Time turned back to three days ago, the moment Purple Orchid Pool suddenly closed.

Gong Yin lowered his head, silent because of Jing Hengbo’s words, and didn’t see the meeting between Jing Hengbo and Long Yin above.

He was looking at the transparent human body parasitized by Purple Orchid Vine. In his eyes, that thing was just a humanoid creature with an ugly, monstrous appearance that was clearly not human.

Not understanding why Jing Hengbo had such a strong reaction to acting against such a monster, Gong Yin reached out to pull the thing up.

The transparent human body, already stripped of Purple Orchid Vine, was now broken and scattered, limp like a blob of soft rubber. But Gong Yin couldn’t lift the thing completely, because underneath it, something else was still connected.

It was a long stem-like object extending all the way down below.

When Gong Yin turned the thing over, he couldn’t help but say “huh.” He discovered that under different lighting and angles, the transparent human body appeared to have different forms.

Purple Orchid Vine itself had certain hallucinogenic components, so it was possible that a body parasitized by Purple Orchid Vine could create illusions.

Understanding the reason would resolve Jing Hengbo’s mental barrier. He relaxed slightly and was about to get up when suddenly there was shaking overhead. Looking up, he saw huge dragon stones on both sides of the cliff wall slowly closing together.

Anyone familiar with mechanisms knew this kind of sealing boulder was the final barrier of treasure vaults – human strength simply couldn’t open it.

He was about to fly upward when suddenly he heard gurgling sounds beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw that beneath Purple Orchid Pool, a fault line had appeared at some point. Below the fault line were rolling whirlpools like countless deep eyes gazing at heaven and earth.

Those whirlpools showed different colors but all flickered with ghostly light, clearly of special composition. The air was filled with unique fragrances and medicinal scents that refreshed body and mind.

At the same time, the root-stem thing connected to the parasitic human body was visibly growing stronger and fuller. A pale red liquid flowed up the stem, and the torn body parts were slowly regenerating.

Gong Yin’s eyes flashed. He heard Jing Hengbo’s calls from above and looked up to see the dragon stones about to close completely.

He had intended to answer Jing Hengbo to reassure her, but from the corner of his eye, he caught what seemed like a human shadow flashing on the dark cliff wall across the pool.

This shadow attracted his attention. Without looking up, he tossed the Purple Orchid Vine upward. The vine had just passed through the gap between the boulders when, with a thunderous crash, the stones closed together, sealing the bottommost Purple Orchid Pool.

Once the boulders closed, light suddenly dimmed, and that seemingly real, seemingly illusory shadow could no longer be seen.

Gong Yin remained expressionless, appearing to have noticed nothing, only focusing on the whirlpools below. Due to the sinking stones above, the underground river’s water level rose, but it was still very far from Purple Orchid Pool’s position, and the cliff walls were nearly ninety degrees vertical.

More critically, the whirlpools below churned continuously, interconnected – large whirlpools spawning smaller ones. There wasn’t even a stone to land on, and the depth was unknown. It could be said that descending the cliff was difficult, finding footing even more so.

Gong Yin only looked down for a moment, then directly plummeted.

A ten-zhang high cliff, diving straight down.

His robes billowed upward in the wind, cutting a straight line through the air.

From below looking up, one could see iron-blue cliff walls, deep purple orchid pool, and in the dark space, a snow-white slender figure like an ice sword fiercely piercing downward through the sky.

From beginning to end, he made no attempt to cushion or use leverage. His downward speed grew faster and faster, while at the cliff bottom, a huge whirlpool spun quietly like a deep mouth waiting to devour him.

In the final moment before his feet would touch the whirlpool.

Gong Yin released his hand.

Snow-white ice spikes suddenly formed between his fingers, quickly combining layer upon layer into countless intricate, dense petals.

An ice-snow lotus flower.

The ice lotus was thin as paper, landing on the whirlpool without being swept away. His toes then lightly touched the lotus, swaying gently as he crossed that whirlpool.

The next whirlpool waited spinning, and a second ice lotus was already spiraling out.

Above the dark green whirlpool, ice-snow lotuses sparkled crystalline and bright.

Ice lotuses continuously flew from his hands as he crossed the whirlpools using the lotuses, robes fluttering in the wind, each step producing a lotus.

