After everyone had left, Xu Wanci sat at the dark jade table, her expression unchanged.
Her heartbeat remained steady and calm from start to finish, yet a faint sheen of sweat had formed on her back.
Recalling Xie Tingbai’s earlier probing, she slowly closed her eyes.
No wonder he was the one who had even made the male lead stumble in the original story.
Every one of his tests was laced with countless hidden and dangerous traps.
Had she not maintained extreme composure, she might have already…
Xu Wanci exhaled imperceptibly:
Fortunately, she had given the most advantageous answer at that moment.
Both the original owner of this body and she herself had a fondness for the color blue.
The robes she wore now, the spiritual plants in her courtyard—all bore shades of blue.
Surely Xie Tingbai would no longer suspect her regarding the Rain-Transforming Midnight Bloom.
Yet this was only a temporary reprieve. Xie Tingbai would never fully trust her lies based solely on today’s performance.
He could resume his probing at any moment.
Thankfully, she now had a goal—one Xie Tingbai couldn’t possibly decipher.
If she had remained solely focused on seeking death, indifferent to the outside world, it would have been easy for him to detect flaws.
After all, no matter how much she harmed herself, she would still live.
But now, every action she took was tied to cultivation or the upcoming Sect Competition.
Xie Tingbai didn’t know her purpose, so if he tested her again, she would have a slight advantage.
Moreover—
Thinking of the matter troubling Xie Tingbai in the original story, Xu Wanci’s fingertips twitched.
Pity it wasn’t the right time yet.
For now, the most pressing matter was the Sect Competition in seven days.
If she could obtain the Three-Leaf Lotus, the threats posed by Xie Tingbai—and even the entire Taiqing Sect—would diminish.
With this thought, Xu Wanci lowered her gaze slightly, looking at her hand resting on the dark jade table.
The contrast between her pale skin and the ink-black jade was stark, as if the white might be swallowed by the darkness at any moment.
She averted her eyes indifferently:
In the Sect Competition, she could not afford to lose. She had to win.
In the Bamboo Peak.
Xie Tingbai, unusually, wasn’t refining pills. Instead, he sat atop a spirit stone, lost in thought as he gazed at the bamboo forest ahead.
He had only learned of the Rain-Transforming Midnight Bloom on the Jade Fall Peak after stumbling upon a bamboo slip in a secret realm.
He had subtly probed the other elders of the Taiqing Sect about it.
Even the Grand Elder, who had interacted with Immortal Venerable Qingyan a few times, knew nothing.
Yet Xu Wanci was aware of it.
Recalling her response earlier, Xie Tingbai’s fingers twitched slightly.
Flawless.
Her understanding of Immortal Venerable Qingyan likely surpassed that of every cultivator in the Taiqing Sect.
So… was it true?
Not necessarily.
After all, Immortal Venerable Qingyan had passed away a century ago—he couldn’t confirm it himself.
Everything was merely Xu Wanci’s word.
The world of cultivation…
A world where one might kill kin or children for profit and opportunity.
How could there exist such pure, selfless emotions?
Remembering the pure, almost dreamy expression on Xu Wanci’s face when she spoke of the Rain-Transforming Midnight Bloom, Xie Tingbai’s eyes darkened:
No matter.
If it was a lie, cracks would eventually show.
He had all the time in the world to uncover the truth.
At the Sword Summit.
Duan Ziwei hurried toward Xu Wanci, carrying a food box brimming with spiritual energy.
During this time, he specifically sought out several top-tier culinary cultivators from the Duan family and tasked them with preparing medicinal dishes that could replenish qi and blood, restore spiritual energy, heal hidden injuries, and mend the soul.
The culinary cultivators were pushed to the brink, nearly pulling their hair out in frustration, but they finally managed to craft the few spirit dishes now contained in the food box.
As soon as Duan Ziwei saw the spirit dishes, he tore open a teleportation talisman without hesitation and arrived directly at the Ten Thousand Swords Peak.
His heart sank slowly as he took in Xu Wanci’s complexion, which remained just as pale as before—if not worse.
Had her injuries still not fully healed after all this time?
At the same time, Duan Ziwei’s hands itched with the urge to shower her with spirit stones and treasures.
He set down the food box and instinctively reached for the storage jade pendant at his side.
Only when his fingers brushed against it did he belatedly remember:
Xu Wanci would never accept spirit treasures from him.
If he took them out now, she might even recall the ones he had given her before.
And then… she would undoubtedly force him to take back all the things he had left in her courtyard.
That simply wouldn’t do!
His hand swerved mid-motion, and he casually pushed the food box toward Xu Wanci instead.
“Since I was a child, my family force-fed me spirit pills and medicines—they tasted awful!”
As he spoke, a flicker of something complicated passed through Duan Ziwei’s eyes.
Though he came from a prestigious family, he lacked the talent to match. It was only through his family’s relentless use of rare treasures that his cultivation had been pushed to the Golden Core stage.
Pills could enhance spiritual roots and cultivation, but they were also a shackle.
No matter how refined the pills, traces of pill toxicity remained, making further breakthroughs in his cultivation nearly impossible.
Duan Ziwei suppressed all these thoughts with an air of indifference. To the world, he was always the unrestrained, arrogant young master of the Duan family.
With a bright smile, he continued,
“You must be sick of those awful pills by now. Try these spirit dishes instead!”
“They’re just as effective for recovery, but they actually taste good—I’m sure you’ll like them!”
Xu Wanci was sensitive to others’ emotions, and she caught the fleeting trace of melancholy in his words.
Recalling the original story’s plot, her fingertips twitched slightly.
She concealed all her thoughts and replied in an even tone,
“Thank you, Senior Brother Duan.”
Duan Ziwei’s eyes lit up at her gratitude.
