Seraphine stepped into Golden Jade Tower.

A Sunset Glow City cultivator in golden disciple robes hurried over enthusiastically. “Palace Lord Velka, please come in! How is Fellow Daoist Xi’s health?”

Suppressing the urge to look back, Seraphine replied lazily, “Manageable.”

She produced two golden dragon fragments, handing them to the disciple. “I want a fragment ranking list.”

“Right away!” The Sunset Glow City disciple grinned and disappeared into a room. Soon he returned with a jade token carved with an ingot symbol. “Palace Lord Velka, this token is only for reference estimates, not actual counts. With five months remaining until the secret realm closes, you can bring this list to Golden Jade Tower at the beginning of each month to have the on-duty disciples update the rankings.”

Seraphine nodded, weighing the jade token thoughtfully.

The Sunset Glow City disciples’ ability to establish Golden Jade Tower so quickly, partner with Thousand Beauty Valley’s medical cultivators, and create this ranking system showed real skill. Seraphine suspected about half the cultivators’ fragment counts on this list were accurate, with the remainder being Sunset Glow City’s estimates based on cultivation levels and other factors.

As she walked toward the exit with her jade token, an furious cultivator stormed past her, shouting, “Where’s ZhaoHangyi? He took my fragments and gave me fake information! I spent five whole fragments for intelligence on a Frost Purple Tree location, and when I got there—no fruit, no tree!”

Seraphine’s steps slowed, eyebrow arching.

Frost Purple Tree?

The same “potted plant” Echo had excitedly presented to her as treasure on their reunion day? It had been quite beautiful, hanging with gem-like purple fruits.

The Sunset Glow City disciple rushed to explain, “Fellow Daoist Li, we would never deceive you! If you didn’t find the tree, someone else must have gotten there first!”

Fellow Daoist Li raged, “Another ‘got there first’! How many of these incidents have there been at Golden Jade Tower over the past months? Red Lotus Sect’s Shi Yingyue’s Candlefire Golden Lotus—someone got there first! The Shadow-Devouring Serpent that the Boundless Sect brothers wanted—someone got there first! The Brocade Thousand-Leaf that Heaven and Earth Hall’s vice hall master sought—someone got there first! Tell me, are you deliberately spreading false information to cheat us of our fragments?”

“How could we?” The disciple protested. “We only collect information from various cultivators and provide it as-is. We can’t guarantee treasures will wait patiently to be harvested. Fellow Daoist, even our young master’s coveted Dustless Gold was taken by someone who got there first!”

“Hmph! Merchants care only for profit—who knows if your words are true or false!” Fellow Daoist Li’s anger diminished somewhat. He waved his sleeve dismissively, glancing at the Thousand Beauty Valley medical cultivator maintaining her clinic nearby. With a sigh, he added, “Though I heard even the Dragon Sand Pure Pistil that the Thousand Beauty Valley medics wanted was taken by someone who got there first. If you were really scheming, why would they still cooperate with you?”

“Fine, I’ll trust you one more time……”

Seraphine stepped out of Golden Jade Tower, casting a backward glance at the two having their “enthusiastic” conversation.

She toyed with the jade token as she returned to the table, where Qiu Shuangshuang was animatedly describing how she’d defeated a “terrifying” spirit beast.

Looking up to see Seraphine’s expression, she paused with a grin. “Palace Lord, why do you look like that? Very…… profound!”

That was the word she chose.

“Is that so?” Seraphine sat down, giving Echo a meaningful look.

Echo stared blankly at the sky. System temporarily offline.

Seraphine waved her hand in front of her face with a sneer. “How?”

She slowly came back online, musing, “Complete enlightenment. Thoroughly reformed.”

“Good.” Seraphine nodded, placing the jade token on the table. Everyone’s gaze immediately fixed on it.

Qiu Shuangshuang clutched her chest, sucking in a sharp breath.

Seeing this, Echo quickly pushed the cooled medicine bowl back toward her.

Disciple, please take your supplements.

