That night.
In a dimly lit room, the curtains were drawn tightly, with only a small desk lamp casting a bright glow.
Reflected on the computer screen emitting a faint blue light was the face of a rather pretty young girl. However, the girl on the screen had dark circles under her eyes, her hair tied up in a messy bun, and a look of gritted teeth, as if she were in the midst of a battle.
As a fan of the popular male-centric, romance-free novel *The Path of Seeking*, and also a shipper of the male lead Bai Ji'an and the female lead Li Langhuan, the internet-addicted girl Xia Lianqiao was indeed in a battle mode.
Even though *The Path of Seeking* had been completed for over two years, the fan wars among the readers, especially the shippers, had not ceased. Instead, they had grown fiercer.
Like now.
The trigger was a post by the official account of the *The Path of Seeking* game adaptation, which promoted the Bai-Li pairing.
As soon as the post went up, the comment section was flooded, with fans of various ships clashing in chaos.
Xia Lianqiao's fingers flew across the keyboard, her heart burning with the fury of a dragon as she read the replies:
— "Honestly, Bai-Li is just toxic. Who even ships them?"
— "Can Bai-Li shippers stop pretending it's canon? *The Path of Seeking* is a romance-free novel, okay? Stop projecting your delusions onto the story!"
— "Some dreamers really need to stop masquerading as Bai-Li shippers. We all know what kind of people they are."
— "*The Path of Seeking* is romance-free! I repeat, *The Path of Seeking* is romance-free!!"
As a devoted Bai-Li shipper, Xia Lianqiao felt like her head was about to explode from rage.
Damn it! Our Langhuan and Bai Ji'an are a match made in heaven. Who dares to oppose them?!
Just as Xia Lianqiao took a deep breath, ready to grab a glass of water and prepare her counterarguments to tear into each and every one of them—
Suddenly, in her excitement, her foot caught on the power strip, and with a loud *thud*, her head hit the corner of the desk. She instantly lost consciousness.
How long had passed? Xia Lianqiao woke up in a daze, her mind still foggy.
Where was she? Wait, what had she been about to do?
Her legs felt wet, as if splashed with water.
Had her room flooded?
A fishy, salty smell reached her nose, and the faint noises she had been hearing grew louder and louder, rumbling like thunder.
Then, a man's urgent voice exploded in her ears.
"Langhuan!!!"
Xia Lianqiao's eyes snapped open, and she was stunned by the sight before her, fully awake now.
She was standing on a cliff by the sea, dark clouds rolling in the distance, the sky and sea merging as towering waves crashed against the rocks.
Wait, what was going on with her hands?
Her hands felt something strange, like the texture of a human body through fabric. She instinctively pulled her hands back, but immediately realized something was wrong.
In front of her, a figure in green was plummeting off the cliff at a terrifying speed!
Xia Lianqiao: ?!?!
Holy crap, did she just push that person off?!
As if to confirm her suspicion, another voice, warm and pleasant but now frantic, erupted with a hint of roaring horse.
Before she could react, Xia Lianqiao watched as a figure in white leaped after the green figure, plunging into the sea in what seemed like a double suicide.
"Wait—" Her words of protest were cut short.
Xia Lianqiao: !!!
What the hell is going on?! Did she just time-travel?! Could someone please explain what was happening?! Wasn't she just about to engage in an online 1v1 battle?!
Before she could think further, the urgency of the situation snapped her back to reality. These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, and she quickly grabbed the overly long hem of her dress and rushed to the edge of the cliff, peering down.
Below, the man in white was hanging precariously from the cliff with one hand, while a white ribbon shot out from his other hand, catching the falling figure in green.
The figure in green, judging by her silhouette and attire, was undoubtedly a woman.
Ignoring the physics-defying ribbon for now, Xia Lianqiao was still in shock when the man in white noticed her and barked, "Aren't you going to help?!"
Xia Lianqiao: "..."
I know you're in a hurry, but so am I. Calm down.
After assessing the situation, Xia Lianqiao thought: ...She wanted to help, but without any tools or martial arts skills, how was she supposed to save anyone?
"Bai Ji'an, I'm fine!" The figure in green suddenly called out, her voice clear and bright.