She thanked him!
That meant she must like the spirit dishes!
Just then, the faint sound of footsteps came from the courtyard entrance.
Duan Ziwei turned his head and saw Jiang Ze standing there, his entire being exuding a chilling aura.
Jiang Ze’s gaze swept past him indifferently, not sparing him a single glance.
Feeling the dismissal, Duan Ziwei clenched his fists, lifted his chin, and averted his eyes.
So what if Jiang Ze had a better family background and higher talent than him?
He was more considerate, more gentle and attentive!
Could Jiang Ze ever be as thoughtful as him, preparing spirit dishes just for her?
With that thought, Duan Ziwei’s expression regained its usual arrogance.
Knowing that Jiang Ze had been helping Xu Wanci rebuild her sword heart lately, he turned back and thumped his chest emphatically.
“I’m glad you like the dishes!”
“Starting tomorrow—no, from now on, I’ll bring them to you every day!”
Without waiting for Xu Wanci’s response, he dashed out of the courtyard in a flurry.
Jiang Ze listened to the fading footsteps, his expression as cold as ever.
If not for the Duan family’s unique insignia on Duan Ziwei, he wouldn’t even have recognized him as one of their members.
His frosty gaze swept over the spirit dishes on the dark jade table.
Hmph.
A talentless, spoiled young master.
In the days that followed…
Duan Ziwei arrived more punctually than the sunrise itself.
Every time before Xu Wanci practiced her swordplay, he would bring spiritual nourishment, exchange a brief glance with Jiang Ze, and then swagger away.
And Jiang Ze’s gaze lingered on Duan Ziwei more and more with each passing day, his aura colder than usual, as if coated with an extra layer of frost.
But it wasn’t just Duan Ziwei.
Xie Tingbai had also visited the Sword Peak several times these past few days.
Today was no exception.
Xie Tingbai watched Xu Wanci as she sat beside the dark jade table, regulating her spiritual energy, and poured her a cup of spiritual tea with a concerned expression.
"Cultivators have long lifespans—there’s no need to rush your training."
"Balance is the true path forward."
Seeing that Xu Wanci gave no response, merely lowering her eyes to focus on her breathing, Xie Tingbai’s gaze held just the right amount of worry.
But beneath that concern lay something far colder—a probing, calculating scrutiny.
He had assumed that, whether her ties to Immortal Venerable Qingyan were real or not, Xu Wanci would now be acting like a walking corpse, devoid of any will to live.
Yet these past few days, he had witnessed firsthand her relentless cultivation.
There was no trace of a death wish—only a near-frenzied desire to win.
A desire so fierce she would stake her life on it.
In just a few days, he had already seen Xu Wanci teeter on the brink of death multiple times, yet she never once retreated—all for the sake of victory.
Xie Tingbai’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.
How fascinating.
A woman who had repeatedly tried to die for love—how had she suddenly become so obsessed with cultivation?
Was there a reason behind it, or was she simply greedy?
Greedy enough to throw herself back into training the moment she escaped the jaws of death.
With a gentle motion, he pushed the cup of spiritual tea toward Xu Wanci and sighed.
"Have some tea first."
Xu Wanci lifted her head. A streak of blood, left by a stray surge of spiritual energy, bloomed across her pale cheek, giving her a fragile, almost shattered beauty.
She met Xie Tingbai’s gaze calmly but did not take the tea, only replying in an even tone,
"Thank you for your concern, Elder."
At her words, Xie Tingbai’s expression grew even warmer.
Softly, he said,
"Xu Wanci reached Core Formation by just a hundred years of age."
"From what I see now, while talent plays a part, it’s your relentless daily training that truly made the difference."
He paused briefly, his eyes carrying a hint of admiration.
"A century of diligence—not only is your talent extraordinary, but your resolve is truly commendable."
Xu Wanci’s expression remained unchanged at his praise, her heartbeat steady without the slightest flutter.
She had endured countless such probes over these past few days.
This time, was he testing her state of mind and attitude in the century since Immortal Venerable Qingyan’s sacrifice?
Or was he probing—
When exactly had she obtained the Inkfrost Sacred Orchid?
The earlier she had acquired it, the sooner her spiritual roots would have been refined.
And she wouldn’t have needed to train so desperately just to reach Core Formation.
The difference between obtaining the Inkfrost Sacred Orchid a century ago and obtaining it after the Immortal Venerable’s sacrifice was like night and day.
Xu Wanci’s heart was ice-cold, yet her eyes held a faint trace of distraction.
With a self-mocking curve of her lips, she murmured,
"Diligent in my training?"
"If only that were true."
Xie Tingbai showed no surprise at her reply.
He warmed the cooling tea for her and chuckled lightly.
"Xu Wanci, why must you be so hard on yourself?"
"You managed to overcome the harsh conditions of the outer sect and successfully advance to the inner sect."
"Given your diligence in cultivation, you must have endured countless hardships along the way."
"With such resilience and talent, Xu Wanci, you will undoubtedly have the strength to contend for the Great Dao in the future."
Xu Wanci paid no attention to his praise.
She lifted her head in a daze, her gaze unfocused as she looked at Xie Tingbai, her voice tinged with dryness:
"Was life in the outer sect... truly that difficult?"
Xie Tingbai lowered his eyes slightly, veiling his surprise.
For the first time, he picked up the spirit tea on the table and replied indifferently, "Perhaps."
Not far away, Jiang Ze watched the congenial exchange between Xu Wanci and Xie Tingbai, his disdain for the latter growing.
His cold eyes swept over Xie Tingbai’s seemingly gentle and amiable demeanor before shifting away indifferently, settling on the distant Moyu Pavilion instead.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Abruptly, he spoke, his voice laced with bone-chilling frost:
"It’s time to continue."
