Ye Qing was just too sleepy. He dragged himself up to drink a few sips of milk, but the milk didn’t wake him up, it helped him sleep.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he felt sleepy again.

He let out a tiny, milky burp. His eyes wouldn’t stay open. He slowly fumbled around the bed, and after finding his soft little pillow, he snuggled against it twice before falling back asleep.

This time, he didn’t dream of someone else’s marriage proposal.

He dreamed of a young cultivator from an unknown place.

The young cultivator looked to be around the same age as Yu Jinghan. Clad in a white robe, he had a refined and gentle countenance, his face turned aside as he looked into a mirror.

Wow, a handsome man!

Ye Qing’s eyes lit up, and he smacked his lips twice. Unexpectedly, the young cultivator suddenly turned his head, startling the human toddler.

The beautiful dream instantly turned into a nightmare.

Because half of the youth’s face was perfectly intact, while the other half was covered in charred scars and festering, pus-filled tumors.

Those fleshy growths seemed to possess a life of their own, constantly emitting a gloomy aura. He looked like an Asura incarnate, making it impossible for anyone to steal even a single glance at the banished immortal.

Half human, half demon.

Seeing this up close, the human toddler burst into tears of fright.

The dream did not end. The youth stood before a mirror, applying healing salve.

The pill in his hand was Silver Snow Grass, refined by the Chief Disciple of Pill Peak in the Guiyuan Sect. It was the most supreme healing medicine, capable of removing scars and neutralizing toxins.

The youth seemed to hold a glimmer of hope for this Sacred Medicine.

He believed he had been poisoned, so he scooped out the ice-cold salve and smeared it over the scarred half of his face. The next second, utter despair washed over him.

The poisonous tumor was incredibly stubborn. Not only did it devour the Sacred Medicine completely, but the black area also expanded slightly. The backlash was nearly instantaneous, sending a wave of pain through his internal organs.

The youth lowered his hand, trembling, and gripped the mirror tightly.

“It started as just a tiny spot, and now it has spread across half my face. He used a Forbidden Technique to harm me, disfigure me, and strip me of my rightful position… and he deliberately left half my face intact…”

To destroy a face completely would be thorough revenge. But to leave half intact was to force him to struggle in despair and agony, to continuously steal his providence, cultivation, and innate talent, and to drag him from the clouds into the dust.

Recalling the horrified gazes of his fellow disciples, his Master’s disappointed sighs, and the helplessness of the medical cultivators, the youth’s fist slowly clenched.

Suddenly, he shattered the mirror in his hand, as if unleashing a flood of long-suppressed forbearance in a single, explosive moment.

“Heavenly Dao, are You truly there? How unjust this world is! He insults me, destroys me, and bullies me, yet I am utterly powerless! Am I supposed to endure him, yield to him, and avoid him, only to give him everything in the end? I have cultivated the Dao for ten years, steadfastly adhering to my original heart, never straying a single step. Yet in the end, no one will uphold justice for me!” His voice was hysterical, each word a tear-stained cry of accusation.

Two streaks of blood-tears streamed down the youth’s face, making him look utterly ferocious.

If the elders of the Guiyuan Sect had been present, they would have discovered with horror that the youth’s Demon Heart was growing wildly, like a beast breaking through its cage, on the verge of overwhelming his once rock-solid Dao Heart.

He had completely lost all hope, no longer believing that justice existed in this world. If it did, let it be proven to him! If not, he might as well fall into demonhood and end it all.

Ye Qing had been scared, but now he felt a pang of sympathy for the youth in this dream.

He knew all too well how important a face was. If he weren’t cute, no one would want to cuddle with him, handsome men and beautiful women alike.

Just then, three bubbles appeared before his eyes: “A Pinch of Thunder,” “Small Thunder,” “Medium Thunder,” “Giant Thunder”… What was this?

The human cub was utterly bewildered.

He tried tapping “A Pinch of Thunder.”

In an instant, dark clouds surged across the sky, blotting out the light. The sea of clouds churned as a fierce wind howled, signaling an imminent thunderstorm.

“Look at the sky!” the Guiyuan Sect disciples cried out in alarm. “Which Senior Brother is facing a Tribulation again? Why wasn’t there a warning? The spiritual herbs in my field aren’t even harvested yet!”

