"Young Master!!"
Ye Qingchan's jade-like hands clenched tightly. She looked up at the disappearing dragon chariot, her silver teeth biting her red lip hard, struggling not to let her sobs be heard.
"Ah, foolish child!"
Duan Wuyong's figure appeared behind Ye Qingchan at some unknown time.
A trace of gravity flickered in his aged eyes.
Seeing this, it seemed his little disciple had already fallen deeply for that Ling Xiao.
But...
Ling Xiao's reputation was known throughout the Holy State.
Even the women who followed him were mostly after his status and the opportunities he represented.
So how could Ye Qingchan have developed genuine feelings for him?
"Qingchan, how did you and Ling Xiao... ahem... meet?"
Duan Wuyong nearly blurted out 'that scoundrel', quickly coughing twice to cover his awkwardness.
"Master, it was the Young Master who brought me up from the Northern Wasteland. He is extremely good to me, very caring..."
A gentle smile gradually spread across Ye Qingchan's face. Whenever Ling Xiao was mentioned, her eyes seemed to twinkle with little stars.
"Northern Wasteland?"
Duan Wuyong was stunned for a moment, then nodded with some understanding.
No wonder.
No wonder this simple-hearted young girl had fallen for Ling Xiao.
So she simply didn't know his reputation in the Holy State.
That also explained her Soul-Awakening Realm cultivation.
Duan Wuyong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, they hadn't known each other long. Sooner or later, once Ye Qingchan learned about Ling Xiao's character and behavior, she would surely feel disgusted.
That way, she could focus her heart and mind entirely on the sword path...
Meanwhile.
In the eastern Holy State, on a steep, sword-like mountain peak.
A graceful figure in white robes stood quietly atop the sword peak, her bare jade feet making her seem ethereal, like an immortal.
A white veil covered her face, obscuring her features.
But the eyes visible above the veil were like clear pools of water.
When they glanced around, they carried an innate elegance and nobility that captivated others, made them feel inferior, and dared them not to profane her.
Now, her delicate brows were faintly furrowed, as if troubled by something, eviting pity.
"Qingyun, in three days it will be your engagement day with the Ling family's Young Master, Ling Xiao. You should descend the mountain tomorrow."
A light laugh suddenly came from behind the woman in white.
A beautiful woman in a dark daoist robe stepped through the air, arriving behind her in a single step.
The beautiful woman appeared to be in her thirties or forties, but her eyes held vicissitudes, giving a sense of ancient times.
"Master."
The woman in white turned and bowed towards the beautiful woman. Her expression was unreadable, always somewhat icy.
"I know you are unwilling to marry him."
The beautiful woman smiled faintly, stepping forward to gently help the woman in white to her feet.
"Our Ethereal Dao Palace cultivates the Path of Emotionlessness. In recent years, your fame has spread far and wide, attracting the admiration of countless talents. By arranging this marriage for you, your Master intends for you to sever the threads of affection, to achieve a state without emotion or desire."
"But Master... why him?"
The confusion on the woman in white's face deepened.
To be without emotion or desire, why must she still marry someone?
Moreover, Ling Xiao was notorious—debauched, tyrannical, arrogant, and domineering. He was the most despised among the younger generation in the Holy State.
Nian Qingyun was unwilling.
Even knowing this marriage was merely a trial, the thought of her name being linked with his felt like a disgrace to Nian Qingyun.
"To transcend emotion through supreme detachment, you must experience emotion before you can forget it."
The palace-robed beautiful woman smiled calmly.
She had her reasons for choosing Ling Xiao.
Putting aside status and position, this Young Master Ling's lust for beauty was common knowledge in the Holy State.
Placing Nian Qingyun before him was like throwing a lamb to the wolves.
A man who had been through countless flowers was most suitable for experiencing the tribulation of love.
This was Ling Xiao's karma, and Nian Qingyun's tribulation.
Furthermore, and more importantly, once Nian Qingyun became Ling Xiao's fiancée, the other talents in the Holy State would naturally hold back.
After all, no one would idly provoke that little demon lord.
This way, Nian Qingyun could both comprehend emotion and avoid emotional entanglements, killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, in the entire Holy State, probably only the Divine Maiden of her Ethereal Dao Palace dared use Ling Xiao as a tribulation.
Rather than have Nian Qingyun develop feelings for someone one day, tarnishing her Dao Heart,
It was better to bestow upon her a marriage, letting her see the filthy nature of men early on.
"You have grown up in our Dao Palace since childhood, never experiencing love between man and woman. That Ling Xiao is debauched and lustful, surrounded by crowds of women. From him, you will see the true nature of men. Go. Your Master awaits your return from overcoming this tribulation."
Having said that, the beautiful woman's figure vanished.
Nian Qingyun frowned in thought for a long while but ultimately asked no more questions, walking down the mountain alone.
The mountain path was rugged, but the young woman paid it no mind. Her jade feet tread as if on level ground, and where she passed, lotus shadows seemed to follow.
"Palace Master, are you truly at ease letting Qingyun descend the mountain alone?"
Atop the high mountain peak.
The palace-robed beautiful woman stood with her hands behind her back, quietly watching Nian Qingyun walk away alone.
Behind her, a hunchbacked old woman with a wrinkled face frowned. Not a trace of aura flowed around her; she seemed to merge with heaven and earth.
"Turbulent times are approaching. Prodigies emerge in succession. No one can remain untouched."
"With Qingyun's talent, if she continued cultivating solely within our Dao Palace, she could still comprehend the Great Dao, but she would ultimately lack a decisive, ruthless edge. Supreme Emotionlessness requires experiencing emotion to forget it. This is a tribulation she must undergo."
A cold glint flashed in the palace-robed beautiful woman's eyes; her tone held no discernible emotion.
"But that Ling Xiao..."
"The Ling Clan's influence is vast, and the Ten Thousand Dao Demon Sect also ranks among the supreme. But if Qingyun can sever this tribulation of love, within ten years, our Ethereal Dao Palace will surely stand at the pinnacle of the Holy State. Then, what significance would a mere demon sect hold?"
Having spoken, the beautiful woman turned her head, gave the old woman a deep look, and suddenly smiled.
"I know the Supreme Elder worries about Qingyun. But we are both women, and we have both passed through Qingyun's age. Without experiencing something heartrending, how can one understand the true meaning of forgetting emotion?"
"Ah... I rather hope... she never understands..."
The old woman sighed. Her figure gradually grew illusory, vanishing in an instant, leaving the palace-robed beautiful woman standing alone on the mountain peak.
"Qingyun, I have calculated that your tribulation lies with that Ling Xiao. But I do not believe it. Your Master believes you will surely sever the threads of affection and achieve the Supreme position."
...
"Qingyun."
As Nian Qingyun's figure appeared at the mountain's base, a young man in white robes suddenly approached from the mountain path ahead.
The youth was dressed in white, with starry eyes and sword-like brows, exuding seven parts heroic spirit and three parts humility.
His cultivation had faintly reached the Illusion-Breaking Realm—profound and powerful, undoubtedly peerless.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?"
Nian Qingyun's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Besides coldness, her eyes actually held a trace of killing intent.
However...
Although this killing intent was sharp, it felt somewhat different, as if it contained a hint of shame and annoyance.
It was hard to imagine an icy beauty like Nian Qingyun,
who cultivated the Path of Emotionlessness, showing such an expression!