Seraphine said quietly, “Stop fooling around.”

She channeled spiritual energy into the jade token to examine its contents. The moment she saw the first name, Seraphinefroze in astonishment. She released her grip as if her energy input method was wrong, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her fingers, then tried channeling energy again.

Qiu Shuangshuang watched Seraphine with eager eyes, hands clasped together. “Palace Lord, first tell me how many fragments the hundredth-ranked cultivator has!”

Echo recognized that gesture perfectly. She clasped her hands together, curved her lips, and nodded approvingly.

Seraphine glanced at Echo with a light chuckle. “No rush.”

“According to this list, the first-ranked cultivator is Meng Xiangfei from Mysterious Yin Sect.”

At that name, Qiu Shuangshuang’s expression darkened with anger. “That witch! She captured and imprisoned us, trying to force us to hand over our fragments. Palace Lord, she caught Sister Siyi and Sister Mengtao too. If Master hadn’t saved us, she would have succeeded!”

Seraphine, unaware of this incident, looked coldly at Echo. “So you’ve already encountered her.”

“Yes, yes indeed.”

Echo’s eyes lit up as she met Seraphine’s gaze.

Seeing Echo’s expression, Seraphine raised her hand warningly, pointing at Echo from a distance: “You better watch your words carefully.”

She spoke carefully: “Seraphine, Meng Xiangfei is very beautiful, fashionably dressed, early Soul Transformation stage—a formidable opponent.”

The long-absent ranking list flashed before Seraphine’s eyes. She closed her eyes, then looked up coldly. “But her methods are despicable. Forcing others for fragments—such behavior disgusts me!”

Echo blinked, thinking of someone else. “Nie—”

“Nie Xiu is my enemy. I’m not forcing him,” Seraphine smiled coldly, her voice like frozen spring water. “I’m taking revenge.”

Understood.

Echo nodded, not mentioning Meng Xiangfei again.

This left Seraphine, who’d prepared numerous arguments, stunned and staring at Echo repeatedly.

She smiled with curved eyes.

Strange—giving up so easily? Seraphine felt uneasy.

Wei Yutong then said, “Palace Lord Velka, Senior Xi, speaking of Nie Xiu, I once saw him from afar in the Northern Frost Icefield. But he didn’t enter the Icefield—seemed quite wary of them and flew directly north.”

“Haha,” Echo said. “Good, I’ll go find him.”

Seeing them discuss Meng Xiangfei and then Nie Xiu, Qiu Shuangshuang pleaded anxiously, “Palace Lord, please tell us the rankings!”

“Okay.” Seraphine nodded, abandoning her teasing. “Golden Jade Tower’s first place: Meng Xiangfei of Mysterious Yin Sect, approximately eight hundred fragments.”

Wei Yutong gasped in surprise. “So many!”

She inhaled sharply, but noticed her previously excited junior sister now staring slack-jawed at Seraphine with a “What? How many? Are my ears broken?” expression.

Echo also made a surprised “eh” sound.

“Junior sister?” Wei Yutong called softly, whispering, “Are you alright?”

“I’m, I’m fine…… fine!” Qiu Shuangshuang’s eyes suddenly blazed as she jumped up, hands slamming on the table. “Palace Lord, quickly tell us who’s next and how many fragments they have! Next!”

Seraphine smiled. “Second place: Zhao Hangyi of Sunset Glow City, seven hundred fifty-nine fragments.”

“Third place: Feng Zhen of Taiyan Sect, seven hundred fragments. I remember she was the second Soul Transformation cultivator besides Meng Xiangfei before entering the secret realm.” Seraphine glanced meaningfully at Echo.

This was the third to achieve Soul Transformation within the secret realm.

Echo sat with hands on her knees, listening seriously to Seraphine and nodding along appropriately.

Seraphine’s eyes showed amusement as her spiritual energy explored the jade token. She smiled. “Ec…… Lingren, you’re in ninth place, with an estimated six hundred fifty fragments.”

