The night was quiet, and the moon shone brightly through the thinning clouds.
Ling Feng sat alone on the viewing platform outside his room. He had set up a tea set and was currently brewing a fresh pot.
After the events of the day, his mind was filled with a thousand different thoughts. Reflections always came easier in the silence of the night. The more peaceful the environment, the more clearly he understood his own heart.
His gaze drifted toward the grand scenery in the distance.
A sharp-eyed hawk beat its wings as it soared past a frozen peak and into the high heavens. Its wingtips seemed to slice through the mist, and the moonlight poured through the clouds like a silver river.
The Qiyue Mountain Range stretched for millions of miles in every direction. It formed a massive ring that looked like a seal pressed between heaven and earth, with its head and tail perfectly connected.
Amidst the countless forest peaks, a great, silent lake rested in the center. The world called it the Qiyue Sea. As a cool breeze brushed past, the water sparkled with ripples. The moon's reflection danced on the surface and complemented the moon in the sky, creating a brilliant, shimmering glow.
Such beauty was truly peerless, yet his eyes lingered on something else above the center of the lake.
Perhaps it was Jiang Yueyi's idea of a prank, but she seemed to have intentionally placed the Cangbai Pavilion here so it would face that distant [Celestial Palace].
Even though it was a thousand miles away, he could still see that magnificent sight just by looking up.
In the very center of the Qiyue Sea, a cluster of floating islands hung in the sky.
The islands were arranged in neat rows like a grand palace above the clouds. They looked majestic and imposing.
He remembered that those floating islands held a myriad of wonders. There were ancient forests, soaring peaks with waterfalls, pure lands with flowing streams, blooming flowers, and elegant pavilions. It was a place of [Immortal Gates] and hidden grottos, each with its own unique beauty.
That was the Canghua Sect, the leader of all orthodox paths in the Canghua Realm.
'I didn't expect you to actually reach the [Level 8 Peak]...' Ling Feng thought as her image surfaced in his mind.
After he woke up, he had heard rumors. She had supposedly taken her sword and fought three titans from other major realms in the Angorian Star Region all by herself. She hadn't lost a single step, eventually forcing the three sects to make peace with her over a cup of wine.
They said that during that battle, her sword had cleaved the sea of stars. Her [Dawn Flame] sword qi had swept across the firmament like an endless fire burning the heavens.
The mere aftershocks of the fight had caused a massive drought in the Angorian Star Region for several years.
He hadn't been there to see it, so he didn't know the exact details.
The stories were likely exaggerated, but stories always needed a bit of hyperbole to remain interesting.
Looking at the Canghua Sect from this distance, he could only see the magnificent palaces glowing under the night sky.
However, on one specific island, a single red maple tree had stood for countless ages. Its canopy was large enough to blot out the sun, and its branches stretched for a hundred miles. When the wind blew, red leaves fluttered down like a rain of fire.
That was the [Grand Protection Array] of the Canghua Sect.
Even from a thousand miles away, a few red leaves would occasionally drift over here. Ling Feng hadn't been at the Cangbai Pavilion for long, but he had already seen it happen once or twice.
Each leaf was a [Resource]. If a cultivator could refine one, it would provide a massive [Exp Boost] to those at lower levels. It was like a gift she had bestowed upon the world.
Because of this, a specific profession had even appeared on the Qiyue Sea. People called them [Leaf Fishers]. They spent their days salvaging the red leaves from the water to sell for money.
Ling Feng pulled his gaze back and took a small sip of his fragrant tea.
***
The next day.
A light autumn rain pattered against the roof, making one feel a bit restless.
Jiang Yueyi held a black stone in her hand but didn't place it for a long time. She was deep in thought and trying to decide where to make her next move. She wanted to end the game with a single strike. Even though her opponent was already backed into a corner, there was still a chance for him to turn things around.
Her eyes flickered with a clever light, and she finally placed the piece.
Ling Feng hesitated for a moment before placing his own stone.
"Mmm?" (Wait?). Jiang Yueyi scanned the board. Her previous move should have effectively secured her victory.
However, he had sacrificed his pieces to gain [Positional Momentum]. He had forcibly cleared space on the board to drag the game out even longer.
