Outside the quiet chamber of Azure Stone Palace.
For several months, Shi Ji had sat cross-legged at the door without moving, like an exquisite stone statue.
She had long grown accustomed to the terrifying pressure seeping out in wisps through the cracks of the chamber's stone door, pressure that could nearly crush even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal into dust.
It was the aura of a Quasi-Saint, and even more so, the supreme Dao essence of the law of time.
Yet today, that terrifying pressure that had lasted for months receded rapidly like the tide.
No, it had not dissipated.
It had been drawn inward.
It was as if an invisible giant hand had gathered every trace of released aura, along with even the faintest ripple of law, back into that tiny quiet chamber.
In just a few breaths, Azure Stone Palace had transformed from a deadly forbidden ground brimming with Killing Intent back into the tranquil immortal sanctuary it had once been.
Had she not experienced it firsthand, no one would have imagined what a world-shaking transformation had just taken place here.
Shi Ji abruptly opened her eyes, her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with tension and anticipation.
It was over?
Her senior brother's seclusion was over!
She sprang to her feet, staring fixedly at the heavy stone door, her heart practically leaping into her throat.
Had he succeeded?
Had her senior brother truly taken that step?
Creak—
A soft sound shattered the silence atop the mountain.
The stone door that had remained shut for months slowly opened inward.
A tall figure emerged at an unhurried pace, bathed in the morning light.
He wore a blue robe, his black hair draped over his shoulders. His features were handsome, and a faint smile lingered at the corner of his lips.
There was no earth-shaking pressure around him, no phenomenon of laws swirling about him. There was not even the slightest fluctuation of Magic Power to be sensed.
He simply walked out, utterly ordinary, like a mortal who had never cultivated—or an unremarkable stone by the roadside.
Returning to simplicity.
Those four words suddenly sprang into Shi Ji's mind.
Her pupils contracted sharply in that instant.
Others might not have seen the truth, but as a Grand Unity Golden Immortal who had guarded Qin Feng for months, she understood better than anyone what this scene represented.
This was not a loss of cultivation at all. It was clearly the supreme realm of drawing all his power, aura, and Dao essence inward without allowing even a trace to leak out!
He was like an ancient well with no visible bottom. Its surface was calm and still, yet beneath it lay an ocean vast enough to overturn the entire prehistoric world.
Shi Ji's gaze instinctively fell upon Qin Feng's eyes.
What kind of eyes were those?
Dark and profound, as if they contained two endlessly rushing Rivers of Time. A single glance revealed the terrifying sight of universes being born and destroyed, eras rising and changing.
Merely being swept by that gaze made Shi Ji's Primordial Spirit tremble, as though every secret from her past to her present had been seen through.
Her pretty face instantly flushed red. She hurriedly lowered her head, her heart pounding wildly against her will.
"Senior... Senior Brother, you've come out of seclusion!"
Joy, excitement, admiration, and an indescribable shyness intertwined, lending an almost imperceptible tremor to her voice.
Qin Feng looked at the female immortal before him, who had guarded him for months. Though her beauty showed some weariness, her spirit had only grown more steadfast. A gentle smile appeared in his eyes.
"You've worked hard."
Those simple four words instantly reddened Shi Ji's eyes. She felt that all the waiting and suffering of the past few months had been worthwhile.
She shook her head vigorously and raised her lovely face, tear-streaked yet radiant as a flower. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Oh! Look at my memory!"
As if she had remembered something immensely important, Shi Ji hurriedly took out a Jade Slip from her sleeve. It was pure white throughout and radiated a gentle immortal glow. Holding it in both hands, she respectfully presented it to Qin Feng.
"Senior Brother, something major happened while you were in seclusion!"
Her face brimmed with barely restrained pride and honor as she spoke as though presenting a treasure.
"The Three Virtuous Goddesses of Three Immortals Island sent someone with an invitation! Empress Yun Xiao personally wrote it, inviting you to visit Three Immortals Island in three months to discuss the Great Dao together!"
Shi Ji's tone was filled with excited pride.
Those were the Three Virtuous Goddesses!
Within the Interception Sect, aside from the handful of personal disciples, they held the most exalted status!
Especially their eldest sister, Yun Xiao. Her cultivation was unfathomable, her temperament steady and composed. She was someone admired by countless disciples of the Interception Sect.
Receiving an invitation from them was equivalent to receiving recognition from the Interception Sect's core upper ranks. Across the entire prehistoric world, that was an enormous honor!
In Shi Ji's view, although her senior brother possessed heaven-reaching strength, one tree could not support a forest.
Now that he could establish ties with the direct lineage of the Interception Sect, it was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity.
She had fully expected that, upon hearing the news, Qin Feng would at least show a satisfied expression, even if he was not overjoyed.
Yet Qin Feng's reaction completely surpassed her expectations.
Qin Feng merely glanced casually at the Jade Slip, then pinched it between two fingers and lightly took it.
His Spiritual Sense swept over it, taking no more than a single breath.
There was not the slightest surprise or excitement on his face, as Shi Ji had expected.
