“During this time, I’ve been investigating this second-ranking family from the demon capital,” Ji Tingxi said while lifting her dress hem with a smile. As the sound spirit who had been floating by like a flower butterfly also walked over, he paused briefly, then continued with unwavering focus: “The demon capital is mysterious and has never liked being the subject of gossip. This newly risen second-ranking family is even more so. I investigated for five whole days before getting even a vague lead.”

“This family’s surname is Sui. Their specific race is unclear. I expended great effort to see a brief segment of their battle with the Wen family. Their combat power is unquestionable, and their pair of wings is quite beautiful. They’re searching for someone because a few hundred years ago, two to three hundred years ago perhaps, the current family head of this house had a legitimate second son.”

“They brought the child to the mortal realm, but for unknown reasons, the couple hurriedly went out, leaving the child with a wet nurse. When they returned, the wet nurse and all the attendants had been burned to death by heavenly thunder, but that child alone had vanished without a trace.”

Speaking of this, Ji Tingxi also found it peculiar. He frowned and muttered: “Truly befitting the demon capital – every one of them acts independently.”

“Say less,” Yin Ling said, stepping on the crunching snow layers while playing with her gleaming nails. She lifted her eyelids slightly and smiled: “Have you forgotten how the Wen family fell from the top five? Be careful, or you might get injured before even entering Feiyun Heights.”

“When did our Saintess arrive?” Ji Tingxi stopped the topic at just the right moment, looking toward Yin Ling with a gentle smile: “Where’s Lu Chengze? Why don’t I see him?”

“Chi Shui is far from Yedu, so we arrived late and only just got here. Lu Chengze is being dragged by the elders to listen to their nagging.”

Yin Ling raised her chin, glanced at Xue Yu, then turned to Su You beside her. Her eyes revealed an undisguised appraising look as she said, “Recently, this commander beside Saintess Xue Yu has become quite famous.”

She paused, then smiled: “I heard he’s now been promoted to Young Master.”

“Yes.” The relationships between the inheritors of the various Sacred Lands had always been good, so Xue Yu nodded in acknowledgment.

“It’s rare to see you appreciate someone like this.”

Yin Ling withdrew her gaze with some curiosity. She pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve, waved it open, and spread it before everyone’s eyes, saying: “I’ve brought you something good – take a look.”

“What is it?” Ji Tingxi leaned forward to look, his pupils contracting slightly as he asked: “What’s this for?”

Xue Yu took two steps forward and also glanced at it twice. She moved her lips and said: “A map of the outer regions of the Secret Realm Abyss.”

“It’s not complete enough.” Yin Ling rolled the handkerchief into a ball and tossed it back into her storage ring, casually casting a barrier around them as she spoke: “The secret realm opens for ten years total. Even for us, we can only enter once in our lifetime. They say we’re responsible for leading teams, but once we enter the secret realm, some will stay in the outer regions while others head for the Secret Realm Abyss – we’ll definitely have to split up.”

“Moreover, within the secret realm, opportunities depend on individual ability.” She paused, narrowing her eyes: “As far as I know, this time there are over eight hundred people qualified to enter the Secret Realm Abyss. Among them, the Sacred Lands have 182 spots, while the demon capital paid enormous amounts of spirit stones and has 176 who meet the requirements for entering the Secret Realm Abyss.”

“The Sacred Lands are divided into six, the demon capital into five families – both sides opposing each other with comparable strength. The remaining various sects and major reclusive families from the mortal world occupy over four hundred spots. While no single faction among them can match our numbers with the demon capital, they will form teams.”

“With lifelong prospects at stake, no one will care about Sacred Lands or not at this time.”

After this explanation, Ji Tingxi couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. He said: “You mean Yedu, Chi Shui, and Xihe Sacred Land should team up together?”

“It has nothing to do with the Sacred Lands.” Yin Ling shook the silver bell in her hand: “In the outer circle of Feiyun Heights, we’ll naturally go our separate ways. After everyone settles their people, we few can meet up and make a push for the deepest part of the Secret Realm Abyss. How about it?”