Echo smiled with curved eyes. Once again, she’d achieved perfect low-profile behavior. Excellent.

The top ten gaps weren’t large. Except for Zhao Hangyi and Thousand Beauty Valley’s Yu Xuefei, the other eight were ranked by cultivation level, though several numbers seemed precise.

Seraphine looked further down, telling Wei Yutong, “You’re not on the list. The hundredth-ranked cultivator has an estimated four hundred fragments.”

Wei Yutong smiled, pressing her chest with relief like Qiu Shuangshuang. “My cultivation is only average among these three thousand cultivators, but I’ve been lucky. The spirit beasts I encountered were all weaker than me and had fragments, so I’ve collected three hundred.”

She worried more about Qiu Shuangshuang, who had the lowest cultivation and youngest age among the three thousand cultivators. Though protected by Water Dragon’s Hymn, the dragon only safeguarded her life in critical moments—it didn’t help her find fragments or defeat spirit creatures.

“Senior sister, don’t underestimate yourself! With such high talent and diligent cultivation, you’ll definitely enter Insight Academy Palace!” Qiu Shuangshuang patted Wei Yutong’s shoulder, thinking that if her senior sister lacked fragments, she’d share her own—after asking Master’s permission first.

Wei Yutong ruffled her hair with a smile. “Speaking of talent, who in Nanyang Continent can match yours?”

Qiu Shuangshuang scratched her head with a silly grin, but Seraphine sneered, “In terms of talent, her talent for seeking death is even more outstanding.”

Qiu Shuangshuang deflated, shrinking her head timidly while Wei Yutong laughed heartily.

With half a year passed in the Twin Dragon Secret Realm and rankings clarified, the four planned to part ways.

Seraphine and Echo would remain at Golden Jade Tower to recuperate, while Qiu Shuangshuang and Wei Yutongcontinued fragment hunting.

As a master, Echo instructed Qiu Shuangshuang: “Please don’t die carelessly.” Stay away from fire-spewing volcanoes and thunderstorm zones if possible.

To Water Dragon’s Hymn, she added: “Once the competition ends in six months, come find me for a sparring match anytime.”

Water Dragon’s Hymn took dragon form, excitedly circling Echo once—clearly an eager combat enthusiast.

After seeing them off, Seraphine asked, “My cultivation method is supreme—why won’t Water Dragon’s Hymn spar with me?”

“Is my cultivation insufficient or my technique flawed that it considers me weak?” Seraphine looked displeased.

Echo patted her shoulder consolingly. “I think it’s the former. Once you reach Soul Transformation stage, she’ll want to spar with you.”

Seraphine lowered her gaze, brow furrowing slightly.

She was currently mid-Golden Core stage while Echo has reached early Soul Transformation—an entire major realm separated them. If she didn’t hurry to close this gap, given Echo’s capabilities, the distance between them would only grow wider.

Seraphine didn’t want to be a delicate flower hiding behind Echo for protection. What she coveted was the position beside Echo.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice when Echo briefly left and returned, only realizing when someone touched her hair. Echo stood very close, carefully tucking a wisteria blossom into Seraphine’s hair. Seraphine lifted her gaze, her eyes lingering on Echo’s face. Echo lowered her own, those clear eyes meeting Seraphine’s—then hurriedly curved into a smile.

Such a beautiful smile.

Seraphine’s lips curved as she raised her hand, gently patting Echo’s chest before resuming her stride.

“Thank you for the flower, but you still need to drink tonight’s medicine.”

She plucked a small flower, casually tossing it backward as her unhurried voice drifted through the air.

“I’ll be watching you.”

Echo raised both hands, catching the purple flower in her palms. Looking at it, she smiled. “Understood.”

She internally pleaded for mercy, hoping Seraphine would not add so much coptis root this time. Thank you, Seraphine.

[Author’s Note]:

Work Log…

Sometimes being human is easy.

Sometimes it’s impossibly hard.

Main System Response:

Sometimes reviewing logs feels perfectly clear.

Sometimes it feels utterly confusing.