"She's here?" Yun Xiao muttered. He felt a formidable presence outside of his cabin.

In terms of true power, the Ice Lineage Sword Diva was a figure who could command the winds and storms within the Samsara Galaxy. With almost a millennium of cultivation under her belt, she could easily vanquish anyone in the Fourth Baptism Realm or below with ease.

In reality, Yun Xiao should be addressing her as

Senior

. But the milk was already spilled; there was no use crying over it. With nowhere to retreat, he had no choice but to see his deception all the way through to the end.

"It's fine. It's fine. I just have to hold out until tomorrow morning. Then, I can finally leave this damned place!" Yun Xiao then swiftly tapped into his inner actor. He sat cross-legged on the floor, his posture relaxed, his voice tinged with a lazy pleasure, "Come in."

The door creaked open. Stepping through the snowy threshold outside, her blue hair reaching her waist and her cold yet radiant beauty transformed from a serpentine tail to jade feet, the Ice Lineage Diva approached slowly.

Her pretty face wore a look of reverence as she slightly bowed before Yun Xiao, saying, "Senior, I apologize for the intrusion."

"A beautiful visitor is a joy supreme; how could it be a disturbance?" Yun Xiao responded with a slight smile.

The Ice Lineage Diva seemed momentarily flustered, managing only a timid smile in response.

"So, your name is Yu Ji?" Yun Xiao lifted his gaze to study her beautiful face.

He reminded himself that the woman before him was not the supreme sovereign of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm but merely a little girl... Only in such a guise could he maintain his composure and exert dominance, without giving himself away.

"Mmm. May I ask how you wish to be addressed?" the Ice Lineage Diva asked, lowering her head slightly.

Yun Xiao’s bold gaze made her feel a peculiar unease. Even in the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects, the powerful men there wouldn't dare to look at her in such a way.

"My surname is Yun; just call me Big Bro or Brother Yun," Yun Xiao replied.

The Ice Lineage Diva shook her head. "An elder on the path of immortality is a teacher. Senior Yun is a predecessor; I wouldn't dare to forsake etiquette."

"As you wish." With that, Yun Xiao closed his eyes, feigning meditation. He knew she had sought him out with a purpose in mind; he was not in a hurry, letting her make the first move.

In the quiet of the small cabin, the faint, chill fragrance that emanated from the Ice Lineage Diva became more pronounced.

In the excessive stillness of the cabin, once silence took over, the atmosphere seemed inevitably intimate.

Naturally, the Ice Lineage Diva felt the

pressure

of being alone with him. She bit her lip, suppressing the nerves rising within her, and took two steps closer to Yun Xiao, whispering, "Senior Yun..."

"Speak your mind, ask what you wish," Yun Xiao replied, his eyes closed, hands resting on his abdomen, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.

"Mhm." The Ice Lineage Diva nodded slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering as she hesitated, "I was wondering, you met Si Ji before me, didn’t you?"

"Yes, indeed. When I first arrived in the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, she was the first one I met. Quite a pleasant encounter," Yun Xiao replied.

"She is truly wonderful," the Ice Lineage Diva said with an awkward smile. "It’s no wonder then that you trust her so completely with Yao Yao."

Hearing this, Yun Xiao slowly opened his eyes, looking at the sublime yet cautious Ice Lineage Diva beside him. With an ambiguous smile, he asked, "Yu Ji, are you dissatisfied that I entrusted Yao Yao solely to Si Ji?"

"Not at all," Yu Ji blurted out in a panic, "Your plans are surely profound, with Yao Yao's best interests at heart. I merely hoped to offer some modest efforts in her upbringing."

"Is that so?" Yun Xiao fully turned to face her, gazing into her ice-blue eyes with a prolonged voice, "But Si Ji has already made sacrifices to gain this opportunity. It doesn't seem quite right to involve you now."

At these words, the Ice Lineage Diva's expression shifted, her emotions intensifying. She suddenly spoke earnestly, "Senior Yun, I can make sacrifices too... Anything Si Ji can do, I can do, and even better."

Her true motive lay bare in that statement.

"Oh? Are you certain?" Yun Xiao’s gaze intensified as he studied her eyes.

Such a forceful stare was unfamiliar and taboo to the Ice Lineage Diva. Yun Xiao said nothing more, yet she felt a tingling sensation, her ears faintly burning red.

"Please, Senior Yun, what did she do?" The Ice Lineage Diva swallowed a cool gulp, her eyes trembling slightly as she looked at Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao, with a face that might turn the heavens upside down, possessed an innate allure that even a Diva like her found her heart racing.

Yun Xiao did not answer her question, but simply smiled and said, "Give me your hand."

"Hand..." The Ice Lineage Diva’s mind went blank, her breaths coming hard. With trembling fingers, she extended her pale, delicate hand from her sleeve, lifting it timidly before Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao, aware that each of his actions must assert dominance lest she perceive his own weakness, acted swiftly. As her hand was raised, he reached out and grasped her hand firmly.

A gasp escaped her as she instinctively tried to pull back.

"Hmm?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.

