The shadowy figure withdrew its hand and disdainfully tossed the tattered body aside.
Zhou Xiaotong lay helplessly on the ground, staring blankly at the dazzling stars in the sky. It seemed like she hadn't seen such a beautiful starry sky in a long time.
The spiritual energy gradually surged upwards, converging towards the center of the brow, and in a moment a round bead gleaming with golden light flew out from there.
The shadowy figure reached out and took it, his eyes filled with surprise. "So that's how it is." He glanced at Zhou Xiaotong on the ground and said, "So the Mountain-Breaking Pearl has been hidden in your body all along. It was truly obtained without any effort."
Zhou Xiaotong looked helplessly at the bead in his hand. She didn't know what the Broken Mountain Bead was. That bead was left to her by her father, who said it was a treasure to protect her. As for the net, her father said it was used to hide the treasure's aura so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of malicious people. However, she had never found a way to use that treasure.
After her father died, she came to Fusheng Pavilion to cultivate, and she forgot about the bead in a corner.
So, the power she possesses comes from that bead?
How amazing! Her father really hadn't lied to her.
But it doesn't matter anymore, since she's going to die anyway.
She lay on the cold ground, a tear sliding down her cheek, bathed in the starlight, and slowly closed her eyes.
The shadowy figure put away the divine pearl, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Xiaotong, as if he were plotting something.
After a moment, he said, "Consider yourself lucky. I just happen to need a puppet. Since you've fused with the Divine Pearl so well, you can have it."
He grabbed Zhou Xiaotong's body, saying, "It's a good thing you weren't meant to die."
With a light touch of its toes, it flew towards the horizon.
...
Qingyun Sect.
The candles flickered in the room, and Qi Changfeng was resting with his eyes closed.
Suddenly the window was blown open by the wind, the candle went out in a flash, and Qi Changfeng opened his eyes abruptly.
A figure was standing in the room.
Qi Changfeng's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.
He stood up and walked towards the figure, smiling as he said, "Who do we have here? It's Zhaolan! Long time no see, how have you been?"
Zhao Lan was the Grand Tutor of Fusheng Pavilion. She met Qi Changfeng in her early years. They were considered a perfect couple by outsiders, but unfortunately, they did not end up together.
The Grand Tutor looked at him, who was still so unruly at his age, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "I'm here today to settle accounts."
Qi Changfeng scratched his head of black hair, trying hard to recall what he had done recently. He didn't seem to have offended her much, did he?
"Settle accounts? What accounts do you want to settle?"
Grand Tutor flicked his whisk and sat down on a wooden chair, coldly snorting, "You're really something, aren't you? Your disciples have all infiltrated my Floating Life Pavilion. I was almost fooled myself. It seems you've done a good job teaching them."
Qi Changfeng was incredibly clever; he figured out the trick in the blink of an eye. He composed himself and said with a grin, "Oh dear, I'm so wronged! I sent them to travel the world, but who knew they would go to Fusheng Pavilion."
A pair of shifty eyes kept glancing at the Grand Tutor, observing her expression.
He sat opposite the Grand Tutor and discussed with her, "I'm sorry to have troubled you. How about I go and summon them back right now and give them a serious reprimand?"
The Grand Tutor glanced at him and said, "Come on, I know better than anyone what you're thinking. What travel? You're looking for the Divine Pearl, aren't you?"
The tone was not a question but a statement, clearly indicating that the Grand Tutor was fully aware of Qi Changfeng's ulterior motives.
A sharp glint flashed in Qi Changfeng's eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.
"You can't hide anything from me after all."
The Grand Tutor said coldly, "I have no interest in the Divine Pearl, nor do I want to interfere with your plans, but don't provoke my Floating Life Pavilion." She looked at Qi Changfeng and said, "Don't forget our agreement: we will not interfere with each other before we become gods."
Qi Changfeng: "Of course I haven't forgotten. Don't worry, I won't involve Fusheng Pavilion."
Hearing his assurance, the Grand Tutor snorted coldly: "I'll trust you one more time, but if I find out a second time, I won't show any mercy."
After saying that, he flicked his long sleeves, and when he looked again, the figure had disappeared.
Qi Changfeng walked to the window and looked at the bright moonlit sky. His playful expression disappeared, and he slowly became serious.
...
Imperial Mirror Manor.
The scenery inside the village remains unchanged.
In a courtyard, Miao'er was putting on her makeup in front of the mirror. The person in the mirror was smiling sweetly as she lightly applied rouge, her lips slightly tinged with red, her face full of joy.
As the maidservant was putting a hairpin in Miao'er's hair, she asked, "Miss has seemed so happy lately. You must be having a great time with Young Master Yuanxiu, right?"
Upon hearing the name Yuan Xiu, Miao'er couldn't stop smiling, her eyes shining brightly.
She picked up a hairpin and held it up in her hair, asking, "Does this one look good?"
The maid smiled and said, "It looks good, Miss looks good in anything."
Miao'er said coquettishly, "You're so good with words." Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but think of someone and murmured, "If she were here, she would definitely dress me up beautifully. She has such skillful hands."
"What are you saying, Miss?"
Miao'er snapped out of her daze: "It's nothing."
She continued to do her makeup in front of the mirror, completely unaware of the two figures, one large and one small, passing by in the courtyard. They didn't even glance in her direction, and quickly walked away in one direction.
Qinghe took Shen Xun on a revisit to the Imperial Mirror Manor, but this time they weren't there to gather information under the guise of a maid; they were there to find someone.
The narrow, winding path led the two to a room.
Hearing the sound of hammering iron as he stood in front of the door, Qinghe stepped forward and pushed the door open. There he saw Ji Xuan, still dressed in his naked clothes, holding an iron tool and forging a new magic weapon.
The two exchanged a glance, and Qinghe stepped forward, saying, "Senior, we meet again."
Ji Xuan didn't raise his head, remaining in his blacksmithing posture, and asked her, "What is it?"
Qinghe: "I want to borrow something from you—a spaceship."
Ji Xuan looked up at her.
The young girl, dressed in a green robe, stood not far away, without hairpins or ornaments, standing alone, her eyes revealing unwavering determination.
He paused, then asked, "Where are we going?"
Qinghe: "It's a very remote place, and you can only get there by taking an empty boat."
Ji Xuan paced back and forth a couple of times, then asked again, "Is it absolutely necessary to go?"
Qinghe nodded: "We absolutely have to go."
Ji Xuan paced back and forth a couple more steps, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he said, "Come with me."
Ji Xuan led the two to a corner of the room, pushed open the wooden shelf, and saw a flat area behind the shelf with only a very inconspicuous small hole that was hard to spot without careful observation.
Ji Xuan raised his right hand, aligned the ring on his index finger with the hole, and twisted it to the right. The previously smooth wall split in two with a "click," opening a gap in the middle. The gap grew larger and larger, revealing that the inner layer of the wall was not made of bricks and tiles, but of wooden mechanisms that opened one after another like gears. Only after it was completely opened could Qing He see the scene on the other side of the wall.
She couldn't help but be amazed by Ji Xuan's craftsmanship; only an excellent weapon refiner like him could create such ingenious mechanisms.
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