The pillar of blue light that soared through the heavens and earth did not last long.
Suddenly, a sound echoed from the distant mountain gate, and then a blue phantom appeared in the sky.
She revealed only her upper body, emerging from the sea of clouds in the Ninth Heaven, overlooking the white jade plaza below.
Clad in a moon-white palace robe, her sleeves fluttered gently in the high air.
With both hands behind her back, her posture was leisurely, yet she exuded an innate sense of aloofness.
Her face was shrouded in a faint halo, making it hard to see clearly.
However, the air of isolation from the world she carried was even more awe-inspiring than any tangible pressure.
The entire plaza was so silent that one could hear their own heartbeat.
The five elders, who had just been imposing, all trembled in unison.
The last trace of composure on their faces vanished, replaced by a reverent mixture of awe and fear.
Almost simultaneously, the five bowed deeply, nearly ninety degrees, their voices united though trembling:
“Disciple respectfully welcomes Elder Qingyu!”
Elder Qingyu…
That title seemed to carry a certain magic, causing the faces of the outer disciples who had been watching from the sidelines to instantly turn pale.
Each lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe.
Yet, the blue figure called “Elder Qingyu” did not spare even a glance at the bowing elders.
From the moment she appeared, her gaze pierced through layers of space and crowds, landing softly yet intently on the frail girl clutching her sleeve in confusion.
Xiaoxiao felt frozen under that gaze.
There was no oppression or scrutiny in those eyes—rather, it was as if she was admiring a peerless treasure.
But the purer the gaze, the more overwhelming the fear born from her own sense of insignificance.
Instinctively, she hid behind Ye Chen, gripping his sleeve tightly, peeking timidly from behind his broad shoulder at the celestial being above.
Seeing Xiaoxiao’s deer-like reaction, the blue phantom showed no displeasure.
Instead, a faint laugh, light as a mountain spring, drifted from the shimmering halo.
The laughter was clear and ethereal, carrying a touch of pure appreciation.
“Good, good…”
She spoke softly, her voice distant as the heavens.
“A mortal body untrained in cultivation, yet able to awaken the full form of the Azure Jade Root. This is too…”
Her words paused for a moment.
“A mortal?!”
“She’s not even at the Qi Refinement Stage? How is that possible!”
Cries of disbelief echoed among the crowd, every gaze turning incredulous.
How could a mortal girl, not even having stepped onto the threshold of cultivation, ascend five hundred steps of the soul-crushing “Three Thousand Heart-Questioning Steps”?
It defied all understanding of cultivation.
Though their knowledge was limited, in their eyes, ordinary people had no hope of entering the path—at the very least, reaching the Qi Refinement Stage was required.
The elders, too, were stunned.
They had been so focused on the quality of her spiritual root that they hadn’t noticed the total absence of spiritual power within the girl.
Just as everyone thought Elder Qingyu would utter words of regret, she instead spoke with joyful delight:
“…too perfect!”
The words sent another wave of shock through the plaza.
“An unpolished jade is the most precious of all. Untainted by the mixed techniques of the world, having never absorbed a trace of impure spiritual energy… Purity—this is the finest talent.”
There was no attempt to conceal her satisfaction in Elder Qingyu’s tone.
She said no more.
The blue phantom leaned forward slightly, speaking softly to the girl still hiding behind Ye Chen:
“Little one, would you be willing… to become my disciple and follow me to cultivate on ‘Heaven Sword Peak’?”
Heaven Sword Peak!
At the mention of these three words, a collective gasp rippled among the outer disciples, their eyes filled with envy so thick it nearly materialized.
It was the most core and mysterious among the seventy-two main peaks of the Purple Cloud Sword Sect—a sacred place coveted by countless disciples.
Elder Qingyu’s gaze never left Xiaoxiao, ignoring Ye Chen as if he were merely another white jade tile beneath her feet.
To someone of her level, Ye Chen’s ordinary presence was indistinguishable from the plaza itself—unworthy of notice.
Yet, faced with an invitation that could make anyone ecstatic, Xiaoxiao made no response.
She only gripped Ye Chen’s sleeve tighter.
The atmosphere grew tense.
The elders exchanged baffled glances.