It was the most beautiful sight in heaven and earth.

Reaching the center of that underground river was a churning magma-like substance, roaring and rushing, brilliant red in color.

Countless root stems and vines swayed in that red liquid. Ice lotuses landing on it were either shredded or vaporized by the heat.

This area was several zhang wide, but fortunately had no whirlpools, so he could fly across without borrowing force from ice lotuses.

But he stopped before this section of red river.

Behind him, those ice lotuses didn’t melt, floating and sinking in each whirlpool, ghostly light flickering in the darkness.

The medicinal fragrance in the air grew stronger. The darkness was thick and viscous, not dissipating. Except for those points of snow-white light, the opposite side was invisible.

Those snow-white ice lotuses were like eye whites, blinking quietly.

There were wind sounds in the darkness, seemingly caused by the roaring red river churning up waves.

Gong Yin patrolled by the red river, sleeves slightly drooping, as if seeking a place to cross, or perhaps contemplating something.

Or perhaps listening for something.

The red river’s churning roar gradually quieted, becoming a calm stretch of water that appeared passable.

Gong Yin leaped up.

In the darkness, there seemed to be faint stirring sounds. Those snow-white ice lotuses that had been flickering along the way now swayed even more violently.

Gong Yin’s figure had already flown above the red river.

Suddenly the calm water made a “splash” sound, and a red-black flame shot straight up. Before it even approached, the damp moss on the surrounding mountain walls suddenly turned to gray-white fragments, scattering down.

Dried in an instant.

Ice-snow true qi feared extremely hot environments most. Gong Yin’s figure paused in midair.

In the viscous, stagnant darkness, there seemed to be subtle sounds, with blazing light glowing quietly.

That red-black flame flashed and disappeared, but immediately another flame leaped up, brighter and fiercer than before, like a fire god’s tongue licking toward Gong Yin’s boot sole.

Gong Yin’s body seemed to tilt.

Someone in the darkness held their breath. A ghostly wind stealthily approached, right behind Gong Yin.

From Gong Yin’s sleeve, his finger suddenly flicked silently.

“Snap.” Behind him, the nearest ice-snow lotus floating in a whirlpool suddenly doubled in size, sharp ice-spike petals blooming and extending like countless short swords revealing cold light.

A muffled grunt could be heard – the sound of someone enduring pain after injury. Among the medicinal fragrance and fire qi, a faint bloody scent appeared.

A gust of strong wind rushed toward Gong Yin’s back.

Gong Yin’s body had already retreated like lightning, returning to the ice-snow lotus in the whirlpool. With a gesture, those ice lotuses floating in the whirlpools flew up, shattered in midair, and reformed, becoming a thin ice wall positioned right before that red river.

Thus a hazy silhouette was reflected on the ice wall – tall and slender, ghost-like and soft, wearing a black cloak.

That person also realized he’d been tricked. Throwing a punch, with a “crack,” the ice wall shattered and his figure disappeared.

The red river flowed, whirlpools spun, darkness remained as thick as before. Gong Yin stood quietly in the whirlpool center while the opposite side remained invisible.

Weariness showed between his brows. “Come out.”

Someone in the darkness laughed softly, sighing: “Still can’t hide from you…”

His voice was slightly hoarse, the tone sometimes near, sometimes far, making it difficult to determine where he was hiding.

But Gong Yin didn’t look ahead at all, only staring at the red river with slight mockery at his lips: “You’ve been hiding in Purple Orchid Pool all along, deliberately letting me see this water eye below. When I crossed the whirlpools with ice lotuses, you also stepped on my ice lotuses following along. Lying in ambush before this red river – do you want to borrow my strength to obtain what’s at the bottom of the red river, or do you want to give me a push and bury me in the red river?”

That person cackled hoarsely: “I just wanted to see how ice-snow true qi could cross this extremely hot place. Of course, if you could freeze this red river, wouldn’t that save me trouble?”

“To cross the red river, I can only use all my ice-snow true qi to freeze it.” Gong Yin said expressionlessly. “But such opposition will exhaust all my true power. Then whether you reap the benefits and seize this true treasure land of Shang Kingdom, or take advantage of my exhaustion to kill me, either way you win.”

“Didn’t you see through this? You even pierced my foot sole with an ice lotus.” The cloaked person’s laughter was sinister, but he didn’t seem nervous.