“Set up the array! Hurry, deploy the defensive magic array! Don’t let the heavenly lightning destroy the mountain’s fields!”

“My Snow Soul Grass! Please, let my newly planted Snow Soul Grass be safe!”

The frantic shouts instantly spread across the entire mountain, startling the young man inside the house. He widened his eyes and looked up.

The entire peak descended into chaos. But the next second, everyone let out a collective “Huh?” and stopped running around like headless chickens.

The majestic, rolling thunderclouds had merely flickered twice before vanishing without a trace.

In Ye Qing’s words, instead of a high-powered appliance, it was more like an old, malfunctioning lightbulb gasping for its last breath, crackle, crackle and then it was gone.

But the cultivating disciples couldn’t figure it out. This anomaly left all the Guiyuan Sect disciples bewildered. “What’s going on?”

True Tribulation Heavenly Thunder wasn’t like this. It should have been eighteen or thirty-six bolts, each more powerful than the last, with blinding light and deafening sound.

This time, it was more like a baby’s roar.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, exchanging confused glances.

“Did they fail the Tribulation before it even started?” “Which Senior Brother or Sister is so unlucky? Let’s go buy a small gift to offer our condolences…”

Hearing the thunder, even if it was just a faint rumble, the timing was so coincidental that the young man suddenly calmed down. His surging Demon Heart was instantly suppressed back into his Spiritual Sea.

So, the Heavenly Dao really exists…*l

“Grandfather Heavenly Dao, are you telling me that this is a trial on my cultivation path? That I must endure and bide my time, restraining my temperament and concealing my brilliance?” This thunderbolt from the clear sky was like an invisible yet tangible lifeline.

All the madness on the young man’s face receded like a tide, replaced by his former piety.

“Thank you, Heavenly Dao. This disciple will study and practice diligently, and will never again allow his Inner Demon to corrupt him.”

The young man knelt on the ground, his posture brimming with reverence.

The Dao Heart, which had been stained black, was once again filled and glowed with a pure, clear light, brighter than ever before.

“???”

Ye Qing, still half-asleep, continued to toss and turn. He rolled over in bed, then rolled again, seemingly dissatisfied with the position, only to bump into a magnificent, towering mountain.

He tried to roll further, but couldn’t move.

What is this little cub doing?

Lou Qinian narrowed his eyes.

He sat by the bed, looking down at the sleeping child. One moment, the cub was smiling happily, his little mouth slightly open with a suspicious trace of drool at the corner.

The next, his expression was one of terror, his delicate eyebrows furrowed. Then, he looked utterly lost, his hands flailing in the air.

The next second, he seemed to be drowning, his chubby little feet kicking instinctively twice and, unsurprisingly, he kicked the Great Demon.

Lou Qinian took the hit directly, his two eyebrows drawing together slightly. Yet, he wasn’t angry. He had never seen a cub with such a chaotic sleeping posture before.

He picked the child up.

His expression remained unchanged, his tone neither warm nor cold.

“Having a nightmare?” He reached out, his hand landing on the human cub’s soft back, silently soothing him with a gentle stream of spiritual energy.

The human cub’s condition indeed improved. He lowered his small head in disappointment and mumbled gloomily, “Mm… I had a nightmare.”

He rubbed his eyes, looking out the window in a daze.

“It’s not thundering?”

He’s still half-asleep! Lou Qinian scoffed inwardly.

He didn’t mind, though.

With an expression both arrogant and disdainful, he took out a clean, damp handkerchief and washed the cub’s face.

“Brother, you’re so good! Hugs!” After Ye Qing fully woke up, the first thing he saw was Lou Qinian’s peerless face right in front of him. His eyes lit up, and he snuggled up to the other, happily beaming once more.

The Great Demon’s thin lips curled slightly. He had been arrogant and willful all his life, immune to all kinds of superficial praise. Yet, in the face of the little cub’s sweet-tongued flattery, he found himself unusually good-tempered.

Only later did he learn that human cubs were simply innocent and naive. Their love for beauty was innate; they wanted to snuggle with everyone.

__

No one could resist the formidable power of the Blood Jade Qilin.

