Moonlight cascaded gently over the sect's ancient stone steps as Lan Yue descended from Moonlit Peak.
Clad in flowing robes embroidered with glimmering phoenix feathers, her every step seemed to echo with elegance and purpose. Disciples bowed their heads as she passed, not daring to interrupt her serene presence. But Lan Yue paid them no mind—her heart was focused elsewhere.
> "I know where I saw him... the outskirts, near the Twilight Heart Lotus Tree."
It had been weeks since she first caught a glimpse of the man with the unearthly aura, sitting beneath the ancient tree like a forgotten deity. His face... too calm. Too beautiful. And far too mysterious.
She, Lan Yue—the proud genius of the Azure Sky Sect—had her pride pierced by a single look.
> "I just want to ask who he is," she whispered, lying to herself.
But something deeper stirred within her—a subtle, aching curiosity that refused to fade.
---
Meanwhile, within the hidden Dao Field…
Li Xuan sat before a glowing jade platform, refining a new technique he'd obtained during his last breakthrough.
[Heaven-Treading Shadow Lotus Scripture]
—A cultivation method that concealed one's presence even during tribulations.
> [System Notification: A rare visitor is approaching the outer formation.]
> [Identity: Lan Yue – Inner Court Genius, Moonshade Lineage.]
> [Intent: 67% Curiosity, 21% Infatuation, 12% Unknown.]
> [Warning: No immediate threat detected. Recommend concealment.]
Li Xuan frowned slightly. His fingers traced a seal across the air. The outer formation rippled silently, projecting the illusion of emptiness across his dwelling.
> "So she came after all," he murmured.
He didn't mind her presence. But attention—even innocent—was dangerous to his way of cultivation.
> "The more they look at me... the faster their karma threads twist."
---
At the edge of the forest
Lan Yue stood before the boundary of the outer sect woods. The ancient trees loomed, branches swaying as if whispering secrets.
She stepped forward, trusting her instincts. As her feet touched the moss-laden ground, the air shifted. The spiritual energy here was denser, richer.
> "Why would an outer disciple live here… in such abundance?"
She passed beneath the Twilight Heart Lotus Tree, her gaze searching. But there was no sign of him. No cave. No energy fluctuations.
Yet her heart trembled.
He was here.
Somewhere.
Watching.
---
Inside the Dao Field
Li Xuan stood silently atop a cliff within his sealed domain, gazing through the illusory barrier. He watched her walk beneath the tree—calm, graceful, determined.
> "She reminds me of someone," he whispered.
A flicker of warmth passed through his cold demeanor. But it was fleeting.
He turned away.
> [System Notification: New system function unlocked—Karmic Detection Array.]
> [Function will allow user to track long-term fate entanglements.]
> [First Activation Cost: 1,000 years lifespan.]
Li Xuan paused.
Then smiled faintly.
> "Too expensive... for now."
---
That Night
Lan Yue returned to Moonlit Peak, troubled and quiet.
> "He's more than he appears," she whispered to herself. "And I will find out what fate hides from me."
In the quiet night, starlight shivered above the mountain peaks.
Somewhere beneath the roots of the Twilight Tree, an ancient power continued to grow—unseen, undisturbed.
Unstoppable.