The man in white seemed to relax slightly and stopped paying attention to Xia Lianqiao. He retracted the ribbon, found a foothold on the cliff, and with a leap, managed to pull himself and the ribbon back onto solid ground.
Without wasting a second, he leaned over the edge again to pull up the woman in green.
Xia Lianqiao quickly seized the opportunity, grabbing the ribbon and helping to haul the woman up.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the man in white giving her a cold glance, his anger barely concealed, but he was too preoccupied to confront her.
Innocent and caught in the crossfire, she thought to herself: ...
Heaven knows she didn't push that girl off the cliff. She had just time-traveled, and of all the moments to land in, why this one? Was it just to take the blame for the original owner of this body? But she had no time to dwell on it, focusing all her energy on saving the woman.
"Langhuan, are you alright?" The man in white asked hurriedly, his voice barely audible over the crashing waves.
The woman's clear voice replied, "I'm fine for now, but Bai Ji'an, you need to help Ling Chongxiao! That demonic serpent has absorbed the Jade Dew, and I fear Ling Chongxiao won't be able to hold it off alone!"
Xia Lianqiao: ...Who is Ling Chongxiao?
Was there a third person here?
The man in white—Bai Ji'an—looked up at the sky.
By now, Xia Lianqiao had figured out that she might have landed in a martial arts or cultivation world. Since the woman in green seemed safe for the moment, she followed Bai Ji'an's gaze.
What she saw shattered and rebuilt her worldview in an instant.
The dark clouds and raging waves weren't just a storm—they were caused by a massive, serpentine demon writhing in the sky.
Amid the demonic aura, the faint sound of clashing weapons could be heard.
A golden light pierced through the dark clouds, flickering in and out as it battled the demon. When the light vanished, the sky grew darker, but when it reappeared, it shone like the sun, cleansing the air of the demonic miasma.
Even from her vantage point, Xia Lianqiao could tell that the golden light was the "Ling Chongxiao" the woman in green had mentioned.
She felt a wave of dizziness. This wasn't just martial arts—it was cultivation, and far more dangerous than she had imagined.
Bai Ji'an glanced at the sky, his expression grave. With Langhuan still not entirely safe, he couldn't leave to assist Ling Chongxiao.
Even if he could—
Bai Ji'an let out a bitter laugh. Langhuan was overestimating him. How could a mere mortal like him intervene in such a battle?
Worry for Ling Chongxiao mingled with envy in his heart. Just then, he noticed Xia Lianqiao's gaze and felt a pang of unease.
A few months ago, Bai Ji'an's old friend Xia Yuanqing had passed away, entrusting his only daughter, Xia Lianqiao, to him. Bai Ji'an had promised to escort her to the Mirror Flower Palace, the most prestigious sect on the Qiyun Continent.
If not for his promise to his late friend, Bai Ji'an would never have agreed to take this spoiled young lady on such a journey. Over the months, he had come to understand her temperament all too well.
Originally, I thought she was just a bit spoiled and foolish, but I never expected her nature to be truly malicious.
Usually, this girl harbored jealousy and resentment toward Li Langhuan. He had assumed it was just Xia Lianqiao’s arrogance and a typical sense of rivalry, so he didn’t pay much attention to it. But if he hadn’t witnessed with his own eyes Xia Lianqiao pushing Langhuan off the cliff during the chaos, he would have remained oblivious. He wondered what Langhuan had done to provoke such cruelty from her.
At this moment, Xia Lianqiao was unaware that Bai Ji'an’s impression of her had already solidified as a “malicious fool.” Her gaze was still fixed on the sky, which resembled a Hollywood special effects blockbuster.
In the distance, a golden line seemed to gain the upper hand. The golden light surged, and in the blink of an eye, it suppressed the swirling demonic clouds. Immediately after, a white figure, enveloped in sword light, soared into the air and stood atop the clouds, revealing the form of a young Taoist in white robes.
He was a strikingly handsome youth, with eyebrows like crescent moons, a high and straight nose, thin yet soft lips, and skin as fair as jade.
The young man frowned, his expression cold and stern. Sword energy radiated from his body like flowing light, shimmering and flickering unpredictably.
His robes billowed in the wind as he stood atop the waves and clouds, his demeanor aloof and imposing, exuding both pride and killing intent.
