On an unnamed mountain, a woman dressed in red sat atop a tall pine tree, gazing at the full moon in the sky. She spoke slowly, her voice calm, "What night is this, to meet such a fine soul?" "City Lord of Jimo, what poem are you reciting?" Below the tree, a man leaning against its trunk asked with a smile, cradling a golden broadsword in his arms. "A poem I heard long ago," Jimo Huaxue replied, her thoughts returning to the present. She glanced downward and smiled faintly. "Seeing this moon suddenly brought it to mind." "It's rare to see you smile—just as rare as seeing you draw your sword. But whether it's your smile or your sword, both are beautiful," the swordsman said softly. "City Lord Xu, I’m already married," Jimo Huaxue said coolly. The swordsman reached up to trace the scar running across his face, then chuckled. "I know that. But a married woman can remarry, can she not? Your husband is gone now, and before he died, he told you to find someone better to marry." "I won't. Because there’s no one better than him in this world," Jimo Huaxue said, turning her gaze back to the full moon. "Lord Xu, you really should stop waiting for me." The swordsman shrugged. "That's for me to decide." After a moment of silence, Jimo Huaxue suddenly said, "I should go now." "Back to Jimo City?" the swordsman asked. "Or are you going to find those children from the academy?" "You specifically arranged to meet me in Yunmeng Prefecture,"…

"The Pool of Heavenly Waters, boundless and infinite. All things unite, revered in the mortal realm." Su Baiyi chanted these words softly, as the hands he had placed on Feng Yuhan's shoulders gradually began to grow hot. Feng Yuhan frowned slightly, watching as the medicinal pool's waters begin to slowly swirl, and the energy within his body mirrored this flow, streaming through Su Baiyi’s hands and into his body. Surprised, Feng Yuhan asked, “There truly exists a martial technique that can absorb another’s inner power?” “Yes. As much as there is, I can take it all!” Beads of sweat formed on Su Baiyi’s forehead. His previous experiences drawing inner power from Wuya and his senior sister had left him feeling more confident in his mastery of this technique. However, when absorbing Feng Yuhan's inner energy, he felt an unprecedented sense of pressure. As the waters in the pool churned more violently, Feng Yuhan chuckled, “Do you even know what realm I'm at? Yet you dare say ‘as much as there is’?” “Senior Brother Feng once told me about the four realms of martial arts mastery. The first is the Autumn Water realm, meaning 'autumn waters flowing endlessly into the sea.' Next is the Ascending realm, where one's skills soar skyward like a rising wind, advancing a thousand miles in a day. The third is the Heaven's End realm—those who reach it are called grandmasters, having reached the peak, boundless and limitless. I suspect Sect Leader Feng has entered this Heaven's End realm.” Su Baiyi could feel Feng Yuhan's overwhelming inner…

Su Baiyi followed Feng Yuhan through the narrow secret passage, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through. A few luminous pearls embedded in the walls cast a faint glow, offering just enough light to illuminate their path. Feng Yuhan remained silent throughout their journey, occasionally letting out a soft cough. Su Baiyi's mind wandered to the young man in green he had rescued on that rainy day. Could it be that their injuries shared the same cause? After walking for a short while, the two finally emerged from the passage into a spacious underground stone chamber. At the center of the room was a pool emanating a subtle medicinal fragrance. Su Baiyi asked, "Sect Leader Feng, is this where you recuperate from your injuries?" Feng Yuhan nodded slightly, then removed his upper garment and entered the pool. Leaning against the edge, he closed his eyes and said, "Young Master Su, I've suffered grave injuries. If I stay away from this medicinal pool for too long, the internal energy in my body begins to flow backward. I hope you'll forgive me." "How long has this condition persisted?" Su Baiyi asked. "Six months ago, my younger brother, along with several experts from the Heavenly Water Manor and the Heavenly Book Hall, ambushed me on the banks of the Li River. I was forced to retreat into the Changze Mountains. To break through their encirclement, I hastily practiced the martial art described in that book. I managed to return to the Heavenly Dawn Cloud Realm, but my body suffered severe backlash,"…