Yi Feng let out a helpless sigh.

"Being a Half-Saint isn’t all that great. If I’m being honest, the old days were much more carefree."

Back then, $2i Feng had no cultivation at all.

His days were spent managing the Martial Arts Hall, leisurely sipping tea with friends, and occasionally hunting wild game to spice up his meals—life was unhurried and utterly comfortable.

In those days, he envied the immortals.

But after gaining his cultivation, he became busy completing one system task after another.

Those leisurely moments became rare.

Lately, $2e had been tirelessly pursuing his grand mission of seeking death, trying countless methods along the way—yet none had borne even the slightest result.

The road ahead was long and uncertain.

Unconsciously, $2i Feng found himself longing for the past.

At the very least, $2ven if he couldn’t live as carefree as a mortal, back in Pingjiang City, finding death had been a matter of minutes.

Any terrifyingly powerful Martial Spirit expert could have ended him with a single finger tap, fulfilling his dream instantly.

But now?

Half-Saint!

His cultivation was decent, sure.

Plenty might even envy him.

Yet no one could understand Yi Feng’s bitterness—his quest for death had become infinitely harder. Short of a true Saint, no one could grant him his wish now.

With those words, $2 myriad of emotions flickered in Yi Feng’s eyes, a glimmer of nostalgia surfacing.

Seeing his expression, $2ai Piaopiao was stunned…

She had assumed Yi Feng’s sigh stemmed from some insurmountable obstacle and had resolved to help however she could.

But instead, $2e was simply reminiscing about the past.

Such a mindset…

While the world dreamed of immortality and devoted everything to the path of cultivation—where centuries passed like fleeting moments—only those with unshakable resolve could tread the immortal road.

Countless prodigies abandoned everything, even their own hearts and pasts, for the sake of the Dao.

In the end, $2ost perished, their efforts amounting to nothing.

Yet this Young Master Yi, $2ith his extraordinary talent, had reached Half-Saint in mere years—yet he cared nothing for it. Instead, he cherished his memories.

His heart remained unchanged…

Such a state of mind was rare even among cultivators.

Not even most Saints could compare.

Bai Piaopiao stole glances at Yi Feng, $2er heartbeat quickening, her usual calm nowhere to be found.

After watching him silently for a long while, $2is face, unseen for years, now seemed especially pleasing to her eyes. Hearing his words, she grew even more awed, even feeling a touch of inadequacy.

Only he could remain so composed.

Yi Feng was, as always, that warm-hearted man of unparalleled brilliance—unchanged through it all.

Just like her.

No matter how her cultivation or circumstances shifted, she too remained steadfast.

The more she looked, the more her heart swelled with joy.

Even their silent companionship spoke volumes, surpassing a thousand words.

Bai Piaopiao’s gaze softened further, her surroundings fading from awareness—even the subtle dissipation of her Dao insights went unnoticed…

Profound, unfathomable wisps of her aura spread like threads around her.

Where they passed, $2lowers bloomed in silence, and all things seemed touched by spring.

Witnessing this, Su Jie—her sword cradled in her arms—froze in disbelief.

Why…

Why had Bai Piaopiao’s Dao comprehension deepened again?

Faintly, $2t even rivaled the mysteries of her own peerless Sword Dao—indescribable, yet undeniably advanced.

All of this, $2riggered by mere words, had brought about such a transformation.

Su Jie’s clear eyes sharpened as she studied the pair.

Yet all she saw were two people sitting peacefully, chatting and laughing softly.

She was utterly baffled…

As a peerless immortal cultivator unseen in millions of years, one who had long attained the realm of a Saint, even she found it difficult to grasp the truth behind all this.

The path of love.

It seemed profoundly mysterious, ineffable and unfathomable!

Observing quietly.

Bai Piaopiao remained seated in serene conversation, her gentle smile—unseen for many years—radiating an entirely different aura, her gaze fixed solely on Yi Feng.

As if.

Everything around her, even the heavens and earth, paled in comparison to that man.

Such devotion.

Su Jie grew increasingly perplexed!

In her eyes.

Though Yi Feng possessed decent cultivation, having reached the Half-Saint realm, and his demeanor was passable, he had no other outstanding qualities.