Behind him, thirty-six sword auras unfurled, resembling a blazing sun, rotating endlessly.
Ling Chongxiao, expressionless, pointed with two fingers, and one of the swords shot through the air, chasing after the evil dragon.
The dragon, realizing it was outmatched, panicked and tried to flee.
Seeing this, Ling Chongxiao coldly shouted, “You scaled and armored creature, how dare you think you can escape from me, Ling Chongxiao?”
He then commanded the remaining sword auras, which shot out one after another, surrounding the dragon from all sides, leaving no room for escape.
The sword light twisted, and the dragon let out a painful cry, but what emerged was a sharp, female voice: “Ling Chongxiao!! If you don’t kill me today, I swear I’ll take revenge in the future!”
The youth merely sneered, “Bold words for someone on the brink of death.”
Xia Lianqiao: “...”
This way of speaking...
Could someone tell her if she had transmigrated into a novel like *The Legend of the Swordsmen of Shu Mountains* or something?
The battle between the youth and the dragon was fierce, with demonic energy and righteous energy clashing, causing the earth to tremble and the sea to rise in towering waves.
The scene was too grand—immortals battling while mortals suffered. Realizing she had transmigrated into a high-risk world, Xia Lianqiao didn’t dare to linger. After a quick glance, she turned her attention elsewhere.
—Saving someone was more important.
She quickly grabbed the white ribbon in her hand, trying to pull the girl up. But before she could exert any force, her peripheral vision caught sight of a little girl, about five or six years old, sitting on the rocky shore not far away!
Xia Lianqiao: ?!
Why was there a child here?!
It probably wouldn’t matter if she left this place, since that white-robed guy was still around.
After only a second of hesitation, Xia Lianqiao let go of the ribbon and sprinted toward the little girl.
Meanwhile, Bai Ji'an, who had been keeping an eye on Xia Lianqiao’s movements, noticed her sudden change. Without warning, her expression shifted, and she abruptly abandoned Li Langhuan and ran away.
Originally, he could have pulled Langhuan up by himself, but after several intense battles, his strength was depleted, which was why he had asked Xia Lianqiao to help hold the flying immortal rope.
Glancing at the approaching giant wave and then at Xia Lianqiao’s fleeing figure, Bai Ji'an’s heart grew cold. Though he remained composed, his peach-blossom eyes betrayed a hint of disgust:
Stupid, malicious, and cowardly. The wave was just intimidating; it wouldn’t actually harm them.
He sighed inwardly: Old friend Xia Yuanqing, how did you raise such a daughter?
Meanwhile, high in the clouds, Ling Chongxiao was fully focused on dealing with the evil dragon.
Although this avatar of his was only at the third level of the Mingdao Realm—far from the full power of his true form—it was still formidable, with the ability to hear and see everything around him. Xia Lianqiao’s actions didn’t escape his notice.
However, he trusted that Li Langhuan’s abilities were sufficient to prevent her from being killed by a single push off the cliff.
His sword heart remained unshaken, impervious to disturbances, as calm as still water and as clear as a dustless mirror.
The youth merely glanced coldly in her direction before refocusing on the dragon, a long-standing scourge of the East Sea.
Back on the ground, Xia Lianqiao, who as a lazy college student would normally take a minute or two to cover such a distance, found herself moving with incredible speed. In just a few steps, she had crossed several meters. Before she could marvel at this newfound agility, she had already reached the little girl and scooped her up.
The child, who should have weighed dozens of pounds, felt as light as a feather in her arms.
The girl, delicate and doll-like, was so frightened that she could only wail uncontrollably. As soon as Xia Lianqiao touched her, a sudden realization struck her, and she looked up.
A towering wave was crashing down toward them—
In that split second, her body reacted like a shonen manga protagonist, swiftly shielding the little girl in her arms.
With a deafening roar, Xia Lianqiao and the child were swept several meters away by the wave. Her body was scraped and bloodied by the sharp, barnacle-covered rocks beneath her.
Grimacing in pain, she sucked in a sharp breath, but before she could check her injuries, she saw another wave rising. Clenching her teeth, she stood up and stumbled back, still holding the trembling child.
Even during her 800-meter fitness test, she had never run so hard. Fortunately, the little girl didn’t struggle, clinging tightly to her clothes, too scared to even cry, her whole body shaking.