Ji Tingxi stroked his chin with an inscrutable expression and asked: “What about the others – aren’t you going to ask them?”

“I’ll ask them all.” Yin Ling explained concisely: “I won’t hide it from you two – Chi Shui leads by a step in divining heavenly will. The Lord said two days ago that Feiyun Heights opening early this time might bring tremendous opportunities from the Fusang Tree, nurturing true pillars who can shoulder the world’s great responsibilities.”

“On the demon capital’s side, the Jiu Feng family has great methods and likely heard about this too. They might very well travel together.”

After hearing these pieces of information that Yin Ling released to show sincerity, Xue Yu lowered her eyes, feeling no surprise in her heart.

The three of them had returned, and while time hadn’t changed, everything that happened in the previous life was occurring earlier – whether it was signs of beast tides or Feiyun Heights opening prematurely.

Now the demon race’s strength in the mortal realm had increased, the demon capital had gained a second-ranking family of unknown origin, and this generation had produced Jiu Feng and Feng Shangyu. Correspondingly, other people and forces in the world also had to increase their stakes.

This was the way of balance in the world – nothing unreasonable about it.

“I have no problem with it.” Ji Tingxi picked up a tree branch and drew several circles in the snow, shrugging as he spoke: “It’s just that if we travel together, how should we distribute any opportunities or heavenly treasures we obtain? This needs to be agreed upon in advance, so we don’t end up fighting halfway through and hurting our relationship.”

“Don’t worry.” Having achieved her goal, Yin Ling’s eyes curved in a small arc. She patted Ji Tingxi’s shoulder, then looked at Xue Yu.

Xue Yu nodded: “Fine.”

“Good.” Yin Ling instructed her female attendant: “Go invite the Buddha’s Son and Daughter, Kunlun’s Young Sect Master, and Tai Hua’s Young Lord over.”

Before long, several highly regarded Sacred Land inheritors gathered on the small hill beneath the Sun-Moon Wheel. After standing for just a while, the surrounding gazes – whether fearful or envious – quickly surrounded this area completely.

“No one objects, right?” Yin Ling looked around, her voice clear: “Then it’s decided. Tonight at midnight, Feiyun Heights opens. Half a year from now, we’ll meet at the city gates of the Secret Realm Abyss.”

Night fell quickly. The seven-story pagoda of Chenyu Pavilion gleamed with bright light, its surface seeming to flow with ripples like water, swaying and captivating the eye with ingenious beauty. Many elders quietly appeared, first nodding to left and right, front and back through the air as greetings to each other, then pulling their disciples aside for lengthy conversations, giving countless instructions and reminders. After talking and talking, they’d say: “Come, let’s go buy some more spirit treasures for protection.”

Quite a few elders did this, making Chenyu Pavilion once again the most bustling place for dozens of miles around.

By midnight, heavy snow suddenly began falling from the sky. Xue Yu leaned against a white plum branch, her shawl covered with a layer of crystals. Before long, she stood like a motionless half-snowman.

Chao Nian happened to pass by and, seeing this scene, tiptoed carefully forward on cat-like steps. He reached out to brush away the light layer of white on her shoulders, but after barely moving, he saw Xue Yu open her eyes – her lashes bearing a layer of pale white, looking particularly cold: “No need to bother.”

Chao Nian immediately stopped his movements obediently, standing frozen in place without another word, serving his punishment in the freezing night.

Before long, Su You came looking for them. He held an oil-paper umbrella painted with green mountains and waters, white walls, and dark tiles. Bathed in spring breezes, bright as the clear moon, that umbrella soon settled over Xue Yu’s head.

Seeing this, Chao Nian frantically made eye signals at him, almost calling out directly: The Saintess is in a bad mood right now and doesn’t need this – take it away quickly.

The next moment, Xue Yu half-opened her eyes, her gaze circling Su You’s face. She watched him reach out to gather a strand of long hair covered with a shallow layer of snowflakes, then carefully brush away the snow from her shoulders with light, floating movements.

His hands were exceptionally beautiful in shape, with well-proportioned tendons and bones.

