Because when she smiled, it mostly came off as sarcastic or mocking. Paired with her sharp, confident way of speaking, it gave her an edge that made people instinctively wary of her beauty.

But now, Li Xun realized that if she wanted to, her smile could easily make any man fall for her.

He felt a twitch in his eyelid and quickly lowered his gaze.

He bowed slightly. “Disciple Li Xun, greetings, Mistress.”

It didn’t seem like Mistress Tianzhi was particularly rigid about formalities.

She gave a brief nod. “Since you’re not one of Nightless City’s disciples, no need to stand on ceremony… though I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised. It’s not easy to find a place this good.”

“Good place?”

Li Xun was completely lost. He had no idea what she was talking about.

Seeing his confusion, Mistress Tianzhi smiled again. “Ah, that’s right. You stumbled in here by accident. You probably don’t know this is actually one of the polar region’s rare sights. It’s called the Gathering of Lotus on the Northern Sea. It only appears once a year; on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, which is today.”

But Li Xun couldn’t care less about some lotus gathering or whatever it was.

Mistress Tianzhi might look easy to talk to, but as the head of a major sect, how could she possibly be easy to deal with?

Li Xun felt uneasy just standing near her. All he wanted was to find an excuse and leave as soon as he could.

Too bad his mind wasn’t moving fast enough this time; Mistress Tianzhi had already spoken, and her next words gave him no room to refuse.

“Sit.”

She’d already taken her seat before saying it.

Yes, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Everything she did was pleasant to watch.

But Li Xun noticed something clearly: the way she sat, legs stretched out in front, arms wrapped around her knees, was as casual and unrefined as it got.

Just like her personality, straightforward, unpretentious, sharp-edged, but with a charm that was hard to put into words.

Li Xun hesitated, then finally sat down cross-legged, keeping a respectful three-foot distance and positioning himself slightly behind her.

Mistress Tianzhi glanced back at him and said, coolly, “I don’t think you’re ugly. So why keep hiding behind that thing?”

She wanted to see his real face.

Li Xun really didn’t want to do it, but he didn’t dare refuse. With a helpless smile, he took off his mask, gave a slight bow, and treated it as a formal reintroduction.

But this time, Mistress Tianzhi didn’t respond.

Puzzled, he looked up just in time to see her phoenix eyes shimmering, fixed intently on his face. There was a brightness in her gaze he knew all too well.

His heart skipped a beat as a thought struck him.

Was she about to say, “You look like someone I used to know”?

No way. That didn’t make sense. As far as he knew, Qingyin’s disguise work had been top-tier, almost flawless.

And besides, in the past two years, he’d grown up a lot. His features had changed enough that no one had called him “Jade Wanderer” in a long time.

So what was with that look on her face?

In the end, Mistress Tianzhi didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t because he’d misread her. He was right. But just then, seven or eight streaks of sword-light flashed above them, slicing across the sky toward the eternal night beyond the sea.

Mistress Tianzhi’s eyes followed them for a moment. Her expression was calm, unreadable.

But then she coughed lightly, and the faint paleness on her otherwise flawless face suddenly reminded Li Xun. She was still badly injured. And clearly, despite how composed she looked, she wasn’t nearly as calm as she seemed.

As he was still processing that, Mistress Tianzhi smiled again. This time, though, the trace of sarcasm at the corner of her lips couldn’t have been more obvious.

Looking toward the distant shadows offshore, she said softly, “The demons are strong. A lot of people are scared. What about you?”

“Uh…” Li Xun hadn’t expected that question.

He took a moment to steady himself, then scratched his head with a grin. “In my opinion, the Rogue Cultivators' Alliance is powerful, sure, but not quite enough to be feared.”

“How optimistic.”

The slight smile on Mistress Tianzhi’s lips always seemed to carry some kind of sarcasm. Li Xun had the distinct feeling she thought he was just spouting thoughtless nonsense.

No man likes to look foolish in front of a beautiful woman. And Li Xun was no exception. Flustered, he added, “I’d say the Alliance probably doesn’t even have more than ten thousand members.”

