An old man with snow-white hair and a flowing beard knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face before a woman who appeared no older than twenty.
No matter how one looked at it, the scene was utterly bizarre.
What made it even more shocking was that this elderly man was none other than the Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Holy Land. If outsiders were to witness this sight, they would undoubtedly be left speechless.
"How many times have I told you not to call me 'Ancestor'? It sounds awkward. If you have something to say, then say it. Stop wasting time."
Ye Ximei frowned slightly, her willow-shaped brows knitting together as she spoke with faint irritation. Her slender fingers reached for a wine gourd resting nearby.
"Ancestor, I beg you. You must agree to this one request!"
Sheng Xuzi's voice trembled with emotion.
"Speak."
Ye Ximei casually shook the wine gourd before taking a sip.
"I beg you to let Mo Yu become the next Sect Master. The Heavenly Profound Holy Land cannot afford to lose him!"
Sheng Xuzi's eyes were red from crying.
"Luo Suxin, Bai Shuangying, Xia Ningbing, and Su Meier have all refused. If Mo Yu declines as well, we'll have no suitable successor left."
Ye Ximei set down the wine gourd, a trace of confusion appearing in her clear eyes.
"What exactly happened? Why are you acting like the world is ending?"
"It's because of Mo Yu's Heavenly Tribulation."
Sheng Xuzi drew a deep breath.
"It was a Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation."
"And?"
Ye Ximei's expression remained unchanged.
"Is that really worth disturbing me over?"
She had lived far longer than Sheng Xuzi and possessed experience far beyond his. A Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, while rare, was hardly enough to warrant such panic.
"That's not all."
Sheng Xuzi's voice grew solemn.
"The power of the tribulation was overwhelming. Even I, at the Soul Transformation Realm, would not have survived it. Yet Mo Yu endured the entire ordeal without suffering a single injury."
Ye Ximei scoffed.
"Impossible."
"The strength of a Heavenly Tribulation is determined by the cultivator's own foundation. No one emerges completely unharmed."
"Ancestor, every elder and disciple witnessed it personally."
Sheng Xuzi spoke firmly.
"Not only was he uninjured, but he also broke through several minor realms immediately afterward."
Silence filled the air.
After a long pause, Ye Ximei finally spoke.
"I'll return and see for myself."
"Ancestor, you still haven't agreed to—"
Before Sheng Xuzi could finish, the phantom projection before him faded away.
—
Taiqing Domain.
Taiqing Sacred Land.
Within an elegant chamber scented with sandalwood, Ye Ximei reclined lazily against a soft couch. Her fair fingers tapped rhythmically against a wooden table, producing crisp sounds in the otherwise quiet room.
"To endure a Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation without injury..."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Could the heavenly lightning truly have been incapable of harming him?"
"System, do you know the reason?"
A mechanical voice answered in her mind.
[The Child of Destiny possesses extraordinary fortune. Such phenomena are not unusual.]
Ye Ximei nodded thoughtfully.
That explanation was reasonable.
Every one of her disciples had been an unparalleled genius capable of achieving feats that defied common sense.
A moment later, the system's voice rang out again.
[New Child of Destiny detected: Chu Yuli.]
[Location: Heavenly Profound Holy Land.]
[Host is advised to recruit the target as a disciple as soon as possible.]
Ye Ximei instantly sat upright.
Her eyes lit up with excitement.
The seventh one.
At last.
For countless years, she had searched for talented individuals worthy of becoming her disciples. Now, the final Child of Destiny had finally appeared.
The Destiny Disciple System granted power through the act of accepting disciples.
Once she gathered seven Children of Destiny, she would fulfill the system's requirements and gain the opportunity to ascend to the Immortal Realm, reaching a level countless cultivators could only dream of.
The system had granted her an endless lifespan, yet despite centuries of cultivation, she had never been able to break through into the Mahayana Realm.
Now, after taking six Children of Destiny as disciples, only one remained.
Without hesitation, Ye Ximei rose to her feet, ready to depart immediately.
Just then, the door opened.
"Leaving already?"
A woman dressed in luxurious purple robes entered gracefully, followed closely by Ling Qingyue.
The newcomer was Ling Yunxue, Sect Master of the Taiqing Sacred Land.