His handsome face remained as calm as ever, and the corner of his mouth even curled into an enigmatic, teasing smile.
The next moment.
Under Shi Ji's dumbfounded gaze, Qin Feng flicked his wrist.
That precious Jade Slip personally made by Empress Yun Xiao, an invitation that countless immortals across the prehistoric world would have fought desperately to obtain, turned into a streak of light and was casually tossed back to her.
The movement was so casual, as if he had not thrown away an invitation from a Saint's distinguished disciple, but a hot potato.
"Ah?"
Shi Ji instinctively reached out and caught it, completely stunned.
Holding the Jade Slip, which still retained a trace of warmth, she stood there foolishly with a blank mind.
What was going on?
What did Senior Brother mean by this...?
Had he not seen it clearly? Or did he not understand the weight of this invitation?
"Senior Brother, this... this is an invitation from the Three Virtuous Goddesses!" Shi Ji was frantic and hurriedly reminded him, afraid he would miss this tremendous opportunity.
Qin Feng turned and walked slowly toward the grand main hall of Azure Stone Palace, waving a hand behind him without looking back.
A voice so calm it was almost flat, yet carrying an unquestionable meaning, drifted over.
"Decline it for me."
"Tell them Azure Stone Palace has only just been built, and I am too busy with matters here to leave for now."
Boom!
Shi Ji's mind buzzed as though she had been struck by Chaos Divine Thunder.
Couldn't... couldn't leave?
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to find her throat blocked. Not a single word came out.
What kind of reason was that?
It was simply the most outrageous reason since the beginning of the prehistoric world!
What matter could possibly be more important than an invitation from the Three Virtuous Goddesses?
This was a perfect chance to befriend the upper ranks of the Interception Sect!
And Senior Brother had simply... refused?
Yet before she could recover from the massive shock, Qin Feng's next words struck her like another bolt from the blue, leaving her utterly petrified.
"If the three Empresses truly wish to discuss the Dao, they may come to my Azure Stone Palace instead."
"I will sweep the couch and welcome them."
His voice remained calm, as though he were merely speaking of something trivial.
But to Shi Ji, those words were no less than a Saint's decree, shaking her soul until it buzzed.
Her mind completely crashed.
He had refused the Three Virtuous Goddesses' invitation...
And then turned around and told them to come visit him instead?
Crazy!
Senior Brother had to be crazy!
That was Shi Ji's first reaction.
This was no longer arrogance. This was arrogance without bounds!
Those were the Three Virtuous Goddesses! Tongtian Saint's most favored disciples, top-tier Great Powers at the Quasi-Saint level! In the entire prehistoric world, how many dared put on airs before them?
Yet her senior brother not only rejected their goodwill, but even turned the tables and demanded that they come to see him?
If word got out, the entire prehistoric world would erupt!
This was even more inconceivable than when he had directly resisted Yuanshi Tianzun's decree!
Defying a Saint's decree was a display of strength and courage.
But making the Three Virtuous Goddesses come to him... that was a posture! A posture of standing above them and treating them as juniors or subordinates!
Shi Ji felt that her worldview had been utterly overturned in that moment, then rebuilt anew.
She stared blankly at Qin Feng's retreating figure. His blue robe remained unchanged, his steps leisurely, as though what he had just said was no more extraordinary than, "The weather is nice today."
A sudden, unprecedented realization surged into her heart.
That was right.
How had she forgotten?
How could her senior brother be an ordinary person?
In his eyes, so-called Saint disciples and the upper ranks of the Interception Sect might truly... amount to nothing.
He had stood up for her and faced the Twelve Golden Immortals head-on. He had forced back a Saint's decree and extorted the Chan Sect.
From beginning to end, he had never borrowed even a fraction of the Interception Sect's name. Everything he relied upon was himself.
How could such a being possibly need to curry favor with anyone or seek ties with anyone?
In his world, the words "curry favor" had never existed.
If they wanted to see him, they could.
Come to my territory.
That was the true bearing of a big shot!
She herself had remained trapped in old ways of thinking, always wanting to find a backer and gather an alliance.
Yet she had forgotten that the senior brother before her was himself the toughest, thickest, most lawless mountain in the entire prehistoric world!
Having understood this, Shi Ji felt suddenly enlightened.
She lowered her head and looked at the Jade Slip in her hand, which still emitted immortal light, a bitter smile appearing on her face.
Poor Empress Yun Xiao's painstaking intentions were likely to be wasted.
Yet rather than feeling the slightest disappointment, an even stronger sense of pride and admiration rose within her.
This was Shi Ji's senior brother!
A man who even dared summon and dismiss Saint disciples at will!
She clenched the Jade Slip in her hand, took a deep breath, and straightened her back.
Wasn't it just declining the Three Virtuous Goddesses?
What was the big deal?
If the sky fell, Senior Brother would hold it up!
Shi Ji's eyes instantly became firmer than ever.
She stepped forward and hurried after Qin Feng. Even her posture carried a hint of the imposing confidence of one who borrowed a tiger's might.
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