Sunlight shone through the pines, and clear springs flowed over the stones.
Yun Qingxuan floated in the air like a goddess, gazing down upon the entire Wanli Holy Land.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still. The years were peaceful and still, just as they had been ten years ago.
That day, she had arrived at Wanli Holy Land with hope and anticipation, together with her younger brother, Yun Qinghong, after overcoming countless hardships.
Now, this would be her last glimpse.
Yun Qingxuan withdrew her gaze and continued to unite with the heavens, free of thought and desire, her mind serene and untroubled.
In this state, she was exceptionally calm, as if her feelings had been entirely stripped away. As a result, she could sense her life potential changing rapidly.
As she saw it, Su Li's judgment in this regard had been wrong.
The secret art she cultivated, Gentle Qi Mastery, could also make rapid progress in a state of absolute "renouncing love and severing affection," while greatly nourishing her life potential.
On top of that, the Nine Radiance Heart-Inquiry Tea and the Soul Perishing Tea Can both had soul-nourishing effects, so her losses were negligible!
Of course, perhaps Su Li knew this but hadn't told her.
But none of that mattered anymore.
In this state, she realized that not only could she cultivate Gentle Qi Mastery, but she could also see through other things she'd been unable to understand, with startling clarity.
It was as if the nine apertures of her exquisite heart had suddenly opened.
As Yun Qingxuan continued to circulate the Gentle Qi Mastery secret art, this state of "nothingness" became noticeably more stable than before.
With a thought, she flew once more toward where Hua Yunxiao was.
At that moment, ten thousand streams of purple qi filled the sky, transforming into endless rosy clouds that had begun to gather around Hua Yunxiao.
"Is this the legendary Saintess's signature supreme talent—the Purple Qi Three Thousand talent?"
Yun Qingxuan watched from the shadows, preparing to study the ability closely and make some preparations for what came next.
At first, Hua Yunxiao was simply undergoing the transformation of this talent in silence.
But soon, when that "Zhuge Wuwei" arrived, Yun Qingxuan immediately retreated some distance.
Then she heard every word the two exchanged, not missing a thing.
By then, she had realized that even Zhuge Wuwei couldn't detect her "concealment ability"!
Had her ability improved, making her concealment even more heaven-defying?
Or was Master Su's ability simply far superior to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master Zhuge Wuwei's—able to detect what Zhuge Wuwei couldn't?
After weighing her options, Yun Qingxuan made an extremely bold decision.
With a thought, she waited until the two had finished speaking, then suddenly flew toward Hua Yunxiao and jabbed a finger at the center of his brow.
Hua Yunxiao felt nothing when her finger struck.
Of course, Yun Qingxuan felt nothing either—she was intangible.
At the same time, Yun Qingxuan kept an eye on Zhuge Wuwei.
But when she came within roughly two meters of him, a sense of foreboding inexplicably welled up inside her.
She stopped at once and went no farther.
Zhuge Wuwei looked around with some confusion, as if he'd faintly sensed something.
Yun Qingxuan silently retreated about a meter. Zhuge Wuwei's slightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
"Imperial Lord Yun, to prevent complications, have Fang Yueheng come over first—hm? Someone's here. I'll step aside for now."
As Zhuge Wuwei spoke, he raised a hand and manifested a strand of Heavenly Secrets energy. His entire person vanished on the spot.
In Yun Qingxuan's eyes, Zhuge Wuwei remained standing in the same place like a transparent, invisible man, motionless as a statue.
She studied Zhuge Wuwei, but he clearly hadn't noticed her.
A moment later, Hua Ziyan and Yun Wanchu arrived.
Yun Wanchu explained why he had come: he was there to seek instructions.
Hua Yunxiao hesitated, and Zhuge Wuwei immediately sent him a message in secret.
Yun Qingxuan found that she could hear this concealed transmission with perfect clarity, as if it had been spoken right beside her ear.
"Go first. Then I'll use the excuse of looking for Qingchen to come over and meet up with you. It'll be a good chance to see what Su Li can really do.
"If it seems feasible, once your daughter and Yun Wanchu are out of the way, we can put him under house arrest immediately."