She carried herself with natural authority and elegance, her every movement radiating dignity. She was also Ling Qingyue's master and adoptive mother, and the bond between them was no different from that of a true mother and daughter.
"I'm heading out."
Ye Ximei waved casually.
"We'll share a drink another day."
Before the last word had fully left her lips, her figure vanished from the room, leaving behind only a faint lingering fragrance.
Ling Yunxue watched the empty space and snorted softly.
"It would be better if you never came back."
After Ye Ximei's departure, silence settled over the room.
Neither master nor disciple spoke for several moments.
At last, Ling Qingyue broke the silence, her voice calm and cool as moonlight.
"Master, this disciple has a request."
Ling Yunxue turned her gaze toward her.
"What is it?"
Ling Qingyue lowered her eyes. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around her sleeve before she finally spoke.
"I wish to dissolve my engagement with the Profound Heaven Saint Son."
Ling Yunxue frowned slightly.
"Why?"
A trace of confusion appeared in her eyes.
She knew her disciple well. Ling Qingyue had always been sensible, composed, and considerate. Such a sudden request was completely unlike her.
"Although your Aunt Ye and I arranged this engagement years ago, you understand the current situation of our Taiqing Sacred Land."
Ling Yunxue's tone softened.
"We are facing many difficulties and require the support of the Heavenly Profound Holy Land."
"Furthermore, the Profound Heaven Saint Son is no longer the cripple he was seven years ago."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"He is talented, handsome, and surrounded by exceptional senior sisters. Even if he had remained crippled, there would still be countless women willing to marry him."
"It has nothing to do with that."
Ling Qingyue interrupted quietly.
Her thoughts drifted back to the events within the Yin-Yang Secret Realm.
The mysterious stranger.
The night that had changed everything.
A complicated emotion stirred within her heart.
Perhaps she had developed feelings she should not have.
Perhaps she wished to protect the reputation of the Taiqing Sacred Land.
Perhaps she feared that unresolved matters might one day ignite conflict between the two sacred lands.
Whatever the reason, she knew one thing with certainty.
This engagement could not continue.
Taking a slow breath, she finally spoke.
"I have already given myself to another."
Her voice remained calm, but her eyes lowered slightly.
"I no longer have the right to stand before the Profound Heaven Saint Son as his fiancée."
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere in the room froze.
The warmth in Ling Yunxue's expression vanished instantly.
A terrifying pressure swept through the chamber like a rising storm.
Her usually dignified and graceful face became as cold as ice.
"What happened?"
The words emerged slowly, carrying an unmistakable weight.
Ling Qingyue did not attempt to hide anything.
She recounted everything that had happened within the secret realm.
From beginning to end, she neither embellished nor concealed any details.
Her voice remained steady throughout, as though she were recounting someone else's story.
When she finished, she lowered her gaze.
"Everything happened because of my own decisions."
After a brief pause, she continued.
"I left behind no means of tracking that person, nor do I intend to seek him out."
"Master, if blame must be placed upon someone, let it be placed upon me alone."
Silence followed.
Ling Yunxue listened without interruption.
As the story unfolded, countless emotions crossed her face.
Anger.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Concern.
Heartache.
In the end, all of them melted into a weary sigh.
"You foolish child."
Her voice carried none of its previous severity.
Only helplessness remained.
"You should have protected yourself more carefully."
She closed her eyes briefly before continuing.
"As for that man..."
A trace of coldness flickered through her eyes.
"If he truly wished to disappear, finding him would be nearly impossible."
The Tianyuan Continent was simply too vast.
Searching for a single Qi Refining cultivator without clues was no different from searching for a grain of sand in an endless ocean.
More importantly, the engagement could no longer proceed.
No matter how understanding the Heavenly Profound Holy Land might be, a union built upon such circumstances would only create complications for both sides.
After a long silence, Ling Yunxue finally spoke.
"Very well."
She rose slowly from her seat.
"I will accompany you to the Heavenly Profound Holy Land."
Her gaze softened as it rested upon her disciple.
"Whatever happens next, we will face it together."
"As for the engagement..."
A faint sigh escaped her lips.
"It is time to bring this matter to an end."