Giant trees blotted out the sky, their branches interwoven into a living canopy. Coiled among them, a massive green-scaled python dangled its tail like a false vine.

Any careless traveler might tug at it in passing—only to find themselves plunging straight into the gaping maw of the waiting serpent.

Fortunately, the Twin Dragon Secret Realm opened so rarely that the spirit beasts inhabiting this land had long forgotten what humans even were, each pursuing its own destiny in the endless struggle for survival.

Even the fall of a Golden Dragon Fragment was, to the beasts dwelling here, nothing more than a fateful opportunity—never realizing that they themselves had also become part of that very fate.

The serpent’s cold eyes glared from the canopy. Its tongue flickered, tasting the air; its head twisted, venom gathering at its fangs. Yet before it could strike, a flash of sword light split the green gloom. With a resounding crack, the great serpent slammed to the earth, its body hewn clean in two. Like a shell pried open, its bisected form revealed a still-beating heart thudding within.

Tap, tap.

Footsteps drew near. A human silhouette reflected in the serpent’s fading pupils. The newcomer severed its head, cut open its belly, and drew out a shard gleaming like a dragon’s scale—its golden brilliance dazzling, its raw spiritual energy thrumming so fiercely it seemed ready to burst free.

“Master, there’s only one!” A female disciple spoke respectfully, using a dust-removal spell to purify the scale before presenting it to the man approaching behind her.

The man had narrow, calculating eyes and thin lips that gave him an inherently untrustworthy appearance. This was Nie Xiu, the head disciple of Jade Cauldron Sect’s sect master—the same person who had previously intercepted Luanyang Palace’s ship.

Nie Xiu’s expression was thunderous as he stored the fragment in his storage ring. He stared down at the python’s corpse, his eyes narrowing to mere slits.

With an angry sweep of his sleeve, the serpent’s remains exploded into bloody chunks scattered across the ground. Only then did he snort with slight satisfaction and turn to leave.

His disciple lowered her head fearfully and hurried to follow.

“With my strength and speed, every fragment along this route should rightfully be mine!” Nie Xiu snarled. “Yet aside from that first day’s modest gains, I’ve spent days searching only to find a single scale! Where have all the fragments gone? Even the spirit beasts are scarce!”

“Master, I doesn’t know…… could it be that someone has beaten us to them?” his student suggested hesitantly.

Nie Xiu’s brow furrowed as he replied coldly, “Among the three thousand selected for the competition, Nascent Soul cultivators can be counted on two hands. Most are from the Central Continent, and I arrived ahead of them to search for fragments. Unless someone circled around to intercept me from the front……”

But who would dare do such a thing?

Several names flashed through his mind, but anyone capable of entering the second round and hindering him without being detected…… Nie Xiu’s frown deepened.

“Master, those Central Continent cultivators have to consider Jade Cauldron Sect’s influence. Could this be the work of disciples from other continents?” his student ventured. “Do you remember the Luanyang Palace?”

At the mention of Luanyang Palace, Nie Xiu’s rage flared instantly. Humiliation and fury tangled in his chest.

That day when Seraphine had shattered his ship with a single sword strike, that contemptuous look in her eyes was seared into his memory, nearly forming an inner demon. If he couldn’t get revenge, this incident would torment him for the rest of his life!

But the Twin Dragon Secret Realm forbade private conflicts, leaving him with no outlet for retaliation.

“That day I was merely careless.” Nie Xiu said through gritted teeth. “Seraphine is Yunong Velka’s daughter after all—naturally she carries many treasures that allowed her to succeed through ambush. In a direct confrontation, how could a mere Golden Core cultivator match me?”

“She wouldn’t dare play tricks in my presence.”

“But Master, Seraphine is arrogant and rebellious. With only early Golden Core cultivation, she dared to challenge you directly. She doesn’t seem afraid of anything.” his disciple whispered. “And I heard today that she’s broken through again, and there’s now a supposedly powerful sword cultivator at her side! Someone from…… the Lingshan Sect?”

Nie Xiu’s face twisted with rage. He’d already heard about Seraphine reaching Great Perfection Golden Core—that news had spread across all five continents. How much time had passed since then, and she’d broken through again?

As for this Lingshan person, he dismissed them entirely. He’d never heard of such a sect—how powerful could their disciples be? Even if they had some skill, the world was full of talented sword cultivators, himself included. What truly galled him was Seraphine’s seemingly endless good fortune.

An enemy’s success only fueled his fury further.

“Enough! Such talk is pointless. I’ll settle accounts with her after this year’s competition ends. Since we suspect someone is blocking our path, let’s change routes and flush out this meddler!” Nie Xiu suppressed his towering rage, pulled out his previously marked map, and headed toward another area rich with fragment markers.