“What I want to know more is – who are you?” Gong Yin raised his gaze, staring at that blurry black shadow that had been hovering like a ghost on the path between him and Jing Hengbo, finally meeting face to face today.

That person didn’t speak, seeming to laugh as if this were a boring question.

“Let me guess about you.” Gong Yin didn’t expect an answer, saying indifferently: “Though this underground red river beneath Purple Orchid Pool cannot be crossed by those with ice-snow true qi, if one could truly cross and extract the earth-heart heat stones from beneath this red river, it could resist the cold qi accumulation caused by cultivating ice-snow true qi. So you and I practice martial arts from the same source.”

That person smiled silently, seeming to have expected him to deduce this.

“You’re not alone – you have quite a few helpers, likely all dressed the same as you to confuse observers.”

The cloaked person’s eyes showed some surprise, neither confirming nor denying.

“Your goal isn’t necessarily to kill me or anyone else. More often, you’re testing yourself. You won’t eliminate enemies for your enemies – you’re waiting for the right moment.”

The cloaked person’s gaze flashed.

“You’re very familiar with sects, the martial world, and the court, so your identity should encompass all three.”

The cloaked person’s eyes narrowed slightly, lifting one corner of his mouth in a smile.

Seemingly calm, actually shocked.

“Finally.” Gong Yin said indifferently, “You’ve always…”

The cloaked person pricked up his ears, listening intently, wanting to know what would come from Gong Yin’s mouth.

Gong Yin suddenly said: “…deserved to die!”

Just as the words fell, suddenly a large splash of fiery red liquid poured down on the cloaked person’s head.

The cloaked person had originally been standing on a whirlpool at the red river’s edge, feet on ice he’d created himself. He didn’t dare step on Gong Yin’s ice lotus again to avoid another hole in his foot.

Gong Yin had already left the red river, standing opposite him three zhang away. The cloaked person’s full attention was on Gong Yin across from him. Moreover, he knew the red river contained muddy true fire that no ice-type true qi could control, so he hadn’t expected the attack to come from behind.

In his haste, he only managed to quickly twist his body.

“Bang!” The thing grazed his waist and heavily struck the whirlpool beneath him. Water waves surged, ice blocks bobbed, his body became unsteady, and he fell backward.

As he fell, he finally saw what had been thrown from behind – it was actually the transparent human body that had cultivated Purple Orchid Vine.

After losing Purple Orchid Vine, the transparent human body had only the transparent skin left, becoming a small bundle when gathered up. When the pool closed, Gong Yin had quietly taken it in the darkness and hidden it in his sleeve. While patrolling by the red river, he had actually secretly placed the skin pouch into the red river, filling it with true fire mud.

Gong Yin’s own ice-snow true qi couldn’t affect the true fire mud at all, but the skin pouch had originally been cultivated by the true fire mud below, making it naturally the best container.

Then he used strategy to force the cloaked person to appear, switching positions in one move, driving the cloaked person to the river’s edge while returning to the whirlpool center. When he returned to his ice lotus, he still held the stem that had been connected beneath the skin pouch.

Using words to disturb the cloaked person’s mind, then with great force, he swung the skin pouch filled with true fire medicinal mud like a boulder!

Whirlpool surges, true fire pressing close – the cloaked person’s body tilted downward, his cloak falling into the red river and instantly vaporizing. This revealed his lithe, slender form.

Seeing him about to fall into the red river – this red river was the nemesis of ice-snow true qi, and falling in would mean the same fate as that cloak.

“Hiss” – a section of his hanging hair was singed off, a line of fire following the hair strands upward, leaving a scar on his neck.

The cloaked person was urgent but not panicked. With one hand, he actually managed to catch the long stem Gong Yin had used to control the skin pouch in the unseeable darkness.

Gong Yin smiled coldly, having anticipated this move. Raising his hand, an ice sword flew out to cut the stem.

But that person suddenly said: “If you kill me now! Jing Hengbo will forever become another man’s wife!”

The ice sword stopped.

Cold light flashed in Gong Yin’s eyes.

“Hmm?” Even his nasal sound was ominous.

The cloaked person breathed a sigh of relief. Using the stem’s force, he calmly climbed up, dusted off his robes, and sat cross-legged on the ice block with ease, smiling at Gong Yin.