Hua Yunxiao sent back at once, "All right. Then I'll take my leave first."
As Hua Yunxiao sent the message in secret, he also exchanged a few words with Hua Ziyan and Yun Wanchu.
Yun Wanchu immediately sent word for Fang Yueheng to come.
Zhuge Qingchen stayed right by Fang Yueheng's side, so he naturally came along as well.
Once everyone had gathered, they flew toward Yunxiu Peak.
Yun Qingxuan gave it some thought but didn't follow right away. Instead, she decided to keep an eye on Zhuge Wuwei in case he had any other tricks up his sleeve.
She would follow once Zhuge Wuwei left, and take the opportunity to test Su Li.
If he noticed her, she could simply tell him that Zhuge Wuwei intended to put him under house arrest and dispel his suspicions.
Though he sensed Yun Qingxuan "watching" him, Su Li showed no sign of it, as if he hadn't noticed a thing.
This time, the feeling of being watched was extremely faint, so Su Li was certain that Yun Qingxuan's "concealment" ability had improved tremendously!
Moreover, she had been very cautious this time, afraid he'd notice her.
Or perhaps this was a test—was she trying to determine whether she'd sensed him before because he'd been assassinated, or because she'd been too close?
Su Li's feelings grew even more complicated.
If even Yun Qingxuan could no longer be trusted, then the dangers he'd face from here on would only grow greater.
Still, setting aside his role at the center of all this, this enormous scheme wasn't actually that hard to deal with.
At the very least, he had the greatest trump card of all on his side: the Life Archive System!
While Su Li pondered, Yun Wanchu recovered from his shock.
"Hiss—"
He drew a deep breath and immediately pleaded, "Master Su, could you explain the exact cause and effect of this matter in more detail? I know it'll place an even greater burden on you, but this concerns the very survival of Wanli Holy Land..."
As he spoke, Yun Wanchu bowed deeply to Su Li again and didn't immediately straighten up.
Hua Yunxiao felt uneasy, but by then he was in too deep to back out.
On the one hand, he absolutely didn't want Su Li to deduce the various calamities that would befall Wanli Holy Land, as he had deduced the specific arrangements at Yinshang Cave Heaven, and thereby disrupt their plans.
On the other hand, he worried that if Su Li's deductions were too detailed, they might expose the great undertaking of their ancestor.
Though he was troubled, he had no choice but to bow along with the others and say earnestly, "Master Su, this matter is of the utmost importance. We hope you'll show Wanli Holy Land a clear path forward."
By then, Su Li had seen through Hua Yunxiao's tricks completely.
"This calamity is still changing. It isn't like the ambush at Yinshang Cave Heaven, nor is it like the Heavenly Town Soul Stele. Those situations had little room for 'change.'
"Besides, I wasn't involved in those earlier events, so they weren't difficult to deduce. But this time, I'm one of the participants, and a member of Wanli Holy Land as well.
"As a result, my deductions are much more clouded. That's why I'd like to work with Master Zhuge of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and make deductions together."
Su Li's expression was grave.
Hua Yunxiao pondered for a moment. "Since this calamity is so fraught with danger, I'll discuss it with Senior Zhuge."
Zhuge Qingchen said, "I'll send him a message. Master was a little angry with me earlier, so he may have gone into seclusion. Imperial Lord Hua might not be able to reach him."
As Zhuge Qingchen spoke, he began sending a message.
But as soon as he did, his expression turned strange. Why was Master so close to him?
"Imperial Lord Hua, I already calculated that you and I would share a Heavenly Secrets connection today, so I've come without waiting for an invitation."
Just then, a seven-colored auspicious cloud appeared in the distant sky, bearing an old man with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a black-and-white robe adorned with symbols and radiating a powerful presence.
At that moment, Yun Qingxuan, who had been watching from the shadows, considered this and suddenly moved closer to Su Li, entering the two-meter range.
Su Li's expression didn't change in the slightest. He didn't even look away from "Zhuge Wuwei," seemingly unaware of anything.
Yun Qingxuan gathered her thoughts, then formed an intangible finger and jabbed it fiercely toward the center of Su Li's brow.
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