The evil dragon, having terrorized the East Sea for so long, was no ordinary foe.
It quickly noticed Ling Chongxiao’s momentary distraction and prepared to unleash a cloud of demonic mist as a sneak attack. However, Ling Chongxiao swiftly regained focus, his expression unchanged as he swung his sword down with force.
By now, the dragon was at its limit, but it hadn’t expected the youth to be so cunning.
Seeing her last hope vanish, the dragon’s form flickered, revealing the image of a disheveled yet striking woman. Desperate and furious, she screamed, “Brat! I’ve done nothing to you! Why have you chased me for thousands of miles, determined to kill me?!”
It turned out that Ling Chongxiao had been pursuing her for three days. The vast East Sea stretched for thousands of miles, and he had relentlessly chased her across it.
Meanwhile, Xia Lianqiao, having narrowly escaped danger, was struggling to climb the cliff with the little girl in her arms.
Suddenly, she heard the dragon’s thunderous shout from the sky. Even in this dire situation, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe: …Wow, thousands of miles? This Taoist Ling chased the dragon all the way to America.
No matter what the dragon tried, Ling Chongxiao remained calm and composed, relentlessly pursuing her with the determination of a god of death, his killing intent palpable.
Over the past few days, the dragon’s flesh had been flayed by his sword light, and one of its limbs had been severed. It was now on the verge of death.
Unmoved by the dragon’s accusations, Ling Chongxiao summoned a golden sword light from his brow, ready to deliver the final blow.
Suddenly, a massive stone tablet, about ten feet tall, appeared in front of the dragon. The sword light struck the tablet and was momentarily halted.
The dragon, equally surprised, quickly seized the opportunity. With a roar, it dove into the dark, churning sea.
By the time the sword light shattered the tablet and reached where the dragon had been, it was already gone.
The tablet, unable to withstand the overwhelming sword energy, exploded into countless fragments, raining down into the ocean.
To his surprise, at this critical moment, the vicious dragon managed to escape. Seeing this, Ling Chongxiao slightly furrowed his brows. Well, it couldn’t be helped. The dragon had already lost two of its limbs and suffered a strike from his sword energy. It likely wouldn’t cause any trouble in the coming days.
With a wave of his hand, the distant sword pill transformed into a speck of starlight and vanished into the space between his eyebrows.
In an instant, a thin, cinnabar-red scar appeared, stretching from the center of his forehead to the space between his brows.
Ling Chongxiao slowly descended from the clouds, catching Li Langhuan mid-air and gently placing her on the cliff’s edge.
His robes fluttered in the wind, his expression calm and aloof, exuding an undeniable aura of a cool and detached hero.
At this moment, Xia Lianqiao finally managed to climb up the cliff, still holding the little girl in her arms. Seeing that the green-robed girl, who she suspected had been pushed off the cliff by "her," was unharmed, Xia Lianqiao let out a long sigh of relief.
Seizing the opportunity, Xia Lianqiao finally got a clear look at the green-robed girl’s face. The moment she did, she was completely stunned, utterly captivated by the sight.
What kind of celestial beauty was this?!
The girl’s appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin as fair as frost and snow. Her eyes sparkled with a bright, lively light, like the clear waters of autumn. The heroic spirit in her brows softened her striking beauty, giving her a refreshing and pleasing demeanor that made anyone who saw her instantly delighted.
As soon as the green-robed girl steadied herself on the ground, she turned to Ling Chongxiao and clasped her hands in gratitude, saying, “Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist Ling (Lin).”
Bai Ji'an, standing in front of her, couldn’t help but smile with relief and asked in a clear voice, “Are you both unharmed, Fellow Daoists Ling Chongxiao and Langhuan?”
Wait a minute.
Xia Lianqiao, who had been standing to the side holding the little girl and acting as an onlooker, froze. Her mind buzzed with shock.
Before she could even recover from this wave of astonishment, she was struck by another thunderous realization.
She stared blankly at the white-robed young man before her.
…What did you say this cool guy and this stunning green-robed beauty were called?
Ling… Chong… Xiao?! Langhuan?!
Which Ling Chongxiao?
Ling Jiu?! Ling Shouyi?!
