"I've never seen a secret art like this before."
"I'm afraid only a Venerable from the clan could come here and make sense of it."
Gu Xun'er withdrew her gaze and looked out the window again, the corners of her lips curving slightly.
"Interesting."
She rose, her pale purple dress trailing along the floor, and walked to the window, looking toward Xiao Baichuan's distant residence.
"Ling Ying, keep watching for any movements concerning the Xiao Clan's Ancient Jade."
"As for Xiao Baichuan... I'll go meet him myself."
Nalan Yanran returned to the Misty Cloud Sect in a distracted state.
She walked up the sect's long staircase, her pace much slower than usual, staring somewhat blankly at the stone steps beneath her feet.
Disciples greeted her along the way, but she merely nodded slightly, without even seeing their faces clearly.
What kept surfacing in her mind was Xiao Baichuan's retreating figure as he turned away, and those cold, indifferent eyes.
She tightened her grip on the marriage contract in her hand, her fingertips turning slightly pale.
Before the sect master's great hall.
Nalan Yanran stopped, drew a deep breath, composed her expression, and stepped into the hall.
Yun Yun sat upright in the seat of honor, dressed in a green gown, her graceful elegance and cool bearing carrying a measure of authority.
Seeing Nalan Yanran enter, she set down the jade slip in her hand, her gaze softening a little.
"Yanran, you're back."
Nalan Yanran bowed.
"Master, I've dissolved the engagement."
Yun Yun looked at her, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment.
She knew her own disciple well. That expression hardly looked like the relief of having a burden lifted.
"What's wrong?" Yun Yun asked gently. "Do you regret breaking off the engagement?"
Nalan Yanran's expression changed slightly, and she immediately reined in her emotions and shook her head.
"No. I just feel... the engagement was dissolved a little too smoothly. I'm not quite used to it."
Yun Yun did not press her, merely nodding.
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.
Ge Ye rushed into the great hall in a panic, unable even to observe all the proper courtesies.
"Sect Master! Something terrible has happened!"
Yun Yun frowned.
"Elder Ge, what kind of conduct is this, panicking like that?"
"As an outer sect steward of the Misty Cloud Sect, your every word and action represents the Misty Cloud Sect."
After Yun Yun's reprimand, Ge Ye brought his emotions somewhat under control.
He cupped his hands and replied, "Yes. I acknowledge my mistake."
"Speak. What happened?"
Ge Ye caught his breath and glanced hesitantly at Nalan Yanran.
That glance left Nalan Yanran feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Ge Ye withdrew his gaze and forced himself to speak.
"Master Gu He's disciple, Liu Ling, went to the Xiao Clan to challenge Xiao Baichuan."
Hearing this, Yun Yun's slender brows drew together slightly.
Although she did not know what had happened between them, she did not need to guess to know that Liu Ling must have done this to win Yanran's favor.
She had heard that Xiao Baichuan was only eighteen and had not even broken through to Dou Zhe yet.
As Pill King Gu He's disciple, Liu Ling, a Five-Star Dou Zhe, was challenging Xiao Baichuan, who had yet to break through to Dou Zhe. It was rather beneath his standing.
Yun Yun's impression of Liu Ling immediately worsened.
By association, her impression of Gu He worsened as well.
Was this all the magnanimity a disciple taught by a distinguished Six-Rank Alchemist possessed?
Nalan Yanran's heart suddenly clenched at the news.
She instinctively gripped her sleeve, her knuckles turning white.
"What was the outcome?"
Her voice was more hurried than usual.
"Was he hurt?"
Ge Ye sighed and nodded.
"He was hurt, and quite badly at that."
"I heard even his cultivation was knocked back considerably."
Nalan Yanran's expression changed drastically, anger surging straight to her brows.
"How could Liu Ling do this!"
"Overpowering him with his cultivation realm was bad enough, but he actually wounded him severely!"
She abruptly turned toward Yun Yun, her tone urgent.
"Master, I need to go to the Xiao Clan."
Seeing her like this, Yun Yun was briefly taken aback.
She had thought Nalan Yanran was concerned about Liu Ling's safety.
But from the look of things now-
The one her disciple cared about was that young man named Xiao Baichuan.
Yun Yun was just about to nod her approval when she heard Ge Ye give a puzzled "Huh?"
Only then did Ge Ye realize that the two had misunderstood, and he hastily added an explanation.
"No, no! Xiao Baichuan wasn't the one severely injured!"
"Liu Ling was severely injured!"
Nalan Yanran stopped in her tracks.
Yun Yun froze as well.
Ge Ye swallowed and recounted everything he knew, leaving out no detail.
Xiao Baichuan had used a secret art to temporarily raise his cultivation to One-Star Dou Zhe.
He had fought with one hand, dominating the entire battle.
Humiliated into a rage, Liu Ling had lifted his suppression and attacked with the full strength of a Five-Star Dou Zhe, yet Xiao Baichuan had still overpowered him with one hand.
Finally, he had used a palm technique of unknown origin, striking Liu Ling so hard that his cultivation regressed and he collapsed, unable to rise.
Ge Ye finished it all in one breath, gasping, and the great hall instantly fell deathly silent.
Yun Yun's pupils contracted slightly.
With the strength of Eighth Stage Dou Qi, he had severely injured a Five-Star Dou Zhe.
Although he had used a secret art to temporarily raise his cultivation, there was still a gap of five minor realms between them.
Across a gap of five minor realms, he had actually managed to dominate with one hand.
Terrifying was no longer enough to describe this!
A prodigy-an absolute, peerless prodigy!
Yun Yun asked herself whether she could have done the same at that age. She absolutely could not.
She looked toward Nalan Yanran with a complicated gaze.
At that moment, after learning the truth, the worry on Nalan Yanran's face had faded, replaced by another expression.
Regret...
Deep regret.
She lowered her head to look at the marriage contract in her hand. The glaring word "dissolved" seemed to mock her now.
She had clearly had a chance to keep that person.
She was the one who had pushed this marriage away with her own hands.
She was the one who had brought people to his door to demand that the engagement be dissolved.
Nalan Yanran bit her lip, her eyes reddening slightly.
Seeing her disciple's dejected appearance, and recalling how worried Nalan Yanran had been ever since her return, Yun Yun understood.
She pondered for a moment, considering what to do.
On one side was her own disciple; on the other was a rare talent.
At last, she made her decision and spoke slowly.
"Talent like this must not be buried."
At her words, Nalan Yanran raised her head.
Yun Yun looked at her, her tone calm.
"In a few days, I'll visit the Xiao Clan myself."
"I'll ask whether he's willing to join our Misty Cloud Sect."
Hearing that the sect master intended to go in person, Ge Ye was shocked beyond measure.
Upon hearing this outcome, much of the sorrow on Nalan Yanran's face immediately faded.
She looked at Yun Yun gratefully, her lips moving, but in the end, all she said was:
"Master..."
Watching Nalan Yanran's reaction, Yun Yun sighed inwardly.
Just as I thought.
But this is as far as I can help you.
What happens afterward will depend on you.
She withdrew her gaze and looked outside the hall, growing increasingly curious about the young man named Xiao Baichuan.
She was curious not only about how he had defeated Liu Ling across cultivation levels.
She was even more curious about how he had hooked her disciple's heart and carried it away.
She was also curious about what he looked like.
According to those under her, Xiao Baichuan was extraordinarily handsome and was known as the most handsome man in Wutan City.
Before you continue