Starfall's First Snow · Qian Ruishan Arrives to Wait

Thousand Realms Sect, Starfall Pavilion.

Night was not yet deep, and the sky was already quiet. The four directions of the realm had not yet recovered from the stability caused by the fluctuations in the secret realm, and traces of spiritual energy occasionally streaked across the sky. Most disciples were still immersed in the adjustments, reports, and healing after returning to the sect... Only the Starfall Pavilion was still lit, so quiet that it was almost uninhabited.

As Qin Yu stepped into the courtyard, he had just summoned a Soul Seal when an extremely cold voice came from inside the pavilion.

"You're back."

He paused slightly, his gaze fixed on the white-clad figure sitting in front of the corridor.

Qian Ruishan.

She was dressed in plain white robes, without an outer robe, her long hair half-tied and falling to her shoulders, her expression serene, yet her eyes clear as snow reflected in the night. At that moment, Qin Yu almost dared not respond immediately, as if the person before him was not a disciple of the mortal world, but the only awake god in the night.

He cupped his hands in greeting. "Senior Sister Qian, what brings you here?"

"You live in the Starfall Pavilion, and I borrowed the key to the Starfall Pavilion from the sect leader to wait for you for several days," she said casually, her tone as if she were talking about something insignificant, but Qin Yu's heart trembled slightly.

Qin Yu had forgotten that several days had passed since he went to Ling Jingxi.

The Starfall Pavilion a place where only the top ten outer disciples of the sect can reside alone. To borrow the key seal from the sect leader, one must at least be a descendant of the sect leader.

"The Boundless Tribulation Heart Pearl is now officially yours." Before he could react, she continued, "And you don't need to worry about handing it over or being held accountable."

My father summoned you earlier, and he could tell that you still had concerns about the sect, so this time I'm speaking to you formally as well.

Qin Yu nodded slightly, showing little surprise. He knew that given Qian Ruishan's status, if she were willing to intervene, no one would refuse unless the sect leader personally objected.

Thank you.

"I didn't plead for you." She turned to look at the crescent moon on the horizon. "It's Father who has taken an interest in you."

These words, though spoken with cold indifference, carried a different meaning in Qin Yu's ears.

After Qian Ruishan finished speaking, she gazed at him silently for a long time, then suddenly said, "Do you know that the sect's Soul Stele moved once when you killed the giant ape and Shang Lineage Jieshi?"

"I know," Qin Yu said calmly, "And I also know my current ranking."

"Eighth place," she said softly, "You got to that position in a very short time."

"But don't you feel a little... lonely?"

Qin Yu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Qian Ruishan to say something like that.

Qian Ruishan slowly rose, her steps as light as a feather, and walked three steps away from him. Her tone was calm. "I have been ranked first on the sect's Soul Stele for five years."

"I have fought against all the renowned figures in both the outer and inner sects, but none of them have ever posed a threat to me."

"So I became number one."

But you are different.

Qin Yu remained silent.

Qian Ruishan looked at him, her gaze deepening.

"You're not climbing upwards, you're... pushing the entire Soul Stele forward."

"This is the first time I've realized that even the monument to the first-place winner can tremble slightly."

There was a rare hint of "respect" in her tone.

At this moment, a ripple of emotion truly flickered in Qin Yu's eyes. He had never truly understood Qian Ruishan. Before today, she was an unattainable number one on the Soul Rankings, the daughter of the Thousand Realms Sect, a fusion of soul, perception, and the law of destiny, and an existence who never paid attention to the footsteps of others.

But at this moment, she spoke these words in an equal, even slightly whispered, manner.

The wind rose, the snow fell, and a snowflake gently landed on her shoulder. She didn't brush it away, but only asked:

"Tell me... is it really a good idea to climb to the summit alone?"

Qin Yu thought for a moment and replied with only one sentence:

"If someone is willing to accompany you, it doesn't count as reaching the summit."

Neither of them spoke again.

After a long time, Qian Ruishan suddenly smiled. The smile was so faint that it was almost imperceptible, yet it seemed to melt away even the ice and snow.

I don't like ambiguity either.

"If one day in the future I test you, show no mercy."

"Then I'll be able to know whether I want to walk beside you."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left, her footsteps disappearing silently into the snow.

Qin Yu stood there until her figure completely disappeared, only then did he notice that the sect's jade seal in his palm had silently lit up slightly—it was the mark given by the sect's secret seal master as the "most special caregiver," which could only be held by one person.

Qian Ruishan quietly removed that "protection" from him.

She didn't want to stay with him; she wanted to pursue him.

The lights in the Starfall Pavilion remained on all night, and standing under the lamp, he felt a slight warmth in his heart for the first time.