She soon closed her eyes again, her spine relaxing slightly as she asked in a low voice: “Is everything ready?”

Her soft long hair flowed through his fingers like cupping a handful of fragrant living water.

“Everything is prepared. Please rest assured, Your Highness.”

His voice fell light and clear, even more heart-stirring than when he was drunk that night.

Xue Yu remained silent for a long while, allowing his movements. She neither told him to move the umbrella away nor coldly scolded him.

Chao Nian looked on in disbelief, wanting to speak but stopping himself, then sniffled and retreated to one side, particularly hurt.

After a while, Xue Yu raised her eyes, looking at the falling snow in the sky, the nearby thorny bushes with hanging vines, and the large expanses of connected aerial pavilions behind Su You.

All of this was exactly as she remembered.

Even the snow falling from the sky was no different.

The only difference was that in her previous life, the one standing beside her, hesitating between wanting to approach but not daring to, was Song Heng.

Without realizing it, she had again elevated someone she’d rescued from the Judgment Platform to this height, this degree.

Unlike Song Heng, he knew how to repay kindness and was good in every way.

To say she wasn’t satisfied or didn’t appreciate him would be false.

Their eyes met, and through those still-clear almond-shaped eyes, Su You saw himself reflected within, almost veiled by a thin mist.

He was naturally skilled at reading expressions and particularly sensitive to emotions. After entering the Palace Front Department and interrogating those prisoners, this ability had become even more refined. Almost at a glance, he knew.

Xue Yu was seeing another person through him.

Who could it be?

Who else could it be?

In the rustling wind and snow, Su You finished arranging her last strand of long hair, his fingers gripping the umbrella handle tightly. After a moment, he said hoarsely: “Your Highness, don’t think of him.”

He looked into the depths of her eyes like a forceful wind, a sharp sword, sweeping away the old matters from a thousand years ago.

“Ding!” Instantly, the winds and clouds changed. From beneath the rotating Sun-Moon Wheel, a tree branch as thick as a pillar supporting the heavens, with segments of branches pressing down on verdant pines and emerald clouds, surrounded by floating points of magnificent light, split open the firmament. With a casual point, even the snow in the air froze still.

The clamorous voices across the mountains and fields all quieted down.

“The Fusang Tree.” Chao Hua and Chou Li were leading people toward them when they saw this spectacle and couldn’t help but stop, saying in low voices: “Such enormous spiritual power – and this is just one branch.”

An ancient gateway, with rippling waves, was gradually gathered by increasingly pure spiritual power, slowly revealing its original towering outline.

Countless immortal children carrying palace lanterns and wearing identical solemn hairstyles stepped down from green clouds. They walked slowly in pairs, standing before that massive gate, their voices drawn out long and thin, each word sinking into people’s ears like cool water.

“—The heights open, all lords, please enter.”

The tone was cultivated by Xihe Sacred Land.

However, at this moment, very few would pay attention to such details. Almost immediately after the word “enter,” everything around became like a pot of boiling water, bubbling impatiently with countless bubbles.

Xue Yu tilted her head slightly.

In this noisy, ready-to-burst commotion, Su You held the umbrella for her while wind and snow swept across his thin shoulders. He bit down on his voice, his words still falling clearly into her ears one by one.

“Your Highness, look at me more.”

Look at me more.

This sounded like pleading, yet also like an insecure demand.

No one had ever dared speak to Xue Yu this way – intimate, burning, like a flame dancing on fingertips.

Xue Yu paused, her long lashes sweeping downward as she lowered her chin with a cold face, silently and soundlessly tolerating this nearly offensive language.

The Sacred Lands and demon capital formed long queues, passing through that gate reaching heaven and earth in orderly fashion. There was an upward staircase of twelve levels in total. With each step they climbed, seven-colored halos would emanate from beneath their feet.

Soon, after passing through that door, their view opened up dramatically with a completely different world behind them.

The previous early winter cold wind and falling snow were like a torn painting – peeling away the old layer to reveal the brand new, completely different scene before their eyes.

