Could he really just lock himself in this quiet room until that "ghostly shadow" decided to leave him alone?

In the end, Li Xun's fantasy of going into seclusion didn’t work out; there was just no way around it. With a thousand-kilometer-wide gap in the Ten-Thousand Li wide Aurora Barrier, someone had to be out there patrolling.

It was no longer just up to the Nightless City sect to take responsibility. The burden was now shared by all the sects in the area, taking turns to cover the duty.

Today, it was the Mingxin Sword Sect's turn.

As the sect that, aside from the Nightless City, had been the most invested in this issue, they sent a strong team of sixteen, including eight second-generation disciples.

The group was split into four teams, each led by two immortal masters with two disciples under them. The patrol zones were divided, and the structure allowed for flexibility and quick response. The setup was meant to be efficient.

For Li Xun, a disciple who had only been with the sect for ten years and had been formally cultivating for just three, getting picked as part of this sixteen-person squad was a small miracle in itself.

Then again, maybe he was just incredibly lucky; he ended up in the most “perfumed” team. Their leaders were Immortal Masters Ming Ji and Mingru. The other disciple, besides him, was Qi Bi; the same Qi Bi who’d spoken with him a few days ago.

It was an odd team. Technically, the three strongest members were all women, which meant if they ran into any real trouble, Li Xun, the lone male cultivator, would probably be the one everyone felt the need to protect.

But there was no way around that either. Qi Bi was Mingru’s disciple, and as for Li Xun… He practiced the Lingxi Art, and among all the second-generation disciples, only Ming Ji could guide him. So in that sense, what difference was there between him and one of her official disciples?

Once they left the city, the four of them followed the coastline westward.

The polar landscape truly was something else. On the landward side of Sector 6, all you could see was an endless stretch of white; sky and earth blending into one, no boundaries in sight. Sunlight scattered off the icy surface, and even just looking into the distance was a serious strain on the eyes.

But out at sea, things were different. Just seventy or eighty li from the shore, the boundless brightness seemed to suddenly collapse into darkness, like eternal light giving way to eternal shadow.

There was no logical reason for this shift from light to dark, but that only made the power of heaven and earth feel even more awe-inspiring.

That darkness marked the beginning of the largest known expanse of polar permafrost in the North Sea—the Arctic Icefield. It was also where one of the Three Heavenly Grottos of Tongxuan was located: the North Pole Yemo Heaven.

And it happened to be the home territory of the Miaohua Sect, currently the most prominent sect in the entire Tongxuan Realm.

From Li Xun’s vantage point, that thick, murky darkness looked like a giant beast, curled up and sleeping, its massive body subtly rising and falling with each breath. The longer he stared, the more it resembled a slow, pulsing tide of black.... an ominous pressure radiating outward, enough to take your breath away.

About a li from the coastline, caught in the narrow band between sunlight and shadow, he could just make out a transparent barrier shimmering like rippling water. It stood between sea and sky, stretching out in all directions with no visible end.

That had to be the legendary Ten-Thousand Li Aurora Barrier.

According to the stories, it generated its own protective formations, blocking heaven from earth, converting primordial qi into aurora primordial force. It could cut through flying swords, magical treasures, even protective true breath. A rare and powerful treasure, to say the least.

But twenty days ago, it had been breached. The demon phoenix Gu Yin and others joined forces to break through, creating a gap about 500 kilometers wide.

Maybe part of why Master Tianzhi had taken that injury so hard was because she couldn’t help mourning the damage done to such a priceless treasure.

The four of them quickly reached the breach in the Aurora Wall. In the distance, they could hear long howls from other teams signaling their arrival. Ming Ji responded with a call of her own, letting them know this sector was already covered.

Li Xun looked up to study the breach. At the edges of the gap, the flow of qi energy twisted and flexed like a living thing. Some strange force was pulling at the qi, slowly working to seal the crack.

Of course, at that pace, it might take a thousand years to fully close. But it was the first time Li Xun had ever seen a formation that could repair itself, and his curiosity flared up immediately. All his previous worries vanished; he wanted nothing more than to press his face against the barrier and study it up close.

