"..."
Half a day later.
Having emerged from the remote wilderness, she traveled east along the winding mountain road for some time.
Su Yueli lifted her gaze, and the gates of the Azure Cloud Sect came faintly into view.
Over a hundred years ago, this place had been the undisputed overlord for ten thousand miles around. Its main peak pierced the clouds, with eighteen subsidiary peaks clustered around it like guards, immortal light blazing brilliantly.
Yet now, when she looked again, more than half of the once-flattened main peak held only a few crude pavilions and towers. The runic glow of the sect-protecting formation was exceedingly weak.
The sect's territory had shrunk by more than half, and even the disciples passing by on flying swords seemed few and shabby.
It seemed that the wounds carved by that battle a century ago had still not healed.
In a small town at the foot of the mountain, the signboard of an inn swayed in the wind.
This time, Su Yueli was not wearing that white mask with blood-red patterns.
Having washed away all artifice, she wore a long blue-white dress. Her beauty remained as clear and graceful as ever, while her expression was cool and calm.
She entered the inn, took a seat in a window-side corner on the second floor, ordered two plates of ordinary stir-fried dishes, and a pot of strong liquor.
She raised her cup and took a small sip. Su Yueli's brows faintly furrowed as a sharp, throat-burning heat spread across her tongue.
After living for several hundred years, she still seemed unable to get used to this kind of strong alcohol.
She had disliked it even back when she was mortal. Now that her physical body could crush the Thirteenth Realm, the liquor still burned unpleasantly as