A Half-Saint.

Was still merely a Half-Saint.

That half-step difference was an insurmountable chasm, perhaps impossible to bridge in this lifetime—or the gap might only widen further!

Over countless millennia.

Su Jie had witnessed innumerable so-called geniuses.

Most of whom stagnated at this very stage.

As the strongest Saint, her title of the Invincible Sword Saint was no empty boast. With monstrous talent and relentless, almost fanatical training, she had achieved her current realm.

Her standards were naturally sky-high; she had never paid much attention to Half-Saints.

At the very least.

Only a Saint could catch her eye.

Now, seeing her dear friend so fixated on Yi Feng, Su Jie couldn’t comprehend it.

Even accounting for the benefits of Great Dao cultivation.

Yi Feng was simply too ordinary.

Apart from that fleeting glimpse of literary flair earlier, he had no other remarkable traits. While such individuals weren’t exactly commonplace, the gap between him and a Saint was vast.

They were not on the same level at all.

And yet.

Bai Piaopiao was utterly captivated by this man.

Watching as her friend seemed almost bewitched, yet her qi remained steady.

That state.

Was deeply peculiar!

Su Jie grew even more baffled.

It felt as though she had encountered the greatest enigma since embarking on her immortal path!

Her curious gaze bore into them...

After who knew how long.

Yi Feng appeared somewhat weary.

Only then did Bai Piaopiao regain a measure of composure.

Instructing her attendants to treat Yi Feng as an honored guest and arrange his rest.

As his figure receded into the distance.

Bai Piaopiao stared transfixed, her clear eyes brimming with tender warmth.

"Stop staring, he’s long gone."

A calm voice interrupted.

Bai Piaopiao startled slightly.

Only then noticing Su Jie standing beside her, arms crossed over her sword, eyes sharp with suspicion.

Meeting her friend’s probing gaze.

Bai Piaopiao’s eyes flickered away, masking her fluster and shyness by busying herself with pouring tea.

"My apologies..."

"Reuniting with an old friend after so long, I..."

Before she could finish.

Su Jie, who had waited a full two hours, could no longer suppress her burning curiosity.

Cutting straight to the point!

"Just why are you so fixated on him? You seem... almost as if you’ve fallen into demonic deviation."

Huh?

Demonic deviation?

Was it that obvious...

The bluntness of the question left Bai Piaopiao momentarily speechless.

Even from a dear friend.

Speaking of such matters...

Filled her with bashfulness, rendering her nearly tongue-tied.

Seeing Su Jie’s stern expression, eyes alight with intense puzzlement—clearly driven by pure curiosity—Bai Piaopiao relaxed slightly.

Explaining this to a cultivation prodigy like her would take more than a few words.

Yet when pressed about Yi Feng.

Bai Piaopiao’s gaze softened further.

Witnessing that peculiar look, Su Jie grew even more serious.

"His cultivation is mediocre, barely a Half-Saint. His literary talent is unremarkable, surpassed by countless others. What exactly do you see in him?"

Faced with such pointed questioning.

Bai Piaopiao no longer evaded, offering only a faint, knowing smile.

"I do not value these material things. You wouldn’t understand."

Wouldn’t understand?!

Su Jie was taken aback—there had never been anything she couldn’t comprehend.

But now…

She was genuinely at a loss.

For a moment, she found herself unable to retort.

Meanwhile, $2ai Piaopiao had already walked alone to the stone table, grinding ink and picking up a brush, just like an ordinary mortal.

Before long, $2elicate calligraphy flowed onto the paper as she murmured softly, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Seeking immortality, I ask of eternal life, treading clouds and seas in celestial flight. Divine peaks welcome fellow seekers; market streets weave dreams of kin and friends......"

Witnessing this almost trance-like state, $2u Jie’s brows furrowed slightly.

Had she truly succumbed to demonic deviation?

Yet upon discreetly probing, she found her friend entirely normal—the faint wisps of Dao essence radiating from her had even grown denser, nearly surpassing her own.

Su Jie stood frozen in place, $2tterly bewildered.

After a pensive silence, $2he Invincible Sword Saint departed, retreating to her meditation chamber for rigorous cultivation and reflection...