The wind was crisp over the Azure Sky Sect's celestial lake, its calm waters reflecting the starlight like a mirror from the heavens. Yue Qingxue stood at the edge of a stone bridge, her pristine white robes swaying softly as her eyes stared into the shimmering surface.
But her mind was far from calm.
No one in the sect doubted her talent. As one of the youngest inner court disciples to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, she was considered a prodigy—graceful, wise, and resolute. Yet lately, her thoughts had begun drifting toward one person more often than she would ever admit aloud.
Li Xuan.
He was just an outer disciple. Quiet. Handsome—too handsome for his own good—and strangely indifferent to attention. Most people barely acknowledged him, thinking he was a reclusive, cultivation-obsessed weirdo.
But Yue Qingxue saw something else.
Last week, she had seen him beneath the Silver Plum Tree, meditating as moonlight bathed his figure. The image had branded itself in her mind like a painting carved into her soul.
He hadn't moved. Hadn't even glanced at her.
And yet—her heart had stirred.
Why?
Why did someone like him make her, a proud inner court disciple, feel uncertain? Drawn?
She clenched her fist over her heart.
> "He's hiding something. I know it. But what?"
---
Later That Night – Sword Pavilion
Yue Qingxue stood within the sect's ancient Sword Pavilion, reading through scrolls about illusion techniques and spiritual masking arts.
> "He walks the outer court unnoticed. But his aura—sometimes it vanishes. Completely. Even Elder Yuan cannot do that without a treasure."
She set the scroll down. Her heart was racing again.
> "Could he be… someone sent by a higher realm? A disguised expert? Or…"
Her cheeks flushed lightly.
> "No. That's ridiculous. He's just… Li Xuan."
She walked out of the pavilion, the moonlight casting long shadows across the stone path.
---
At the Training Grounds
A group of disciples were sparring with swords. Yue Qingxue observed them briefly, then noticed a familiar figure walking along the distant ridge.
Her breath caught in her throat.
It was him.
Li Xuan moved with no spiritual fluctuations, as if he were part of the air itself. His robe was simple, hair tied casually, his gaze seemingly distracted… but Yue Qingxue could feel it again. That strange sensation of weight and stillness around him.
A presence far beyond ordinary cultivators.
She began walking toward him—but before she could say anything, a strong gust of wind rose and scattered dust across the ridge. When it cleared… he was gone.
> "He's gone… again."
Yue Qingxue looked down at her sword.
"I will find out the truth… even if you try to remain hidden forever, Li Xuan."
---
Meanwhile – Deep in Seclusion
Li Xuan opened his eyes.
> "Someone is watching me again…"
A faint ripple in the Dao Field told him someone had tried to sense his presence—again, it was weak. Harmless. But familiar.
He smiled faintly. "Yue Qingxue… so you're curious too."
But curiosity was dangerous.
He would have to mislead her—keep her distracted from the truth.