⁂

After they completely vanished from the forest, rustling sounds came from the treetops above where they’d stood. Several leaves fluttered down, revealing a glint of silver light among the branches.

“Swoosh!” I said, extending two matchstick-thin appendages through the leaf cover, each gripping a leaf. I rolled them into a telescope shape and held it up to my optical sensor, tracking Nie Xiu’s retreat.

[UPDATING MISSION MAP]

[TARGET CONFIRMED]

The map floating before me highlighted a new region. I shook off the green leaves I’d been using as camouflage and spun in a circle, scattering the foliage before accelerating toward my destination.

Silver-white light streaked through the dense forest like lightning across a clear sky—visible for only an instant before vanishing completely.

A bird perched on a nearby branch spread its wings and stared blankly at the empty space ahead: Chirp?

Beside the lake, within the jade house nestled among peach blossoms, a figure in pale blue robes opened her eyes. She reached out to catch the silver orb that had suddenly stopped in mid-air, murmuring softly, “Swoosh.”

“How did it go?” came a lazy voice from the inner chamber.

I looked up to see Seraphine’s pale fingers part the pearl curtain as she emerged, adjusting her robes with graceful movements. She smiled softly and asked, “Everything went smoothly?”

“Extremely smoothly, but we need to depart immediately!” I announced, still wearing the flower crown on my head as I studied her face intently.

Seraphine raised an eyebrow, touching her cheek curiously. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

I curved my optical sensors into crescents and pointed at her forehead.

“Hmph, trust you to notice such details. Pull up the map so I can take a look.” Seraphine approached, her step ornaments chiming softly. The jeweled strands hanging from her hair arrangement draped elegantly across her brow. Her forehead decoration had changed from the usual gold-red design to delicate pink peach blossoms, making her already stunning features appear even more charming.

I discretely updated my Seraphine Portrait Collection with new material while projecting and enlarging the map for her review. “Nie Xiu and his disciple have changed course toward the southwest. We’ll continue as before—I’ll handle the nearby fragments while you clear out the distant ones, ensuring he finds nothing wherever he goes.”

“If there’s any danger, contact me immediately!” I added with utmost seriousness, having specifically learned communication techniques for this operation.

Seraphine drawled lazily, “Don’t worry.”

“I have far more important matters to attend to. This place isn’t worth risking my life over.” With that, she plucked a peach blossom from Echo’s floral crown and tucked it into her own hair.

I curved my sensors into happy crescents.

⁂

Meanwhile, Nie Xiu had separated from his disciple and was traveling alone through the mountain forest. The golden dragon’s fragments had shattered into tens of thousands of pieces scattered throughout the secret realm like finding needles in a haystack.

However, after choosing this new direction, he’d found success for the first few days, making him wonder if his previous bad luck had simply been a coincidence.

Then the fruitless searching began again.

Everywhere he went, he found absolutely nothing.

Forget golden dragon fragments—he couldn’t even find a decent spirit beast or spiritual herb.

At this point, even someone with the intelligence of a pig would realize that someone was deliberately sabotaging him!

“Damn it! Who could it be?!” Nie Xiu roared in fury.

A thousand meters away on a high mountain peak, I sat on a cliff edge weaving flowers, my legs swinging freely as I hummed a tuneless melody. Since I couldn’t display musical notes, I had to make do with my own off-key humming.

Exotic flowers and rare herbs surrounded me in colorful piles, their sweet and delicate fragrances mingling in the mountain breeze. I took a sniff and noted that the scent was just as pleasant as Seraphine’s natural fragrance.

The ancients spoke of climbing high to see far, and from my vantage point, I could observe the entire forest below. Nie Xiu’s angry sword strikes flashed like beacons in the darkness, illuminating his path.

I held up a flower and recited dramatically to the sun: “The nine heavens seem close before my eyes, while golden fragments suddenly rise beneath my feet!”

Down in the forest, Nie Xiu seemed determined to force out his hidden tormentor. He released his Nascent Soul pressure, causing thousands of trees to bow instantly as the overwhelming aura spread outward in waves.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, as the jade hairpin formation atop my head activated to completely conceal my presence. Nie Xiu seemed to sense something, frowning as he leaped into the air on his flying artifact to scan the surroundings.

Mist drifted through the mountain wilds, and trees trembled under the cultivator’s oppressive force. The forest, swept by his spiritual pressure, sent countless birds fleeing in panic.

“Heh.” Nie Xiu sneered coldly, suddenly producing a talisman from his storage ring and forming hand seals for an oath.

I paused, collecting all the surrounding flowers and herbs into my storage ring before rising unhurriedly to my feet.