“So this is what Feiyun Heights looks like inside.” Someone behind them sighed with wonder: “I thought it would be like those other secret realms outside, with mountains and water, cities and people.”

This was Xue Yu’s second time entering Feiyun Heights. She raised her eyes to look around and saw they were at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by seven towering mountains reaching into the clouds, encompassing all the exits. Between the mountains were long, narrow paths like threads about to snap.

Here, springs didn’t flow, winds didn’t move, lake surfaces were clear but had no fish swimming beneath. Forget fierce beasts and domineering demon spirits – in this valley bottom, they couldn’t even hear a single cicada cry.

Too quiet.

Quiet to an almost abnormal degree.

People were still streaming in endlessly behind them like dumplings being dropped, with no sign of stopping.

“These are the Ten-Color Mountains.” Xue Yu said, “The valley bottom can’t hold everyone much longer. Let’s head out first.”

“Your Highness, which path should we take?” Chao Hua could finally escape her hundred-year routine of interrogating people and reviewing documents. Now eager to try, she rubbed her fists together with heated eyes, licking her lips, though her too-delicate figure and pouting, doll-like face completely suppressed this imposing manner.

The Ten-Color Mountains were the second entrance to Feiyun Heights. They were called Ten-Color Mountains for a rather wondrous reason.

They stood at the valley bottom, seeing mountains as mountains-seven mountains arranged in order, one closely following another, forming a circle. Each was a completely different color. No matter how you counted, there were only seven mountains, so logically there should only be seven colors, yet looking around, you could count ten colors.

Were there three extra mountains, or were there several extra colors counted? No one could figure it out.

Some who couldn’t understand would argue with themselves for days in this place, never reaching clarity in the end.

For instance, Xue Yu’s father, the current Lord of Yedu, was once such a person.

Each path in the Ten-Color Mountains led to different places in Feiyun Heights, like a random screening. The difference wasn’t great – like Heavenly Mechanism Book tasks, it all depended on personal luck.

While speaking, Ji Tingxi, leading Xihe Sacred Land and Kunlun’s Young Sect Master Lu Qin, had each chosen a path. Xue Yu thought of the various tasks she’d drawn, and her gaze shifted, circling Su You before passing over him to look at Chao Hua. She decided decisively: “You choose.”

Anyone choosing would be better than her and Su You choice.

Chao Hua didn’t hesitate either. She quickly scanned around, pointed at the mountain red as maple blood, and said: “That way.”

A mighty crowd squeezed through the narrow mountain path and came face to face with a small city hidden in clouds and mist. Smoke rose faintly from the city, birds flew about their ears, and the sound of flowing water rang out continuously.

Chao Hua looked back at the large crowd of Yedu people behind her and couldn’t help but wave her hand, calling out loudly: “Everyone disperse. Don’t forget what I repeatedly told you before entering – when you encounter enemies or opponents, be smart about it. Your Sacred Land resident status might not guarantee you many opportunities, but it can mostly preserve your life. Don’t be greedy when you encounter things. If you can’t win, retreat. As I said, life is most important.”

Apart from those qualified to go to the Secret Realm Abyss, each Sacred Land brought over a thousand people to the outer regions. Taking them all together, no one could obtain anything good – even the largest treasury wouldn’t be enough to divide among everyone. It was better to seek individual opportunities and avoid disputes and dissatisfaction.

As soon as Chao Hua finished speaking, impatient groups of three and two quickly scattered in all directions. Some plunged headfirst into the mountains, others dove into rivers, but most tidied themselves up and flew toward the small city.

What remained were the hundred-plus people going to the Secret Realm Abyss. Su You stepped forward, his sword tip lightly touching the cloud layer as he spoke unhurriedly: “Everyone may disperse as well. The Secret Realm Abyss will open in half a year, announced by bell sounds. During this half year, everyone must ensure their safety, conserve energy, and avoid losing the greater for the lesser, missing good opportunities.”

After everyone dispersed completely, only familiar faces remained nearby.

Xue Yu turned her storage ring and took out a carefully drawn map.

When the image unfolded, except for the unknowing Su You, everyone else gradually held their breath.

