The burly man was named Feng Tie, an Earth-tier peak Weapon Master.

He was acquainted with the flower thief, Hengshan Grandmaster. The two had once ventured into a secret realm together.

The secret realm was fraught with dangers, and several Earth-tier Weapon Masters had perished within it.

Only he and Hengshan Grandmaster had managed to escape.

It was then that Feng Tie learned Hengshan Grandmaster’s deepest secret.

Hengshan Grandmaster had obtained the legacy of a visitor from beyond the heavens. Following the example of Thorned Blood, he modified malevolent spirits and ultimately merged himself with one, acquiring a strange ability.

Illusions!

Hengshan Grandmaster had risen to infamy as a feared and elusive flower thief, renowned for his never-failing exploits. The primary reason for his success lay in his mastery of illusionary techniques.

Every time, he could walk away unscathed and unnoticed.

This secret was likely known only to Feng Tie.

Thus, unlike other Earth-tier Weapon Masters who merely kept a casual eye on Shen’s family estate, Feng Tie scrutinized every movement, even if a mere cat left the premises.

When Chen Kangbao, disguised as a chameleon, emerged, the other Earth-tier Weapon Masters failed to notice.

But Feng Tie was different.

He stared at the chameleon, a sly grin spreading across his face.

“Hengshan Grandmaster, are you afraid I’ll take a share of the spoils?”

Chen Kangbao, carrying the cleaver, hesitated, standing frozen in place.

He didn’t move an inch.

The presence of the burly man ahead of him exerted immense pressure.

Feng Tie noticed the chameleon’s inaction and grinned wider. “Could it be that Hengshan Grandmaster wants to claim the Profound Yin Physique all for himself?”

The greatest reason Hengshan Grandmaster had achieved his notoriety as a grandmaster was his uncanny illusions.

But once his secret was exposed, his combat strength would drop considerably.

If Hengshan truly considered Feng Tie an opponent, how could he allow someone who knew his greatest secret to live?

“You’ve mistaken me; I am not Hengshan Grandmaster.” At this moment, Chen Kangbao decided not to hide and shifted into his elder form, his raspy voice revealing itself.

Had he remained silent, Feng Tie’s disposition likely wouldn’t have allowed the chameleon to live.

“Who are you... to also know illusions?” Feng Tie’s expression changed slightly, suspicion flickering across his face.

If the person before him truly were Hengshan Grandmaster, they would have boldly admitted it rather than deny it so firmly.

“There’s no one like you in Ning Kingdom... nor in Moshang Kingdom...”

“I’m just passing through. Might I be allowed to leave?” Chen Kangbao tentatively suggested.

“Leave the object behind.” Feng Tie’s gaze locked onto the cleaver, his tone cold.

This old man had used illusions to sneak into the Shen family estate and smuggle out a cleaver.

This cleaver had to be extraordinary.

Having seen it now, Feng Tie had to examine its secrets.

“Fine.”

To Feng Tie’s surprise, Chen Kangbao showed no hesitation, tossing the cleaver in his direction.

After throwing the cleaver, Chen Kangbao quickly made his escape.

Feng Tie was taken aback.

Just like that, the cleaver was handed over?

Could it be this simple? Was there no trap?

Even so, he reached out and caught the cleaver without delay.

He examined it closely, his sharp gaze appraising its craftsmanship. “What a sharp cleaver. Its edge could rival that of an Earth-tier artifact!”

Feng Tie assumed the elder had stolen something precious and, when caught, had to part with it to save himself.

“Wait, why does this cleaver have a notch along the edge?”

He inspected the cleaver further, puzzled by what he saw.

The notch in question was the opening for a zipper, part of the protective casing Qi Yuan had forged for the cleaver.

In their haste to leave, neither Qi Yuan nor Chen Kangbao had paid attention to such details.

“An artifact within an artifact?” Feng Tie’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

The outer shell alone was comparable to an Earth-tier artifact. What treasures could lie within?

Elated, he began prying at the notch to extract what lay inside.

At that moment, a voice, tinged with exasperation, rang out.

“Prying open a cleaver? You really are a pervert.”

As the words fell, a flash of light suddenly struck.

Feng Tie instinctively clutched his throat, disbelief in his eyes as blood gushed forth.

His massive frame toppled to the ground with a resounding crash. He never could have imagined that the cleaver would not only be so sharp but also possess a will of its own. ?

A sentient artifact—those were the stuff of legends!

Yet how could Ning Kingdom possibly possess such a legendary item?

With a single, unforeseen strike, Feng Tie was slain on the spot before he had a chance to react.

Qi Yuan reverted to his original form, stepping out of the shadows. “Who would’ve thought that cleaver-killing could raise my proficiency, even if just a little.”