“Wind Walker’s Rage, go!” Nie Xiu shouted. The talisman exploded instantly, transforming into hundreds of tornadoes that swept out in all directions. Each tornado was incredibly fierce, seeming to connect heaven and earth as it spun and devoured everything in its path, exposing vast patches of black soil.

If struck by one of these tornadoes, anyone below his cultivation level would die or be severely crippled.

For Nie Xiu to use such a destructive attack talisman now showed just how enraged he’d become. He hovered on his flying artifact, eyes scanning in all directions as the tornadoes ravaged the earth, his gaze vicious and calculating.

I glanced toward Seraphine’s location, considered my options, then drew Nine Heavens.

Clang.

The divine weapon sang as it left its sheath, causing clouds to tremble and mist to quiver.

Bone-chilling cold descended like snow, ice crystals swirling around the frost-covered blade as it danced through the air.

Nie Xiu felt the sudden chill and narrowed his eyes. From within the mountains, a flash of silver-white sword light blazed forth. The rampaging tornadoes was cleaved apart in midair—one half crashing against the cliff face, the other soaring skyward before vanishing without a trace.

Debris caught in the tornadoes crashed down like rain. Another clear sword cry rang out as a massive ice wall erupted from the ground, forming a whale-tail canopy above Echo’s head to block the noise and falling rubble.

“……It’s you.” Nie Xiu’s pupils contracted as he recognized Echo’s sword intent.

When Seraphine had unleashed that snowy sword strike on his ship, she hadn’t been a sword cultivator, and her cultivation shouldn’t have been able to harm him! Yet now he sensed the same bone-deep chill from this woman’s blade!

Across the vast distance, They locked eyes.

Nie Xiu studied my cold features and the silver-white hair flowing in the wind, his brow furrowed deeply as he demanded, “Who are you?”

“What is your relationship to Seraphine?”

“Are you the one sabotaging me from the shadows?”

I remained silent, sword held at the ready.

The Twin Dragon Secret Realm was experiencing spring, and warm sunlight struck the ice layers, casting pale blue reflections through my long hair and adding ethereal color to the flowing strands. Hidden among those dancing locks, hints of rainbow light shifted with the breeze.

My expression remained calm, my eyes like frozen pools beneath long lashes as I gazed steadily at Nie Xiu.

“Just passing through.” I said simply.

I slung my sword across my back and discretely shifted my optical focus to a random point in the distance.

Humans had this concept called “beautiful lies” and I was merely employing that technique.

Hahaha.

“……”

How could Nie Xiu believe it? He let out an exasperated laugh, then coldly asked, “Was it Seraphine who sent you?”

No, I had devised this plan myself. Seraphine was merely one of the executors.

I looked back at him directly.

Staring at Echo’s unchanging, perfectly calm expression, a flash of wariness crossed Nie Xiu’s eyes. This person’s cultivation exceeded his own—he was no match for her. And the Twin Dragon Secret Realm forbade private combat!

“You’re obstructing me like this—aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the Venerable?” Nie Xiu said coldly. “Leaving this place is simple. One merely needs to crush a dragon fragment to exit the secret realm. If I inform Ink-Trace Venerable of your actions, what good end could you possibly meet!”

His words were barely finished when a sword strike whooshed past his cheek. With a thunderous BOOM, an impossibly tall and thick ice wall erupted from the ground.

Nie Xiu felt his hair stand on end, cold sweat breaking out across his back despite himself.

“You……”

I interrupted him, speaking in steady, measured tones to explain: “When humans create rules without comprehensive definitions, many semantic loopholes can be exploited.”

BOOM.

Another ice wall slammed down. Nie Xiu was forced to land, watching helplessly as the figure on the mountain became indistinct. But to ensure he heard clearly, I considerately raised my voice.

“I haven’t harmed you, nor do I want your life.” I sent out another sword strike, saying softly, “I’m simply asking you to stay put.”

CRASH!

“My cultivation exceeds yours. When I ask you to stay put, you must stay put.”

RUMBLE!

“Isn’t this exactly what you intended to do to Seraphine?” I concluded, pursing my lips to blow away a snowflake drifting before my face.

Below me, the previously level ground now featured a bizarre giant ice sculpture composed of multiple ice walls—a massive frozen formation resembling a ship rising from the earth.

I flew over and used Nine Heavens to carve the shape of a bird at the prow, smiling with satisfaction.

“All of it, returned in full.” I murmured softly.

[Author’s Note]:

My cultivation exceeds Seraphine...… yet somehow, I still follow her orders. 🥰 Curious how obedient I can be? Want to see what happens in the next 20 chapters before everyone else? All the juicy twists are waiting for you on Pxtreon! The rightful source is N()velFire.net