Qi Bi, watching him, couldn’t help but laugh. She walked over and cleared her throat softly to snap him out of it, then teased with a smile, “Relax, that treasure isn’t going anywhere. No need to get so worked up, Junior Brother. Just look. Half the warning formations on the ground are either broken or barely holding together. Shouldn’t our great formation master be taking a look?”

Seeing the playful light in Qi Bi’s eyes, Li Xun knew her heart was at ease again. And that was exactly what he had hoped for.

He smiled too, scratched the back of his head, and glanced around to gauge the breach’s shape.

“You’re putting me on the spot, Senior Sister. With interference from the Aurora Barrier, the primordial qi in this area is completely unstable. Even if you set up a formation, it’d get scrambled in no time.

“Heh, the patrol teams over the last few days must’ve had a rough time. I bet these warning formations have been going off nonstop with false alarms.”

Just as he finished speaking, a high-pitched chime rang out behind him; the sound of one of the warning formations being triggered.

But scanning the dozens of li around them, not a single figure was in sight.

Li Xun shrugged, and when he saw the look of impressed amusement on Qi Bi’s face, he knew she was convinced.

Earning the genuine respect of a beautiful woman; well, for a man, that was no small achievement.

Li Xun was quietly pleased with himself, but he knew better than to let it show. He turned his attention toward the two nearby Immortal Masters, Ming Ji and Mingru. “Seventh Martial Aunt, how are we handling things today?”

The two women exchanged a glance and shared a small smile. It was Ming Ji who finally spoke. “Nothing special in mind. Let’s just head out to sea and keep watch. The warning formations aren’t exactly reliable, but they’re all we’ve got to go on. What do you think, Seventh Sister?”

Mingru nodded gently, offering no objections.

To the disciples on the sect, Mingru was like a goddess. In terms of looks alone, her soft, elegant features and flawless beauty even outshone Ming Ji. She typically wore long dresses with cloud-patterned embroidery, her presence serene and radiant like the setting sun.

She was known as the “Falling Sunset Sword,” and her robes often featured patterns reminiscent of sunset light. Many of the sect’s female disciples modeled their style after hers.

Her beauty was breathtaking, her cultivation profound. But even more rare was her gentle and gracious temperament. She was polite, warm, and approachable, a stark contrast to Ming Ji’s sharp, clear-eyed intensity and edge.

Only someone like her could have raised a disciple like Qi Bi.

The two Immortal Masters had opposite personalities, yet their friendship was close and intuitive. When working together, Ming Ji naturally took the lead while Mingru supported her; sharpness balanced by gentleness, making them the perfect match.

When Ming Ji spoke, it was as good as Mingru speaking. Of course there would be no objections.

The four of them were just about to take off on their swords when another alarm sounded. This time, though, the sound came from much farther away. The group hesitated, wondering if it was just another false alarm, but both Ming Ji and Mingru stiffened at the same moment.

They had already sensed an unusual surge in the surrounding primordial qi.

“Enemies!”

The word had barely left Ming Ji’s lips when her sword flashed. And she vanished without a trace.

Mingru furrowed her brow slightly but remained calm. With steady composure, she led the two disciples in pursuit.

As they closed the distance, the disturbance in the primordial qi became strong enough that even Li Xun could feel it. And by then, the battle was nearly over.

He caught sight of the enemy just as a blast of Ming Ji’s sword qi struck, killing the last of them on the spot.

Three bodies lay scattered on the ground. The sight sent a chill straight through Li Xun’s teeth. In such a short span of time, all three opponents were dead. Was Ming Ji really that powerful?

But the thought had barely formed when he realized something was off. If no one else had been involved… then where had that primordial qi shockwaves from the earlier fight come from?

Just as he was beginning to sweat, he sensed something. He turned his gaze toward the sea, beyond the breach in the Aurora Barrier.

Someone was walking toward them, slowly, across the waves.

In the tiniest sliver of a moment, their eyes met. And in that instant, Li Xun’s mind went completely blank. A deafening buzz rang through his head.

And right then and there, it felt like his soul had been torn from his body.

What a beautiful, heartbreakingly familiar face.

In that instant, the real world seemed to fall away, leaving only that face—growing clearer, drawing nearer—until it felt as if time itself had reversed, pulling him straight back to two years ago.

That face, once lost in helpless despair in the shadow of death.... how had it become this radiant and vivid reality now?