Looking at the drawing herself, Xue Yu seemed quite dissatisfied. She pressed her knuckles together and looked coldly at Chao Hua: “This shows the ten cities, nine mountains, and six waters of Feiyun Heights’ outer regions as personally described by the Lord. Look – where is Chao Nian’s opportunity?”

In her previous life, she had been focused on Song Heng and Chou Li. Chao Nian had followed Chao Hua to find the location, encountering many delays and obstacles.

Chao Nian approached hopefully to look, once again facing the crooked, snake-like characters. He fell silent, then touched his nose and retreated to the back.

Su You looked twice, rarely showing any bewilderment as he raised his eyes to look at Chao Hua.

He had seen Xue Yu draw maps more than once – in Shanhai City, Suzhou, and Luozhou. But those all had existing drawings; she only needed to add a few words and note the streets left and right to create clear, pleasing geographic maps.

When it truly came time to put brush to paper, those lines were like uncontrolled whips with minds of their own, running astray – crooked, askew, hard on the eyes.

But having Chao Hua voice these words was impossible. The commander stepped forward with a normal expression, seriously studied it for a long while, then pointed to a certain raised wavy line and said with some uncertainty: “My father said it was beside a temple by the sea – that should be by this seaside.”

Xue Yu paused. Seeing no one objecting for a long time, she frowned and looked at Su You, pursing her lips as she asked: “You also think there’s no problem?”

This was truly Su You’s first time encountering such a matter, and his first time hearing such a difficult question to answer.

He rubbed his brow, thinking that Chao Hua was Chao Nian’s sister – she would know better than he where her brother had been taken from.

“If we’re talking about beside a temple by the sea,” he unconsciously rubbed his fingertip, frowning as he scanned the map and found indeed nothing looked more like a temple than that raised line, then said: “It might be this one.”

Xue Yu showed no particular expression, but the “unhappiness” around her suddenly intensified. She rolled up the drawing in her hands expressionlessly and said quite seriously: “What you just pointed to was a river – the Canglang River.”

The surroundings visibly quieted.

Chao Nian thought, “This is bad.” Chao Hua’s turning neck stiffened, and Su You raised his chin to look at Chao Hua.

For the rest of the journey, Xue Yu walked exceptionally fast. The others followed behind as Chao Hua regretted deeply, pushing Su You: “Master Su, you go coax Her Highness.”

She quickly said, “Her Highness isn’t unhappy because of what we said. She just demands too much of herself – wanting to excel at everything, to be good at everything. Her Highness is exceptionally talented, truly outstanding in both literature and martial arts. This one shortcoming – she’s studied for so long, practiced for so long, but knowing there’s no improvement, she must be wrestling with herself.”

“In this world, who is completely perfect?”

Chao Hua’s eyelids drooped as she added: “It’s all my fault for being too presumptuous.” Who said something raised must be a mountain rather than water?

After listening, Su You slowly wiped clean his fingers that had brushed away hanging vines with his handkerchief, lowering his eyes: “I’ll go.”

Walking several li forward, Xue Yu stopped by the riverbank, found a large stone to sit on while waiting for them, with that much-disliked map placed beside her.

Su You walked over step by step. He still wore the plain cloak from earlier, moving like a handful of clean white snow with each step.

When he reached her vicinity, Xue Yu frowned unnaturally and asked: “Where are the others? What did they push you forward to do?”

She sat on the high, dry boulder, her dress hem covering her slender, delicate ankles. Her expression was cold and beautiful, her posture stern. When her eyes were withdrawn, she was like an empress high above, overlooking all living beings.

Su You slowly crouched halfway before her, his cloak sweeping the ground, intricately mingling with her gold-threaded, jeweled, brilliant dress hem, layering into an endlessly entangled posture.

What was insatiable greed?

It was knowing she had retreated one step, while he spoke of restraint on one hand, yet involuntarily pressed one step closer on the other.

He looked up, raising his eyes to seek her gaze. His eye corners were traced with rouge-like, graceful lines as he whispered deeply and softly: “To coax Your Highness.”