Countless colors floated before his eyes.
The world blurred and became fantastical, then in the blink of an eye returned to normal—only the place had already changed.
When his vision cleared again, a breeze filled with mist and clouds swept over, bringing a refreshing, penetrating comfort.
Ye Chen and Xiao Xiao were now standing atop the Sea of Clouds.
Beneath their feet was not solid ground, but a naturally-formed Great Bluestone Square.
At its edges, clouds surged and rolled like tides.
Looking around, the sky was a clear blue, spotless and pure.
A Sun hung at the horizon, pouring ten thousand rays of golden light over the boundless Sea of Clouds, staining it with a brilliant layer of golden fragments.
In the distance, several towering peaks floated like lonely islands within the Sea of Clouds.
Upon them stood the Palace of Jade and Immortal Towers, with Cranes gathering and soaring—so ethereal, it was a scene unfit for the mortal world.
This was Heavenly Sword Peak.
Such a magnificent sight would cause the heart of any mortal or cultivator arriving here for the first time to waver, even to feel the urge to kneel in awe.
However, Ye Chen simply stood quietly, his gaze calm.
Beside him, Xiao Xiao instinctively gripped his sleeve tightly, her small face filled with shock and a hint of unease.
This vast and cold world made her naturally seek a point of reliance.
At that moment, the air before them rippled slightly.
A gentle white light flashed, and as it faded, a young girl quietly appeared.
She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a pale moon-white sect robe, with drifting cloud patterns embroidered on the hem.
Her twin ponytails swayed softly with her movements.
A delicate oval face, skin fairer than snow, and most striking were her eyes—large and lively, like a clear spring reflecting sky and clouds, brimming with curiosity.
“You two must be the new junior brother and sister Master brought back, right?”
The girl’s voice was crisp, like jade striking stone.
She tilted her head, her gaze sweeping between Ye Chen and Xiao Xiao, finally settling on Xiao Xiao with a gentle smile.
Ye Chen nodded slightly, performing a peer salute.
His voice was warm.
“I am Ye Chen.”
Seeing this, Xiao Xiao hurriedly copied him, bowing nervously.
“I… I’m Xiao Xiao.”
“I’m Lin Yueqi, the third disciple under Master.”
Lin Yueqi’s eyes curved, her smile pure.
“Master already sent me a message to receive you. Come with me.”
She turned lightly, the pale skirt drawing a graceful arc, and led the two toward a pavilion deep within the square.
The path beneath their feet was damp with cloud and mist, carrying a coolness.
On both sides, carefully tended flowerbeds bloomed with rare spiritual herbs, thick spiritual energy condensing into faint colorful halos.
“Our Heavenly Sword Peak is the most peaceful among the Seventy-two Peaks of the sect.”
Lin Yueqi introduced as she walked, her tone lively.
“Master has a quiet temperament and chooses disciples based on ‘fate’ alone. The last time she accepted a disciple was many years ago—you two are really lucky.”
Ye Chen’s gaze swept past the distant pavilions suspended in the clouds, sharp as unsheathed swords.
He asked casually, “Senior Sister, what are the rules for cultivation and daily life for disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak?”
Lin Yueqi turned, her bright eyes pausing on his face.
It was rare to see a new disciple so calm upon entering Heavenly Sword Peak.
That tranquility didn’t seem feigned, but rather as if…
He had already seen broader worlds.
Curiosity flashed in her heart but was quickly covered by a gentle smile.
“Junior Brother asks a good question.”
She smiled softly.
“Master already instructed us. Ye Junior Brother, as a registered disciple, you cannot yet live in the inner sect’s ‘Thirty-six Sword Towers.’”
She raised her slender finger, pointing toward the distant pavilions shaped like giant swords.
“Those are residences for Direct Disciples. Each Sword Tower is a world unto itself, brimming with sword intent.”
“As for… Xiao Xiao Junior Sister—”
Her words paused, as if pondering the peculiar name.
“Since you have been accepted as a Direct Disciple by Master, you may choose any Sword Tower to reside in.”
Before her words finished, Xiao Xiao, who had been quietly following behind, let out a small “Ah.”
A faint tremor colored her voice.
She clutched Ye Chen’s sleeve tighter and looked up anxiously.
“Th-then… where will Gongzi live?”
“Gongzi?”
Lin Yueqi’s elegant eyebrows arched in interest at the title.
Her gaze lingered on Ye Chen’s calm face.
She stretched out a slender finger, tapped her smooth chin, and her eyes turned as if discovering something amusing.
“Ye Junior Brother will live in the ‘Sword Garden’ at the foot of the mountain.”
“That’s where registered disciples cultivate and reside. Though the spiritual energy and sword intent can’t compare to the inner Sword Towers, it is tranquil and refined.”
Seeing Xiao Xiao’s face fall, she added,
“But don’t worry, Junior Sister. There are Transmission Arrays throughout the peak. If you wish to see Ye Junior Brother, a single thought will take you to the Sword Garden—it’s very convenient.”
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao’s tense expression relaxed a little.
She looked at Ye Chen, seeking reassurance.
Ye Chen nodded to her, indicating it was fine.
Lin Yueqi watched all this, her smile growing deeper.
She continued.
“Besides residences, the peak also has the Sword Stele Forest, Heavenly Sword Pool, and Sword Testing Platform. They are all beneficial for cultivation—you’ll understand in time.”
As they spoke, the three arrived at a fork in the path.
On the left, beside a bluestone trail, stood a Transmission Array shimmering with soft light.
“Ye Junior Brother,” Lin Yueqi stopped, speaking to him.
“The Transmission Array to Sword Garden is here. Master instructed me to take Xiao Xiao Junior Sister to her next.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Ye Chen nodded in gratitude.
He turned to look at Xiao Xiao beside him.
The girl’s eyes brimmed with reluctance—a fledgling leaving the nest, anxious and dependent.
Ye Chen’s gaze remained gentle, yet it felt distant, like mist obscuring its depths.
He only nodded to Xiao Xiao once more, then turned to Lin Yueqi, his voice steady.
“Xiao Xiao is new here and knows little. Please look after her, Senior Sister.”
“Don’t worry, Junior Brother.”
Lin Yueqi winked and agreed readily.
“A cute Junior Sister like this—I’ll take good care of her.”
With that, she took Xiao Xiao’s hand and walked down the other path.
Ye Chen stood quietly, watching their figures fade into the misty corridor.
At the last moment before turning, Xiao Xiao looked back at him.
Her gaze was complex, filled with words unspoken.
In the end, she nodded firmly, as if making a silent promise to herself.
Only when that moon-white figure disappeared did Ye Chen withdraw his gaze.
He stood before the Transmission Array, heart untroubled.
So be it.
Xiao Xiao’s talent, within the Purple Sky Sword Sect—especially here at Heavenly Sword Peak—would be nurtured best, with boundless prospects.
Her reliance on him, born of the past, was a worldly attachment—a hindrance to cultivation.
He believed that time and distance would heal all.
As they met less in days to come, and she found her own path and friends, this obsession would naturally fade.
So thinking, a faint, unnoticed smile of relief curled at Ye Chen’s lips.
So be it, so be it.
He stepped forward into the gentle light.