Meeting Yu Linglong, the Imperial Palace Emerges

On Jade Maiden Peak...

A bright full moon hung high above the pine branches, gazing down upon the countless sights of the mortal world. In the night, the chirping of insects rose and fell. A woman dressed in white as pure as snow was leisurely playing the xiao.

She was like a Moon Palace Fairy descended from Above the Nine Heavens. Pure and immaculate, she seemed to radiate an ethereal aura, her every movement elegant. Yet within that cold, otherworldly temperament, untouched by worldly concerns, there was a faint trace of sorrow.

The xiao's music drifted through the air. Suddenly, she whipped her head toward a certain direction and swiftly raised a long sword. Like the flash of a startled swan, the sword tore through the sky with thunderous force and struck out with overwhelming might.

Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions. Behind layer upon layer of branches, Zhang Fan held up his sword to block the attack, revealing his slightly sorrowful face.

"You're here." Yu Linglong seemed to have expected him. Her expression remained calm as she withdrew her sword.

"How did you discover me? And why did you guess I would come?" Zhang Fan was filled with confusion and found it truly difficult to understand.

Yu Linglong did not answer. She merely stood quietly ahead. In truth, she had acted on a feeling. Somehow, she had sensed that Zhang Fan would come. Especially before she had struck, she had already felt someone hiding in the darkness. That familiar sensation sent her blood surging and left her heart as turbulent as raging waves.

"What have you come for this time? The Qingshan Sect can no longer accommodate you, and everyone under heaven regards you as a thorn in their side. Right now, you're nothing more than an expert carrying