He had regained his composure, his deep eyes showing three parts smugness, three parts mockery.

Gong Yin’s weakness would always be just one – Jing Hengbo. Some people vainly tried to threaten him with this or that – truly wasted effort.

“To cross this red river, you must first extinguish the true fire. To extinguish the true fire, you need to extract the fire essence stone from the river’s heart. After extracting the fire essence stone, it takes three days for the true fire’s harm to reduce to a level we can fearlessly pass through. Gong Yin, tell me – will you wait three days before coming out and watch Jing Hengbo become another man’s wife, or will you take a risk and cooperate with me to escape early and protect your Jing Hengbo’s chastity?”

Gong Yin slowly pulled the skin pouch back, his dark gaze shrouding the man across from him whose face was clearly masked.

“How do we cooperate?”

The cloaked person smiled.

“Give me your Prajna Snow and your Imperial Song.”

…

Light rouge and yellow powder, delicately applied eyebrows – deliberately taking time with her toilette.

Jing Hengbo sat before the mirror, making final preparations for her “grand wedding.”

But there were no wedding attendants before the vanity table, no gorgeous phoenix crown and robes or jewelry boxes – only one box containing a red pill.

Jing Hengbo had stolen quite a few medicinal herbs. Long Yin had refined several of each type of pill but stingily only gave her one Skin Cleansing Pill.

With hot water, she swallowed the pill. A burning sensation surged from her lower abdomen, instantly flowing throughout her body.

She stared unblinkingly at the mirror before her. The woman in the mirror had gorgeous features but extremely poor skin condition. Even the hazy bronze mirror showed various pigmentation and sallowness suddenly appearing on her skin.

Hard to imagine what effect one pill could have?

Then she suddenly felt the mirror brighten.

Looking more carefully, it seemed not the mirror that had brightened, but her own skin?

Her skin was whitening at a speed visible to the naked eye, like sea tide washing over sand, heavenly light cleansing darkness – a crystalline, shattered-jade color. Wherever that snow-white tide passed, pigmentation disappeared, darkness vanished, yellow spots were gone. Finally, even pores seemed to slowly contract until without trace.

If before it was like beautiful jade covered in dust, now it was like clouds parting to reveal the moon, adding even more radiance – jade in clear springs, porcelain in milk, snow on white silk. White so crystalline and pure that this dim palace seemed to glow brilliantly.

Jing Hengbo stared in amazement at her raised hand, watching a small red mole that had originally been on the back of her hand slowly disappear.

Also disappearing were various marks originally on her body. Like snow makeup on a jade doll, naturally carved.

Twice as good as Jing Hengbo’s original skin.

Jing Hengbo suddenly wished Gong Yin were beside her right now, personally witnessing this transformation.

Footsteps came from behind. She looked up with some hope, then lowered her lashes.

It was Long Yin. The “groom” wasn’t wearing festive red robes or a hat with golden flowers – he was still in that white outfit, walking in casually.

Seeing Jing Hengbo with skin surpassing snow without any flaws, his eyes couldn’t help showing amazement. Like seeing a flower washed bright by water, blooming from a spring breeze tower.

“Where’s my sedan chair?” Jing Hengbo propped her chin, lazily looking at him. “Where are the wedding attendants? The ceremony guests? The wedding party?”

“There are none.” Long Yin answered simply.

“What do you mean?” Jing Hengbo raised her eyebrows.

“The sedan chair is stopped outside the second gate, the wedding attendants are hanging from trees – probably cold by now. The wedding party might be in some river – of course I won’t have you look for them. There are ceremony guests – I told them absolutely not to leave, the bride is coming immediately to bow and offer toasts.” Long Yin’s lips curved in a faint, cold smile as he gestured.

“Click.” Suddenly two iron bars extended from the vanity seat, tightly binding Jing Hengbo’s legs.

“Swoosh.” The box of pills on her lap suddenly shot out a small net, entangling her wrists. The thing seemed alive – once touching skin, it bound tightly.

Long Yin placed both hands on the vanity table, calmly smiled, and leaned down toward her.

“But I’ve changed my mind and decided to let them wait.” He whispered in her ear. “We’ll dual cultivate first, then offer toasts.”