her long, wide sleeves hanging down like two soft clouds.

This was the problem of facing Spirit Array Masters. Once in the array, others smiled and watched from outside while you exhausted all means inside, making a fool of yourself.

Nine Phoenix seemed stimulated by this scene. Her pupils instantly exploded with flowing golden light. The next moment, boundless heat waves surrounded the entire spirit array. The spirit array finally seemed unable to bear it, making crisp “crack” sounds like breaking glass, shattering into countless points of spiritual light before their eyes.

“Last move.” Nine Phoenix rubbed her numb fists, restraining the lazy charm in her eyes, saying seriously: “Let you see the Demon Capital’s strength in advance.”

She thought Xue Yu wouldn’t respond to her provocative words, but unexpectedly, the frost-and-snow-like cold beauty also seriously replied: “Good, I’m watching.”

The next instant, the flowing light gradually rose along the sea surface. A giant fire phoenix spread its crimson wings, carrying the sea’s ten-thousand-mile winds, splitting the seawater in half with unimaginably brilliant splendor, flying toward Xue Yu.

Those glazed golden pupils reflected mountains, water, night sky, and sea surface—heart-stoppingly beautiful.

Just as the fire phoenix’s sharp beak was about to touch Xue Yu’s head, her entire being seemed melted by that blazing fire, slowly dispersing between heaven and earth.

In the blink of an eye, snow fell on the sea surface. Temperature plummeted sharply. Snow gently and softly covered the fire phoenix’s brilliantly beautiful wings, layer upon layer, like blooming tree after tree of strange flowers, yet firmly and quietly pressing back those temperamental, fire-glowing tail feathers.

After confronting thus for a moment, both revealed their true forms.

Nine Phoenix’s brow furrowed. Very unhappily shaking water from her clothes, she said stiffly: “Call it a draw.”

“Good.” Xue Yu didn’t argue with her over such matters: “I want to ask several questions.”

“Only three questions.” Nine Phoenix replied without looking up: “I’ve taken someone’s things. Temporarily stopping is impossible. Don’t mention this matter.”

Having someone willing to speak made things much easier. Xue Yu pondered for a long while, asking: “First, did you steal the Buddha treasure?”

“Second, does this matter relate to Chen Huainan?”

“Third, with such commotion, what’s the ultimate purpose?”

Asking her three questions, she really did list them one, two, three. Nine Phoenix, having finished fighting and calmed her mood, became lazy again: “I don’t know the first question, can’t answer it. Ask another.”

Xue Yu was silent for a long while, asking: “Whose commission do you accept?”

“She’s called Yun Lai.” Nine Phoenix stood back on the water bridge, propping her cheek to watch the restless sea surface, extending her hand to stir it: “A great demon from the sea bottom.”

“As for whether it relates to Chen Huainan.” Nine Phoenix hummed unhurriedly, admiring her water-enhanced, especially gorgeous nails, speaking with particular disdain: “Ask him yourself and you’ll know.”

“Still, they protect him too well.” Nine Phoenix paused, slowly adding: “Even hiding from you, who came to help, not daring to show his face.”

Xue Yu slowly pressed her lips: “One last question remains.”

“The purpose—not killing people, just finding someone.” Nine Phoenix seemed to think of something unpleasant, listlessly pulling her clothes together: “Hurry and bring the person over. Won’t things be resolved then?”

Phoenixes dislike water. She was truly fed up with staying on the cold sea bottom.

Xue Yu turned these sentences over and over in her mind many times before saying: “I understand. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” Nine Phoenix waved at her: “This isn’t over. When it’s time to act, I’ll still act.”

Finishing, she pointed in Su Yun’s direction: “Convenient—I’ll take this little ghost back along the way.”

After a night of commotion, the mountain-shaking, earth-splitting momentum when Nine Phoenix and Xue Yu fought had awakened everyone in the village. Discovering three people missing, torch-bearing searchers immediately clustered all over the hills, only keeping far from the sea area, not daring to approach.

On the return journey, Xue Yu walked ahead, Su You following closely. Neither spoke. Su Yun also kept his neck stiff, not daring to make sounds. When the wind blew, he hugged his arms, shivering with cold.

“Little Six? Little Six!!” In the distance, someone holding a torch saw Su Yun, whose voice suddenly rose much higher. He waved behind him: “Village Chief! Little Six is back, back!”

Su Yun also cooperatively ran forward, immediately pressing into the embrace of the tearful old village chief. After the emotional scene came chaotic scolding and hitting.

Before them was bustling activity, torches moving.

Su You raised his eyes to look at the person beside him, discovering her standing quietly outside the circle’s edge. After a long time, she slowly pressed her brow with her fingers, showing some weary expression.

His lashes trembled lightly, gaze falling on his palm, then emptily gripping twice.

Perhaps because she’d always appeared too low-key, too gentle, he thought she was no different from those young prodigies he’d seen before.

Until today, just now, after that earth-shaking collision, did he realize how naive his thoughts were.

That level of battle, even he before mounting the Judgment Platform, couldn’t survive one encounter.

Let alone now.

Moreover, before the battle, she had to spare attention to protect him.

If he couldn’t quickly become powerful, with such a weak body—

What could he use to help her?

The approaching firelight caused the youth to turn his head slightly, revealing deep, intense gloom in his eyes.