Dazed, half in a trance, Li Xun vaguely heard Ming Ji and the others greeting the woman, and she responded with a soft smile. But to him, it felt like her eyes were fixed entirely on his. And in that gaze, there was something… deeply strange.

A chill crept down his spine. And in that exact moment, he understood.

That lingering, ghost-like stare.... it had been her all along.

Li Xun knew his expression must be awful, but it didn’t matter anymore. He swallowed hard, the sound loud and awkward in his throat, and his mind sank into a dead, echoing silence.

He could hear everything: his own breathing, his heartbeat, the blood flowing through his veins. Even the faintest opening and closing of his pores. Every sound fed directly into his awareness with terrifying clarity.

The nature of his Yellow Court Golden Core began to change little by little. In the unfathomable cracks of the void, red and white auras intertwined and shimmered. His two powerful puppets sensed the approaching bloodshed and started to emit a chilling aura of death.

So, this side of my life is over...huh?

Suddenly, with his senses heightened by thousands of times, he noticed that everyone’s gaze had changed; or rather, their eyes had shifted past his shoulder, looking behind him.

Then, he saw Qi Bi’s lips part slightly, her eyes wide with panic and fear.

Everything seemed to slow down. He found himself oddly fixated on how far her red lips were opening, when suddenly, a voice shot through the air like an arrow: “Get down!”

Before the words had even fully left Ming Ji’s mouth, Li Xun’s body was already reacting. He dropped like a dead tree, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

A chill hit his back first, then came the burning pain. He instinctively sucked in a sharp breath, but it hadn’t even reached his abdomen before alarm bells exploded in his mind. There was no time to think about what was happening; his waist and abdomen tightened, and he twisted hard to the side.

Just as he rolled, a blinding flash of fire burst across the ground. He was fast. But not fast enough. The edge of the flame still caught the side of his face.

Pain, fear, rage. All of it hit him at once, breaking through every shred of self-control. He hadn’t even hit the ground completely before a hoarse, guttural scream ripped from his throat.

A moment later, Mingru’s sword slammed into the rocky ground, and when she pulled it free, the tip was slick with blood. The fierce heat of her blade burned so intensely that it dried the blood in an instant.

She had landed a clean strike, and not far off, Ming Ji sheathed her sword as well. The two demons, perfectly hidden, had been both killed in a single blow. But no matter how fast they'd reacted, Li Xun was still injured.

And not just anywhere.

His face.

He didn’t know what kind of strange fire that was, but the pain was far worse than anything he knew about burns.

Just as the first wave of pain began to ease, a second wave hit; an indescribable mix of numbness and itching that surged from the wound and sank deep into his bones. Li Xun couldn’t help but reach to scratch it, but before his hand got halfway there, his wrist was caught and held in place.

He growled low in his throat and instinctively tried to break free.

“If you don’t want your face ruined, don’t move!”

Ming Ji’s voice was harsher than he had ever heard it. But the fire poison already raging through Li Xun’s body had left him dazed. His mind was slipping, it was no longer fully clear.

He twisted his arm and ended up gripping Ming Ji’s slender hand instead. He tried to speak through heavy breaths, but the words caught in his throat. Not a single syllable came out. Panic roared in his head, and the world around him began to blur.

Someone seemed to be speaking to Ming Ji, and she replied, but Li Xun could hardly process any of it. His heart was filled with dread, because any moment now, Ming Ji’s sword might plunge straight through his chest.

The only thing giving him any comfort was her hand. Soft, steady, and without the slightest hint of force.

Then, suddenly, a cold hand pressed gently against the uninjured side of his face.

Strangely, as that coolness seeped into his skin, the pain on the burned half of his face eased noticeably.

The chaos in his chest began to settle, and sounds from the outside world started filtering back in.

“…Luckily the poison didn’t reach the bone. Still, this Green-Flame Fire is incredibly vicious; it keeps corroding any newly healed flesh. Even with spiritual medicine to draw the poison out, full recovery may take a year or more. In the meantime… I’m afraid his face is going to be disfigured.”

That familiar, soft-as-water voice; due to its calm delivery and the lively twist at the end, took on two entirely different feels.

Just hearing it was enough to melt the soul and the bone, stirring endless fantasies in the heart.

Li Xun clenched his teeth and forced his eyes open. What the… Consort Qin? How's… how’s she still alive?