"Do you not want to win, or are you just trying to annoy me?" Jiang Yueyi narrowed her eyes, and her voice sounded a bit resentful.
"Sometimes taking a step back allows you to move two steps forward." He wasn't obsessed with the game. It didn't matter who won or lost. Jiang Yueyi's move had indeed forced him into a [Death State], but he didn't care. He simply placed a stone to disrupt the flow. Jiang Yueyi might win eventually, but he wouldn't necessarily lose right now.
Playing Go was always like this. Unless someone was completely defeated and saw no hope of a comeback, nobody was willing to retreat and extend the game to find a new opening.
He was different. He didn't care about winning or losing as long as it didn't involve life, death, or dignity. He had no strong competitive urge.
Jiang Yueyi rested her porcelain face on one hand while playing with a black stone in the other, but she didn't place it.
She had realized that playing against him was pointless. He truly didn't care about the outcome.
Even if she won, it wouldn't feel satisfying.
"I'll count this as my win. I'm done playing."
"Okay." Ling Feng nodded and put his white stone back into the container.
"Your reaction is way too dull."
"If I reacted strongly, I'd just fall into your trap. I'd lose the game and get teased by you. That's a lose-lose situation," he said calmly.
Seeing that her plan had failed, Jiang Yueyi's cheeks puffed out slightly in a pout.
"I wonder when this rain will stop. I don't like rainy days. They make me feel too sentimental." She looked out the window.
"Maybe the sun will come out soon."
"Yeah. If you would just let me tease you, my heart would be bright and clear even if it was pouring outside."
"Can't you think about anything else besides messing with me? Doesn't the Cangbai Pavilion need you to run things?" Ling Feng felt like Jiang Yueyi was simply bored out of her mind.
"Of course it does. But I don't have to do much lately. I'm going home in a few days, and I've already handled all the paperwork. If I hadn't found traces of you, I would have gone back to report in long ago."
"Going home? Aren't you from another star region? Going back and forth must take a long time... a very long time."
Crossing into another realm was simple enough, but crossing star regions was incredibly difficult. That was something only experts at the [World Sacrifice Realm] could do.
Anyone below that level would likely spend hundreds of years trying to travel between star regions.
"Why do you look so happy about it?" Jiang Yueyi narrowed her eyes. She had spotted the tiny glimmer of joy in the depths of his eyes.
"I'm not. Going home is a good thing. Your parents probably miss you. Don't worry, I'll look after the Cangbai Pavilion for you."
"Heh. You're going to be disappointed then. With my background, crossing star regions isn't hard at all. It will take a month at most. No, actually, I'll be back in half a month."
"Tsk." He let out an audible sound of annoyance.
"Do you really want me to get lost that badly?" Jiang Yueyi's eyes filled with a look of deep grievance. Her eyes, which were usually full of cunning and intelligence, now looked strangely pitiful.
Ling Feng glanced at her and finally let out a long sigh. "Just come back early."
"Hmph~. So you're the type who responds to kindness but not force."
"If you didn't act like this, I'd suspect you were just a [Bratty Sister] character." Even though she was only seventeen, she wasn't unrefined. She had a graceful body with beautiful curves and monstrous talent. She would only become more terrifying in the future.
"What do I look like then, little brother?" Jiang Yueyi smirked. Under the table, her leg—wrapped in smooth black stockings—slipped out of her shoe. She lifted her foot and restlessly pressed it against his stomach.
"Tell me. What do I look like?" Jiang Yueyi leaned her face on her hand. Her eyes were full of mischief, and her seductive tone was enough to make anyone's bones melt.
Her foot didn't stay still either. She rubbed and pressed against him, clearly determined to make his [Desire] spiral out of control and leave him embarrassed.
Ling Feng gently placed his hand on her foot. Because of the stockings, it felt silky and warm. Then, he gave a devious smile of his own. "I might respond better to kindness, but I really do know how to discipline you."
"Do you want to spank me again? Go ahead. You already did it once before. You were very angry back then, but you must have enjoyed the feeling. I'm quite confident in my figure."
Ling Feng's smile widened. He slowly began to gather the items on the table, using his [Mana] to lift them and set them aside.