Such a heaven-sent opportunity—why did this girl not kneel in gratitude?
It was clear to anyone that Elder Qingyu’s status within the sect was worthy of reverence.
At last, just as everyone thought she would remain silent forever, a faint mosquito-like voice came from behind Ye Chen, laced with reliance and hesitation:
“Gongzi… can you come with me?”
This one sentence shocked the plaza more than any pillar of light.
People woke as if from a dream, their gazes flickering between Xiaoxiao and Ye Chen.
The chosen of heaven who drew a celestial phenomenon, the one favored by Elder Qingyu herself—turned out to be the maid of the unremarkable youth beside her?!
Even Elder Qingyu’s phantom paused, her calm tone rippling for the first time.
“The ‘Gongzi’ you speak of—is it this one before you?”
“Y-yes.”
Xiaoxiao nodded quickly, as if afraid she wouldn’t be believed.
For the first time, Elder Qingyu’s gaze fell on Ye Chen, as cool as moonlight.
After a brief glance, she shook her head lightly.
“His spiritual roots are mixed, his nature passable, but ultimately he is not one who can be nurtured. He is unqualified to enter my Heaven Sword Peak.”
Her evaluation was detached and unemotional—a simple statement of fact.
Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao’s little head, which had just peeked out, immediately shrank back.
She fell silent, then spoke in a timid yet strangely determined voice:
“Then… then forget it. Xiaoxiao… only wants to stay with Gongzi.”
“Hiss—!”
This time, the sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the plaza.
She’s mad! This girl must be insane! She dared to defy Elder Qingyu to her face!
The outer disciples who had been mere spectators now instinctively retreated several hundred steps, fearing to be caught in the wrath of the elder.
But the look in their eyes was not just shock, but also a deep, uncomprehending envy.
They knew better than anyone what following Elder Qingyu into Heaven Sword Peak meant.
It meant ascending to the heavens in a single bound.
And this opportunity was being lightly dismissed by a maid—for her master.
Impossible to comprehend.
Elder Qingyu’s brow furrowed, the halo around her flickering.
She looked at Ye Chen again, a mix of curiosity and confusion in her eyes.
The pressure in the plaza became suffocating.
At that moment, Ye Chen, who had been silent, finally moved.
He turned, gently placed a warm palm atop Xiaoxiao’s trembling head, and ruffled her hair.
“It’s alright, Xiaoxiao.”
His voice was calm, breaking the frozen atmosphere.
“Go cultivate with this senior. This is your chance. Later… just visit me when you have time.”
He sensed no malice from Elder Qingyu—her choice was simply what benefited the sect most.
For Xiaoxiao, it was truly a blessing.
Yet his words seemed to ignite something.
Xiaoxiao’s eyes instantly reddened.
Tears brimmed, and she shook her head fiercely.
“No! No! Gongzi, are you abandoning Xiaoxiao? Xiaoxiao… can’t be apart from you!”
From Qingyang City to the Purple Cloud Sect, Ye Chen had been her only support in this strange world.
She could not imagine if even this light left her—how would this paradise differ from a cold hell?
Ye Chen was momentarily stunned.
He hadn’t realized just how much he meant to Xiaoxiao.
That pure and fiery dependence stirred a rare warmth in his heart, long frozen by the weight of memory.
“So be it.”
At that moment, Elder Qingyu spoke again from the sky.
She looked long at the tearful Xiaoxiao, then at the helpless but clear-eyed Ye Chen, as if understanding something.
“The seed of the Dao heart, rooted in a single mortal…”
She murmured softly, then relented.
“In that case, today I will make an exception. I shall accept him—your Gongzi—into Heaven Sword Peak as well. However, he will be only a nominal disciple.”
With these words, Xiaoxiao’s crying stopped instantly.
Her misty eyes widened in surprise.
She turned to Ye Chen, eyes brimming with anticipation.
Looking at her ‘only if Gongzi agrees’ expression, Ye Chen felt both moved and amused.
Even now, this girl wanted him to decide?
He sighed helplessly and nodded slowly to Xiaoxiao.
“Since Senior is so generous… thank you, Senior.”
He raised his head, meeting the phantom in the sky with calm respect.