Azure Sky Sect, outer-sect Martial Practice Field.
The sun climbed higher, and figures milled about across the spacious practice field.
The outer-sect disciples were divided according to their cultivation into three formations: Bright Strength, Dark Strength, and Transformation Strength. Each gathered around a transmission instructor, listening to his guidance.
In the Dark Strength formation, a slender figure stood quietly at the front of the crowd.
She wore the standard robes of an Azure Sky Sect outer-sect disciple, but even their plainness could not conceal her naturally aloof bearing.
The young woman's features were as lovely as a painting, her face exquisite and her skin so fair it was almost translucent. Her clear, cool eyes were fixed attentively on the transmission instructor before her, her expression earnest and composed.
Sunlight fell upon her, seeming to lay a faint, lustrous glow over her.
She was none other than Liu Yiyi.
Quite a few of the male disciples nearby kept glancing her way.
Some stole looks at her; others quietly edged closer under the pretense of adjusting their positions. Still others deliberately discussed their boxing techniques loudly with their fellow disciples, hoping to catch her attention.
But no matter how heated their gazes or how clumsy their ploys, the young woman remained aloof, looking straight ahead as though an invisible wall of ice separated her from everything around her.
A few male disciples who tried to strike up a conversation had barely come within three paces before her unapproachable air drove them back. They retreated with awkward smiles.
Far away, behind an ancient pine at the edge of the practice field, a tall, gaunt figure stood quietly.
He wore a steward's robe. His hair was white, his face stern, and he resembled a withered tree blending into the old pine. His presence was