“Aren’t you worried that Hengshan will abduct you?” Xie Danran, now agitated, asked heatedly. “Do you understand what might happen if you are taken? That useless husband of yours can’t possibly protect you!”

“Show him out!” Shen Lingxuan flicked her sleeve, and Xie Danran’s boat was abruptly propelled backward.

Standing on the retreating boat, Xie Danran clenched his fists tightly, fury igniting within him.

“A Profound Yin Physique—a treasure like that cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of that worthless fool!”

...

The Celestial Cloud Temple was situated on Dongnan Mountain, a crumbling and abandoned shrine.

Outside the temple stood a dilapidated pavilion constructed of marble.

At this moment, gentle rain cascaded down the mountainside. Shen Lingxuan, clad in a flowing blue gown, sat outside the pavilion, watching the rain with a pensive expression.

The falling rain seemed to conceal a sharp sword intent.

When the rain stopped, this sword intent would manifest in its most potent form, unleashing a single, decisive strike.

Sitting in the pavilion, Shen Lingxuan exuded an icy aura, her presence blending seamlessly with the surrounding world.

Anyone passing by wouldn’t even notice her existence.

At this moment, her cultivation no longer radiated the aura of a Xuan-tier Weapon Master—it was unmistakably at the Earth-tier.

From the rain emerged two figures, an elder and a young man. The younger held an oil-paper umbrella, his steps splashing water with each movement.

“It’s him?”

Seeing the young man, Shen Lingxuan’s eyes widened slightly.

This was the same man she had encountered near Kunling Ferry and again in the Ghost Market.

And now, he was walking toward her.

Her expression grew colder, like a frost-covered blade.

Given the current circumstances, wasn’t everyone heading toward the Celestial Cloud Temple in league with Hengshan Grandmaster, the notorious flower thief?

She was well aware of what these criminals were plotting.

To her surprise, this young man was also among them.

The young man paused, glancing at the pavilion. “What a coincidence, beautiful lady. We meet again. May I come in to take shelter from the rain?”

Shen Lingxuan’s cold eyes betrayed a flicker of astonishment.

He can see me?

By now, Shen Lingxuan had long achieved unity with nature.

Her combat strength might not yet rival a Heaven-tier Weapon Master, but her level of comprehension surpassed that of most Heaven-tier experts.

In this state of unity, sitting silently within the pavilion, no ordinary person should have been able to detect her presence.

Yet, this young man had found her. A faint sense of danger arose in her heart.

“This place isn’t mine to claim. If you wish to take shelter, please do,” Shen Lingxuan replied coolly.

Qi Yuan stepped into the pavilion, his gaze calm as it fell on her elegant figure. “Beautiful lady, have you reconsidered what I mentioned before—becoming my steed?”

“Ah... how cold!” Chen Kangbao muttered under his breath, shivering from an inexplicable chill.

“Are you with the people inside the Celestial Cloud Temple?” Shen Lingxuan asked, her tone as frosty as ever.

Her initial plan had been to bide her time, gathering enough power to unleash a decisive sword strike and incapacitate the villains hiding in the temple.

But now that she had been discovered, her plan was effectively ruined.

A heightened sense of caution arose within her.

She couldn’t see through this man.

Perhaps only by fully regaining her previous life’s power and achieving unity with the heavens could she discern his true nature.

“What if I help you deal with the people in the temple? Will you consider becoming my steed then?” Qi Yuan offered again, unwilling to give up on what had captured his interest.

Suspicion flickered in Shen Lingxuan’s icy gaze. “You’re not one of them?”

“With looks like mine, do you think I’d associate with people as ugly as that?” Qi Yuan retorted.

“But, young master, I’m ugly too!” Chen Kangbao interjected.

“Shut up!” Qi Yuan snapped, exasperated. Why did Chen Kangbao always have to chime in?

Shen Lingxuan shook her head. “Regardless, I refuse to become anyone’s steed.”

“What a pity.” Qi Yuan sighed, visibly disappointed. Then he said, “Your sword momentum is quite something. May I borrow it for a moment?”

Alarm surged in Shen Lingxuan’s heart.

This man could even perceive her sword intent?

If he wanted to kill her, she doubted she could escape in time.

“By all means,” she replied.

“Watch closely.”

With that, Qi Yuan extended a pale hand, grasping at the air.

The rain seemed to halt midair.

Droplets froze in place, linking together like strings of pearls.

From the rain, a sword materialized in his hand, cold and deadly.

Gripping the water-forged blade, Qi Yuan thrust it forward.

In an instant, the rain ceased entirely.

The ground shook, and the mountain quaked.