Mistress Tianzhi’s elegant brows lifted slightly.

It was a subtle, almost playful expression, but carried a certain charm that was hard to ignore. Her voice was calm and unhurried as she replied, “And yet, there are already thirty thousand demons gathering at Yemo Heaven.”

Li Xun immediately regretted what he’d said. But what was done was done; no taking it back now. He had no choice but to press on.

“From what I’ve gathered, the combined number of rogue cultivators and demons across the Tongxuan Realm might total around half a million. That sounds impressive on paper, but I’m sure you know better than I do how inflated that number likely is. If even a tenth of them are actually willing, able, and qualified to join the Alliance, I’d say that’s already pretty good.”

It was a fairly average take, something Mistress Tianzhi could’ve come up with herself. And she probably had far more detailed intel. Li Xun stole a glance at her, and couldn’t shake the feeling that the curve of her smile had deepened just a little.

The sarcasm in it was even more obvious now.

That look definitely made Li Xun uncomfortable. He  kept going: “The structure of the Alliance looks efficient. It seems to be a well-organized system that maximizes shared resources without being abused for personal gain. But that’s just the surface.

“It’s like this. Everyone’s holding a bowl of porridge. It’s not enough to fill them up, so they pour it all into one big pot, thinking that’ll fix it. But unless there’s a strict, well-designed system in place, the only ones who’ll end up with more porridge are the ones with the loudest mouths... or the hardest fists.

“And when someone doesn’t like that? They’ll fight. And if they fight, who knows? The pot might tip, the porridge might spill…

“Honestly, doesn’t that sound more like the way demons behave?

“These people weren’t exactly saints to begin with. A lot of them have bad blood with each other. Now that they’re all crammed into one place. Who knows what kind of chaos will break out?

“Forget the rest, for now, two of the so-called ‘Three Wanderers’ haven’t even shown up yet. If Blood Wanderer and Yin Wanderer decide to join this Alliance too, then things will really get interesting.”

Mentioning those two was spot on; both fitting and representative.

At last, Mistress Tianzhi nodded slightly. “Not a bad analysis, getting to the root of their nature. Anything else?”

“Yes.” Li Xun’s tone grew firmer. “Even if they could gather more than fifty thousand people, they wouldn’t be able to support them. In the mortal realm, it’s simple, feed and clothe them, done.

“But this is the Tongxuan Realm. We’re talking about fifty thousand cultivators, every one of them needs resources for cultivation. Even if this world is vast and rich in spirit materials, look at the righteous sects: most only have a few hundred members, and they already keep the elders busy around the clock. Even the more ruthless demonic sects rarely break twenty thousand.

“The only exceptions are places like the One-Dou Rice Cult, which survives on mortal worship, or Great Radiance City, which raises armies as a form of cultivation. But those are special cases; others couldn’t copy that even if they tried.

“In the mortal realm, fifty thousand people can work, create wealth, and sustain the cycle of food and clothing. But in the Tongxuan Realm, what can fifty thousand cultivators even do? Farm? Herd animals? Launch invasions?

“That… doesn’t really seem likely, does it?”

Mistress Tianzhi gave him another look, and finally, the sarcasm at the corner of her lips faded. With a note of approval, she said, “You're right. Just gathering fifty thousand people together, regardless of their goal, is a huge challenge. Even if it's just for cultivation, think about it: pills, spirit veins, techniques…

Each one is a problem.”

Seeing her attitude shift, Li Xun relaxed a little and grinned. “Those rogue cultivators and demons treat their own techniques like priceless treasures, and they’re always eyeing everyone else’s, dying to steal a few if they could. Now that they’re all thrown together? That’ll be something to watch.”

He paused, then added, “I don’t know much about Jade Wanderer’s abilities, but just based on common sense, if either of those two problems doesn’t get solved properly, that so-called Alliance won’t last.

“And since there’s no sect structure or shared ethics holding them together, and all those rogue cultivators and demons have tangled, messy relationships… The only way to make it work would be to strictly limit the scale. Around ten thousand is probably the max. Any more, and he’ll lose control.”