Qin Xun had been unable to forget it. After all, an opportunity was only an opportunity because it was inherently volatile. Fearing that the longer he waited, the more complications would arise, he wasted no time.

After swearing a solemn oath, he forced himself to focus, paid his respects to the four Nascent Soul cultivators of the Yu Mansion, and then sought out his newly betrothed fiancée.

The Blood Jade Qilin was in her hands.

The Yu Mansion had not told him that Yu Feixue had been previously betrothed to someone else, but Qin Xun was not kept in the dark. He knew the whole story, including Yu Feixue’s words: We cultivators should not be bound by the shackles of worldly marriage.

Qin Xun fully agreed with this sentiment.

Back when he was still a mortal prince of the Dongling Kingdom, his Imperial Father had issued an edict arranging a marriage for him. His betrothed was a noble young lady of great beauty, and he had been quite satisfied with the match.

But after his Immortal Root was discovered, sealing his destiny to walk the Path to Immortality, the engagement was naturally nullified. He was to be a future Immortal Elder, how could a mortal woman possibly be worthy of him?

So he wrote a letter declaring their separation, wishing each other joy and peace, and had a palace maid deliver it.

As for what became of the young lady after that, Qin Xun had already joined the Guiyuan Sect and naturally would not-nor care to inquire.

He considered himself magnanimous and far-sighted.

After all, cultivators possessed immense longevity and eternal youth. Decades were but a mere blink of an eye to them.

Qin Xun would still be handsome and vigorous at eighty, while the young lady, though beautiful now, would have long since become a withered old woman by then. They were fundamentally incompatible; it was better to sever ties early.

Besides, the divide between immortal and mortal was absolute. They were destined to share a fleeting affinity but never a future.

Now, as the son-in-law of the Yu Mansion, he could walk openly into the inner courtyard.

When the maid led him on a detour, Qin Xun paid it no mind.

Just then, across a lake, Qin Xun saw a figure. His gaze froze.

It was a young man, a sword hanging from his waist. His profile was pale, devoid of color, yet the line from his brow to the bridge of his nose was as perfectly carved as if by a blade. His eyes were deep black, and his cool, elegant features were like snow-covered branches.

Though dressed in the plain clothes of a Yu Mansion servant, his bearing was so striking that one could not look away.

The only flaw was that he was too thin.

His tall frame was skeletal, and his excessive thinness made him look fragile. While others were unaware of his circumstances, the maids knew the truth all too well: the Young Master Cousin only ate once every two or three days. How could he possibly gain weight?

Sensing his gaze, Yu Jinghan shot a glance his way, his expression exceptionally cold.

“Is that the Yu Family’s Young Master Cousin?”

The maid replied tremulously, “Yes, it is…” She had deliberately taken a detour, so how could she still run into him!

A hint of grudging admiration flickered in Qin Xun’s eyes as he silently assessed Yu Jinghan: His cultivation is at the Qi Refining Stage, which is inferior to mine. He is tall but too frail, also inferior to me. Orphaned and dependent on others, his social standing is lower than mine. He’s too far away to judge his innate talent, but simply put, it must be inferior to mine as well. After all, I am the Son of Salvation.

Qin Xun found it hard to harbor any hostility toward someone who fell short of him in every way.

Only Yu Jinghan’s stunningly handsome features made him anticipate Yu Feixue’s appearance even more.

After all, they were blood relatives; she couldn’t be far behind. Yu Feixue, having been raised in luxury, was bound to be even more ethereal and refined.

Qin Xun recalled every one of Yu Feixue’s graceful appearances. She always wore a white veil, looking like a celestial maiden from Yaochi.

Luo Ling, with her fiery temperament, had tried several times to use her superior cultivation to snatch away the girl’s mysteriously hidden face.

But the young woman moved as lightly as a swallow, dodging every attack.

Her posture remained unflappable, and she retorted coldly, “I have not yet joined the Immortal Sect, Senior Sister Luo Ling. You may bully me for my low cultivation, and I can swallow this grievance. But my face will only be revealed with my fiancé’s permission.”

Her clear-cut words left Luo Ling speechless.

The young woman’s fierce loyalty and unyielding spirit had left the Junior Sister defeated and humiliated several times.