The first thing he saw was that face that had brought him both endless pleasure and countless moments of terror. Elegant, fragile, calm, and gentle. From any angle, she possessed a beauty so captivating that men would die for her without hesitation. Now that she no longer hid her charm or strength, it was more obvious than ever.

Before opening his eyes, Li Xun had clung to a thread of hope. Maybe the woman standing before him wasn’t the same one he’d once met in the mortal realm. Or maybe, just maybe, the mind-confusing technique he’d used on her two years ago still held some sway.

But the moment their eyes met again, that last shred of hope shattered completely.

He had no idea how Qin Wanru, whom he had seen dead with his own eyes, could come back to life. But the subtle glint in her eyes was clearly saying: Young National Preceptor… long time no see.

Strangely, she didn’t greet him with scorn or sarcasm like he'd imagined, didn’t try to drag him into the eighteen levels of hell with some mocking words.

All he saw was gentle care and quiet treatment. When the healing medicine was spread evenly across his wounds, the coolness almost erased all the pain. Even someone like Li Xun who knew next to nothing about alchemy could tell how powerful it was.

Is this… a cat playing with a mouse?

Li Xun's state of mind had grown colder and sharper. His gaze seemed unfocused, but he never stopped watching Qin Wanru’s every move. Yet even as the treatment wrapped up, she still showed no sign of hostility toward him.

“All right,” she said lightly. “The wound’s been taken care of, more or less. Just don’t scratch it before it starts healing…”

That seemingly had an intangible magical power, Li Xun only felt another bout of strange itching on the wound. Couldn’t help it, he instinctively raised a hand to scratch, but Ming Ji immediately grabbed his wrist and held him back.

Seeing this, Qi Bi moved to tear a strip from her skirt to wrap the wound, but Qin Wanru stopped her. “Cloth like that isn’t smooth enough. Even a little friction could cause more trouble.”

At that, Qi Bi hesitated, then pulled her hand back. She looked at Li Xun’s twitching face, full of sympathy and worry.

Ming Ji frowned. “If that’s the case, we’ll need to get him back to the city to properly dress the wound.”

Qin Wanru looked up and smiled faintly. “Let’s bring him back, then. At my place, I have a set of ‘Faceless Armor’ made from deep-sea dragon whisker needles, coated with a soft silver layer on the outside and lined with a fine silk mesh inside. It’s the best for protecting facial wounds.”

In this moment, Ming Ji revealed her gracious side. She didn’t object, only gave a slight nod of thanks to Qin Wanru. Then she turned to Li Xun and said bluntly, “If you’re a man, then tough it out.”

With that, Li Xun felt his hand tremble slightly as she pulled hers back.

At first, Li Xun felt a little disappointed. Then it hit him; maybe he’d just held on for too long. He suddenly wondered what it must’ve looked like to everyone else.

His face flushed before he could stop it. He quickly lowered his head and mumbled a response. Strangely enough, the itch on his face didn’t seem quite as bad anymore.

But… a mask?

A sudden chill ran down Li Xun’s spine. His eyes flicked over to Qin Wanru. She seemed to be watching Ming Ji, but her gaze, sharp and knowing, kept drifting toward him. Those eyes of hers could speak without a word. And what they said made something cold twist in his chest.

Meanwhile, Ming Ji was already speaking to Qin Wanru.

“Fairy Qin, I’m afraid he can’t come with us today. We’ve got another inspection to handle, and I can’t be in two places at once. Would you be willing to escort him back so he can rest and recover?”

Both Mingru and Qi Bi reacted visibly. If Li Xun had to guess, they probably already knew who Qin Wanru really was. And because of that, they were treading carefully.

He kept his head down, completely unsurprised by what Ming Ji had said.

It was true, they were shorthanded, and someone had to take his place. But more than that, now that Qin Wanru had treated his injuries and even asked to borrow the “Faceless Armor,” her calm, unbothered demeanor made it clear: there was no awkwardness between them. If the others still hesitated to trust her, they were being overly cautious. Maybe even insulting.

Then again, it was also possible Ming Ji simply didn’t believe Qin Wanru had any ulterior motives toward Li Xun.

But what she didn’t see. What none of them seemed to notice was the storm quietly churning between this man and woman standing right in front of them.