“Exactly. A tiny bug can’t carry a heavy load. He’s not that stupid.”

Mistress Tianzhi was clearly talking about the Jade Wanderer, but for some reason, Li Xun felt something off in her tone.

Which led him, maybe not entirely without malice, to think: Don’t tell me she’s involved with him too?

Wait... too?

He accidentally caught onto a key point in his subconscious, and his mood suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Right then, he heard Mistress Tianzhi speak again.

“Has anyone ever told you… you remind them of Gu Zhixuan?”

How could that be? Even though Li Xun had been half-expecting it, her words still hit him like a jolt.

Mistress Tianzhi saw the change in his expression and immediately understood. “So someone has said it. Who was it? Qingyin?”

That shook him again. And this time, it hurt. But he instinctively shook his head.

Trying to appear open, he turned the question back on her. “Mistress , do I really look that much like this Jade Wanderer?”

“Not that much,” she replied. “Maybe one or two features. At most, you carry… something of his vibe.”

Her answer made his head spin.

How had the story flipped like this? It was the opposite of what he’d always been told as a child.

Just then, he caught a flicker in her phoenix eyes, a glint of something sharp, as if she'd recalled an old grudge. But just as quickly, the edge was gone, replaced by a complicated, unreadable calm.

That sealed it for him. His instincts had been right. But the specifics… even if someone put a blade to his throat, he wouldn’t dare ask.

He lowered his head and pretended not to notice.

At that moment, he heard her let out a quiet sigh. “They’ve bloomed.”

Li Xun looked up. And froze.

At some point, the sea had come alive with countless shimmering points of light, drifting like illusions. Each point slowly expanded, opened, and unfurled; like lotus flowers in full bloom, their five petals forming from a blend of reality and mirage.

Under the pale daylight, the entire sea looked as if it had blossomed with pure white lotuses, stretching to the horizon. Light and shadow danced across the waves in a dreamlike tapestry.

Even though Li Xun had no heart for beauty right now, he had to admit that it was breathtaking.

“At least today,” Mistress Tianzhi murmured, “this place is finally quiet for once.”

She smiled. “Normally, this place is packed with people; so crowded you can't even tell if they’re here to see the flowers or just to see each other. Back in the day, one of the Seven Great Demons, the Hundred-Illusion Butterfly, came all the way here just because of the rumors. But when she couldn’t catch even the faintest scent of the flowers, she flew into a rage and stirred up all kinds of trouble. Looking back now, it’s actually kind of funny.”

Li Xun didn’t know how to respond. He could only smile politely.

Mistress Tianzhi seemed to be in the mood to talk. “The sea lotuses stretch for hundreds of li. You can see it not just from here, but even from Yemo Heaven. And when you watch it under the stars, it feels completely different.”

He glanced at her with surprise. Was Mistress Tianzhi, the leader of a sect, saying she had actually been to Yemo Heaven to enjoy the view?

Their eyes met, and she suddenly gave him a brilliant smile.

In that instant, it felt like even the endless sea of white lotuses across the North Sea dimmed before the radiance of her smile. Li Xun found himself utterly transfixed.

Then her soft, clear voice drifted to his ears.

“The so-called ‘Gathering of Lotus on the Northern Sea’ is actually caused by a kind of rare insect called the ‘Rainbow Shade.’ Once a year, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, they come together above the sea’s eye and reproduce by splitting their bodies. What we’re seeing is really just the strange, dazzling result of their self-division… And during this time, something very precious appears in the sea.”

Li Xun was just about to ask what it was when he noticed the shimmering light on the water start to fade. The breathtaking illusion was coming to an end right before his eyes.

Looking into the distance, he saw vast fields of “white lotuses” folding up their beauty and fading back into nothingness. The sight was somehow even more moving than when the sea had been in full bloom.

Just then, Mistress Tianzhi rose to her feet. Li Xun hurried to stand as well, only to see her gently lift the hem of her dress and walk straight toward the sea. As she moved forward, the waves parted in her wake, not even the tiniest splash touching her.