The more Qin Xun witnessed this, the more he admired her. A secret always made a woman more alluring, and the fact that he had never seen her face only whetted his appetite, fueling his growing interest.

He had long been eager to see the number one beauty of Yunzhou City.

Yu Feixue had also changed into her attire early and was waiting for him. In her snow-white robes, her graceful figure swayed elegantly in the wind.

Qin Xun was still young, and his thoughts and gaze were not well-concealed. After seeing Yu Feixue, his eyes repeatedly swept over the young woman’s face.

What material is this veil made of? he wondered. It hides a person’s face far too well.

Yu Feixue knew exactly what was going on. She took her father’s words to heart, nothing should be dragged out too long.

Wearing the veil for too long would hinder her own cultivation. After all, no cultivator would keep something that obscured their vision for so long unless they were putting on an act.

If she kept it on much longer, she might find herself in a predicament where she couldn’t find a good excuse to take it off.

So, she decided to take it off today.

Qin Xun was startled, his heart instantly racing with anticipation. “Am I offending you?” he asked.

“No,” she replied, her voice cool yet tinged with a hint of shyness. “Our relationship is different from before. From now on, Feixue… will have no secrets from you.”

She extended her slender, jade-like hand and slowly removed the veil. Bathed in the light of the Yu Mansion’s green lanterns, she seemed enveloped in a soft, ethereal mist.

Even before joining an Immortal Sect, her aura already surpassed ninety percent of the female cultivators Qin Xun had ever seen.

Qin Xun’s eyes widened. The next second, as he took in her features from her eyebrows and eyes to her crimson lips, his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach.

The Yu Family’s daughter, raised on countless heavenly treasures, was naturally stunning. Her beauty was as radiant as the morning sun, as ethereal as a painting, and as flawless as a finely carved piece of jade. Combined with her upbringing in luxury and refinement, her every feature exuded an otherworldly elegance.

The title of Yunzhou City’s Number One Beauty was well-deserved; she truly lived up to the name of a celestial maiden.

Yet, after the recent chaos in the Baize Mountain Range, where he had witnessed the stunning beauty of numerous bird demons, and then seeing Yu Jinghan on the lakeside corridor, Qin Xun couldn’t help but indulge in unrealistic fantasies.

Now, seeing her in person, a thought struck him: How is it that my cousin is less beautiful than my male cousin?

“What are you thinking? You just swore an oath!” the old man with the jade pendant scolded, his voice laced with frustration. He couldn’t understand why the Son of Salvation was so lecherous.

A true expert should stand atop the mountain peak, unswayed by the collapse of Mount Tai and unfazed by the movement of a deer. Yet Qin Xun was constantly preoccupied with others’ looks!

“I know…” Qin Xun wiped his face, his voice dry.

Yu Feixue’s eyes were like clear water as she looked back at him expectantly. Qin Xun quickly hid his disappointment, changed his expression, and asked about another matter. “The Blood Jade Qilin—may I borrow it to examine?”

This time, his relationship with the Yu Mansion had significantly improved. Borrowing it meant he could keep it.

The Blood Jade Qilin could awaken his unique bloodline and enhance his innate potential. Though he couldn’t yet unlock the dwelling within the jade pendant, he could absorb the power circulating on its surface to break through to the Golden Core Stage in a single leap.

An eighteen-year-old Golden Core cultivator would be unprecedented. It would be enough to shock the world and send tremors through the Cultivation World.

But to his surprise, Yu Feixue’s voice wavered with guilt as she said, “I’m sorry, A Xun. That jade was a relic left by someone else, so I have already returned it to its rightful owner.”

She had just witnessed it, the jade pendant she had always been unable to activate had recognized Yu Jinghan as its master after he shed a single drop of blood upon it. This proved that the Blood Jade Qilin did indeed belong to Yu Jinghan.

It seemed that even in death, her aunt had not forgotten this cousin of hers.

What?! Returned to its rightful owner?!

The opportunity he had just grasped had slipped away again!

Crackle!

Blood rushed to Qin Xun’s head, and his vision suddenly went black. A sweet taste filled his throat as the world spun wildly around him. He nearly collapsed to the ground.