"Azure Stone Palace..."
Shi Ji softly murmured the name, her red lips parting unconsciously.
The scene before her was dreamlike and illusory, leaving even her Dao Heart somewhat unsteady.
The former sinister and terrifying dojo, littered with white bones, had completely vanished.
In its place stood a majestic immortal mountain that rose from the earth and pierced the clouds.
Verdant peaks, immortal mist, exotic flowers and precious herbs carpeting the ground, cascading waterfalls and bubbling springs chiming softly, countless immortal birds and auspicious beasts playing amid the woods—it was a peaceful scene befitting an immortal abode.
The spiritual energy in the air was so dense it nearly condensed into substance. With every casual breath, she could feel her cultivation subtly rising.
The spiritual energy of this place was not merely a hundred or thousand times richer than that of the once-barren Skeleton Mountain!
Even compared to the Jade Void Palace of the Chan Sect, it was probably not much inferior.
And all of this had come from the man before her.
With a mere wave of his hand, he had tossed out countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that even a Saint's Dojo would covet like so much trash, rebuilding her mountain gate.
With just two casually spoken words, he had tyrannically plundered all the spiritual energy within hundreds of millions of miles and gathered it here.
He had even casually laid down a sword formation so powerful that even Quasi-Saints would balk at it.
Finally, he had named this brand-new immortal paradise after both of them.
Azure Stone Palace.
It was his origin, and her name.
This was their home.
At that thought, an unprecedented warmth, mingled with endless bitterness and gratitude, instantly shattered every one of Shi Ji's emotional defenses.
Her eyes reddened without warning.
Crystal tears, like pearls from a snapped string, slid uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.
Ever since taking form, she had wandered the primordial world alone, enduring cold looks and exclusion. She had finally found a cave abode where she could settle down, only for the Chan Sect to come knocking, nearly costing her life.
When had she ever experienced such warmth and protection?
When had anyone ever been willing to do so much for her?
Shi Ji hurried before Qin Feng and, heedless of everything else, deeply bowed in a solemn salute.
Her voice, thick with nasal emotion and barely suppressed sobs, softly echoed through the empty palace.
"Dao Brother, for everything you have done for me, Shi Ji... has no way to repay you."
This bow was not for the might of a strong man, but for that gentleness and protection capable of melting an ancient mountain of ice.
Qin Feng froze for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
He stretched out a hand, and a gentle force slowly helped Shi Ji back up.
Seeing her tear-streaked face, as though she might burst into tears at any moment, Qin Feng reached out and gently wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks with his fingertips.
"You and I are friends. Why thank me?"
His voice remained as calm as ever, yet it carried an unquestionable sincerity.
Friends...
Those two words were like a bolt of Chaos Divine Thunder striking fiercely into the depths of Shi Ji's heart, stirring monstrous waves.
That was right, friends.
So he had always regarded her as a friend.
That was why he had confronted the Chan Sect head-on for her and forced back a Saint.
That was why he had exhausted Divine Artifacts to rebuild her dojo.
At that moment, Shi Ji's heart was completely filled with an emotion called happiness, leaving her whole body lightheaded.
Qin Feng steadied her by the arm, then shifted the subject, his expression turning somewhat solemn.
"Today's 'exchange' with them may have seemed easy, but it was not without cost. I gained some insight and need to enter seclusion for a time to consolidate it."
Though his aura was steady, careful perception would reveal that the chaotic Dao rhythm surpassing the Heavenly Dao was in an active yet unstable state.
Clearly, resisting a Saint's decree and facing Yuanshi Tianzun directly had not left him entirely unaffected.
"I'll leave this place in your care for now."
Qin Feng's gaze swept across the brand-new Azure Stone Palace, his tone carrying unquestionable trust.
This was not merely an instruction, but a transfer of authority.
He had entrusted this immortal paradise, comparable to a Saint's Dojo, to Shi Ji without reservation.
Hearing that Qin Feng was entering seclusion, Shi Ji's heart, still immersed in happiness, instantly tightened.
He was entering seclusion?
Had he been injured during his confrontation with Yuanshi Tianzun?
In an instant, endless worry and self-reproach surged into her heart.
It was all her fault! If not for her, why would Dao Brother have become enemies with the Chan Sect, alarmed a Saint, and even needed seclusion to consolidate his gains?
She could not keep hiding behind him as she had before, passively accepting his protection.
I have to do something for him too!
That thought, like a spark starting a prairie fire, instantly blazed within Shi Ji's heart.
At that moment, her gaze underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.
Her former weakness, dependence, and gratitude were replaced by an unprecedented resolve and determination.
She raised her head and straightened her back, her tearful phoenix eyes fixed firmly on Qin Feng.
"Dao Brother, enter seclusion without worry!"
Shi Ji spoke without the slightest hesitation, her voice clear and resolute.
"Shi Ji is willing to guard you!"
She stepped forward and stood before Qin Feng, as if she would use her not-so-tall body to shield him from all the storms of the outside world.
At that moment, she was no longer a weak woman passively receiving protection, but had taken on the role of protector herself.
It was a fundamental transformation of mindset.
Looking at Qin Feng, she solemnly made her vow, enunciating every word.
"As long as Shi Ji still draws breath, I will never allow anyone to disturb Dao Brother in the slightest!"
Her words rang with force, each one containing all her will and determination.
It was the resolve to never retreat even half a step, even if she died and her soul was scattered.
Looking at the woman before him, who seemed to have been reborn in an instant, surprise flickered through Qin Feng's eyes before turning into a gratified smile.
This was the Shi Ji he wished to see.
Not the weak woman who struggled helplessly before fate and could only weep.
But a strong woman who dared to face the storms and draw her sword for those she wished to protect.
"Good."
Qin Feng said nothing more. He merely nodded lightly and spoke that single word.
Yet that one word gave Shi Ji more affirmation and strength than any flowery speech could have.
He turned and walked toward a meditation chamber that had long been prepared in the depths of the palace.
His steps were calm, without the slightest hesitation or wariness.
Because he knew that from this moment on, there was someone behind him willing to give everything to protect him.
Shi Ji stood silently where she was, her gaze following that tall, straight figure until he disappeared behind the stone doors of the meditation chamber.
Buzz!
A profound restriction lit up, completely sealing off the inside from the outside.
Shi Ji slowly withdrew her gaze and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, all tenderness and gratitude had vanished, replaced by the calmness and vigilance of ten-thousand-year ice.
She took one step forward, and her figure instantly appeared outside the mountain gate of Azure Stone Palace, where she sat cross-legged atop a blue stone.
Her Spiritual Sense spread out like an invisible net, instantly covering every corner of Azure Stone Palace.
Her gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over every inch of empty space before the mountain gate.
From this day onward, she was the guardian of Azure Stone Palace.
And Qin Feng's first line of defense.
Before you continue