He wasn’t sure whether he should follow her when he suddenly heard her say, “Wait here for me.”

With just that one sentence, he had no choice but to stay by the shore, left standing there in a daze, his mind spinning with guesses about what in the world Mistress Tianzhi could be doing. Her actions completely defied logic.

But even after she reemerged from the sea, parting the waves again as she came ashore, he still hadn’t figured it out.

“Take this.”

At her gesture, Li Xun instinctively reached out his hand. A cool sensation touched his palm, and something about the size of a fingertip landed there, rolling lightly across his skin. It was a small, dark bead, dull and lusterless.

At first glance, it looked like a tiny black hole suspended in the air; clearly no ordinary object.

“This is a Rainbow Shade Pearl,” she explained. “It forms when one of the Rainbow Shade insects fails to survive the split and gets drawn into the sea’s eye. Over time, it condenses into this. The pearl itself is a magical artifact that can create illusions, but it also protects against illusion and mind-manipulating techniques.”

Li Xun immediately said it was far too valuable and tried to refuse, but she ignored him and walked off without a word.

He stood there, stunned by her gesture.

She had already taken more than a dozen steps when she suddenly turned back with a brilliant smile and called out, “Back then, he used to mess with me just like this. Now that I finally get to turn the tables, I should be thanking you.”

Li Xun watched her back as she disappeared into the distance. All of a sudden, he got the feeling that she had just laid down some burden she’d carried for a long time.

And at that same moment, deep in her heart, it felt like she had come to a firm decision.

But in a situation this delicate, a heart that’s too resolute... doesn’t always lead to good things.

By the time Li Xun sat once again inside the Cloud Tower Moon-Grasping Chariot, it marked the quiet, anticlimactic end to the righteous sects’ alliance gathering.

Zhong Yin’s ascension was both a major blow and, ironically, the one excuse that saved the sects from complete disgrace.

Perhaps the only real consolation was that all the sects had come to an agreement: each would station ten disciples in Nightless City, including one elder and two second-generation disciples. Their task was to monitor Yemo  Heaven for any changes and be ready to respond to any unexpected incidents.

Because of Zhong Yin’s sudden ascension, however, the Mingxin Sword Sect wouldn’t be sending their team until a month later.

Li Xun sat with Ling Zhe, casually chatting about the looks on the sect leaders’ faces during the meeting. They both sighed more than once.

Li Xun glanced over and asked with a grin, “What are you sighing about?”

“You tell me. What else could they even be saying now?”

Li Xun turned his gaze and looked across the way, where Qingming was speaking with Mistress Tianzhi in private.

They couldn’t hear the conversation from here, but judging from the two sect leaders’ expressions, Qingming looked entirely sincere, while Mistress Tianzhi’s beautiful face remained unreadable, giving nothing away.

“He’s inviting her to attend the ceremony, right?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, the sect leader is inviting Mistress Tianzhi to Lianxia Mountain, to witness our Sixth Grand-Uncle’s ascension ceremony.”

Ling Zhe looked confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s the only reason I can think of,” said Li Xun, “that would give a proper, respectable excuse for her to temporarily leave Nightless City… That must be it.”

Ling Zhe thought it over for a moment before it clicked. He nodded quickly, clapped Li Xun on the shoulder, and laughed. “Junior Brother Xun, that brain of yours, really…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he went back to their earlier topic. “So, do you think she’ll actually listen to the sect leader?”

Li Xun didn’t answer right away. He just stared at Mistress Tianzhi’s breathtakingly beautiful face. After a long pause, he slowly shook his head.

The cloud chariot began to move. The formation powering it was the one Li Xun had designed himself, and Qingming had personally named it: A Single Stick of Incense.

As the primordial qi of heaven and earth rumbled around them, the Cloud Tower Moon-Grasping Chariot rose steadily into the sky. It soon vanished into the blue above, lost amid the white clouds and roaring winds.

But the chaos in the North Pole was far from over. And the departure of the Mingxin Sword Sect did nothing to slow it down.