"You... you wouldn't really..."
Bang!
He kicked the table aside and grabbed her ankle. With a sharp tug, he pulled Jiang Yueyi toward him and caught her in his arms. She struggled for a moment, but she found that the arm wrapped around her waist was like a band of iron. No matter how much she squirmed, she couldn't move.
With a thud, he pinned her down across the desk the moment it hit the floor.
"You're serious! You!"
He didn't hold back. He raised his hand and brought it down hard on her rear.
A crisp *smack* echoed through the room.
"Ah!" (Ow!). This time, she didn't grit her teeth and endure it like she had in the cave. She let out a pained, soulful cry.
Ling Feng leaned down until he was right next to her ear. He mimicked her own heat-inducing tone and whispered, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Jiang Yueyi looked back at him with a pitiful, grieving expression. "Again."
"?"
He raised his hand and gave her a light tap, using no force at all, before letting her go.
Jiang Yueyi remained slumped on the desk, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at him. "It's a pity your physical body is so young. Otherwise, I'd really want to do some [Pleasurable Activities] with you. Just looking at you makes me salivate, but my morals won't let me lay a hand on a child."
"Speaking of which... my hometown has a [Body Transformation Skill]. It can change a person's appearance and the nature of their [Mana]. It's a great way to hide your identity. I never learned it because I didn't need it, but maybe I'll bring it back with me this time. After all, it's only your body that's young, not your actual soul."
Ling Feng glanced at her and sighed. He began to form a [Hand Seal]. Under Jiang Yueyi's widening, shocked gaze, it took only three seconds for him to grow into a young man in his early twenties.
His face was still breathtakingly handsome, but all traces of childishness had vanished. He looked like an [Ethereal Beauty] who had descended from the heavens.
Jiang Yueyi's eyes filled with wonder. Before Ling Feng could even say a word, she lunged at him.
Bang!
Ling Feng was tackled to the ground. The back of his head made a painful connection with the floor. She immediately straddled his waist, her curves pressing firmly against his stomach. Her eyes were full of joy as she cupped his face in her hands to examine him closely.
"My intuition was right! Mmm! You look exactly the way I wanted you to! If you knew this [Skill], why were you pretending to be a kid? I'm going to take you right now."
He frowned and immediately deactivated the technique. Three seconds later, he had returned to his original form.
"Don't... that was so good. Why did you change back? Just because I said I wanted to sleep with you?" Jiang Yueyi was frantic. She wanted him to turn back into an adult immediately.
"It's not about that. That was just a simulation of what this body will look like in the future. I don't want to maintain it permanently."
"Why? With your [Cultivation Level], forcing your body to grow up would be easy. Do you really want to be a brat? Are you afraid the woman from the Canghua Sect will find you?"
"No," he answered simply.
"Then why?"
"I'm just letting nature take its course. I want to properly temper this body, so it must undergo the baptism of time. If I pull the seedling to help it grow, I won't be able to go far." The process of creating this body had been fraught with danger. It hadn't been easy to obtain, so he had to spend time carving and polishing it.
After all, his troubles hadn't been completely resolved yet.
"Hmph~." Jiang Yueyi let out a soft huff, clearly disappointed.
"Change back."
"No."
"Change back, please! I swear I won't do anything to you. I just want to look at you. I'm going home soon, remember? We're going to be apart for half a month, maybe even a whole month!"
"I remember when I first met you, you were quite bossy and calm. How did you end up like this?"
Jiang Yueyi blinked and looked at him with a confused expression.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"How can you be so stupid?" Jiang Yueyi pinched his cheek.
"Isn't it normal to be affectionate and a little shameless with the person you like? As the saying goes, a woman who knows how to act spoiled has the best life. Besides, you're the only one who sees this side of me. To the outside world, I'm the serious, cold, and overbearing Master of the Cangbai Pavilion. At home, I just want to be a lucky little woman who can act spoiled. Come on~ change back~."
Ling Feng couldn't win against her. He had no choice but to transform again. "Only for today."
"Hehe~ you really do spoil me."
'I only hit her twice. I really let her off easy...'
He felt a bit of regret.