"You really are clever."
Aoyue confirmed Shen Yi's guess. Her voice betrayed little emotion.
"Someone will tell you the details of my history with Feng Qingyao later."
"But for now, you need to understand this: in the Immortal Sacred Land, especially before the other Hall Masters, Feng Qingyao's name may bring you trouble as well as protection."
Shen Yi fell silent for a moment.
He clearly remembered Feng Qingyao's earlier warning. Now that one of the Seven Halls' Hall Masters had personally cautioned him, it seemed the politics within the Immortal Sacred Land ran deep indeed.
Aoyue did not wait for Shen Yi to digest it all. Her voice carried an unmistakable resolve as she continued.
"Within my power, I can offer you certain conveniences and warnings. These two Azure-Sky Spirit Flowers, for example, might help you resist the suppression or intrusion of certain ice Authorities at a critical moment. You could also trade them for information or assistance you need."
"They hold an unrivaled significance to those who wield other ice Authorities."
"What you do with them then is up to you."
With that, her gaze returned to the two ice flowers suspended in the air.
"But until they—especially the other Hall Masters—attack you without cause or cross a line, I cannot intervene directly. Nor can I openly stand with you against them."
"Those are the rules. They are also what preserves the balance."
"The Immortal Sacred Land has endured this long because certain understandings have remained unbroken."
Silence returned to the Ice Crystal Palace. Only the endless ice-blue rules within the Ice Star Spring flowed on without a sound.
Aoyue stood quietly above the spring, wreathed in cold mist as she awaited Shen Yi's response.
The two Azure-Sky Spirit Flowers still hovered in the air, giving off a