The Ice Lineage Diva's heart skipped a beat, breath halted, her face grew cold as frost, and her arms filled with the blue of coursing blood… However, the hand that was about to pull back paused.

She was like a tense blue rabbit. Despite possessing the power to shatter heaven and earth, she was firmly caught in Yun Xiao's grip.

"Senior Yun, what are you..." She knew he was not a mere slave, but a man of will!

In the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, allowing a man to hold her hand was a taboo, violating the decrees of the ancestors. This was especially true for a Diva who was expected to exemplify conduct.

If others saw this, her reputation would be ruined!

Such contact was new to her, and her delicate body reacted as if shocked, wanting to pull away but not daring to.

Tears welled in her eyes.

"W-what is this?" Her mind a blur, she spoke breathlessly, staring at his hands as if they were venomous.

Yun Xiao held her hand gently, his other hand lightly grasping her fingers. "Didn’t you want to know what Si Ji had sacrificed?"

"Yes, she—" The Ice Lineage Diva stammered, words faltering as if plunged into an icy abyss.

"Indeed, I quite admire her." Yun Xiao spoke offhandedly, then looked directly into the Diva’s eyes, his voice soft, "I won't insist, but if you're willing to offer, then..."

As he spoke, one hand began to slide from her palm upwards, moving toward the neckline of her garment, while he soothingly added, "Don’t worry, the path of dual cultivation is a natural order of heaven and earth. It’s your first time, I will be gentle."

"No, no!"

At this, the Ice Lineage Diva broke down. She swiftly withdrew her hand, tumbling to the ground, then scrambled up and rolled into a corner.

Her hair disheveled, her once radiant face pale, eyes red-rimmed, the Ice Lineage Diva trembled and her voice broke with sobs, "I was wrong. I do not wish this, please, no, no."

Yun Xiao paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand and continued to sit cross-legged on the floor. His voice was warm and gentle, "Do not be anxious. I am a carefree seeker of the Dao, not a mere philanderer. True dual cultivation requires mutual consent and benefit. If you are unwilling, I will not force you. What difference would there be between me and the beasts otherwise?"

Hearing these words, the Ice Lineage Diva felt like a drowning person who had reached the shore. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, then looked at Yun Xiao with gratitude. "Thank you for your understanding."

"Life is difficult, and so is the Dao. Understanding each other is crucial," Yun Xiao said, his face radiant with a noble glow.

"Mhmm." Finally regaining her composure, the Ice Lineage Diva's body stopped shaking.

Seeing her like this, Yun Xiao said, "The sacred laws of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm are your lifeblood, aren't they?"

Biting her lip, the Ice Lineage Diva nodded. "Yes. As a Diva, if I break these laws and betray our ancestral teachings, how can I govern and set an example..."

As she spoke, she suddenly gasped, realizing something and then stared at Yun Xiao, "Si Ji, she...!"

Yun Xiao’s smile faded. "Everyone has their own ambitions and choices. She chose the path of a Boundless Immortal to better protect her home. You need not condemn her."

"The path of a Boundless Immortal..." The words nearly choked the Ice Lineage Diva. It was her dream too.

"To achieve boundlessness, she was willing to unite with me. What about you?" Yun Xiao asked.

"I, I..." The Ice Lineage Diva looked down, her fists clenched, her eyes wrestling with conflict. After a moment, she looked up, her voice trembling, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, I cannot do it."

"Don't worry. I'm not disappointed. I tell you all this only hoping that while you keep to your Dao, you do not hinder others in their pursuit. Otherwise, I would be displeased," Yun Xiao said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Yes, yes..." the Ice Lineage Diva murmured, her voice choked with emotion. She understood now. Everything. Why Yun Xiao had stayed at the Snow Diva Ruins, why he had entrusted Yao Yao to Si Ji's care.

It was because of this...

Her first impulse was to expose it all, to ruin Si Ji's reputation utterly. But quickly, she realized what was done was done. What good would come to tarnish Si Ji, to make a mockery of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, to subject all its people to disgrace?

And more so, if the Boundless Immortal before her were truly angered, the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm would be doomed!

To cultivate with a Boundless Immortal... She too could make such a choice, if she wished.

That was a way to become a Boundless Immortal!

"Si Ji has already transgressed, entranced by her pursuit of boundlessness, she's tread the path of forsaking her mentors and ancestors. I must uphold the will of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm!" The Ice Lineage Diva's gaze hardened.

"Senior Yun." She composed herself, suppressing her mixed emotions, and spoke to Yun Xiao, "Given all this, I wish you well."

"Thank you," Yun Xiao responded.

"But if you deceive her, if you conceal truths that ultimately harm the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, I swear I won't rest, even as a ghost," she said suddenly, her tone serious and chilling.

Yun Xiao merely smiled wryly. "You worry too much. With my current state, aligning with the Harmony Divine Palace is merely mutually beneficial. I'm hardly in a position to harm you."

"Your state?" The Ice Lineage Diva blinked in surprise.

Yun Xiao spread his hands, smiling, "Can't you see? The power of tribulation within me is weak."

"I see, but..." The Ice Lineage Diva wanted to say,

Aren’t you just hiding it?

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