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"I, I..."

Seeing Yino start to back down, Ruoning couldn't help feeling tempted. She thought to herself, sure, agreeing now might feel like losing face, but once they entered the secret realm, she'd have the perfect chance to fight him one-on-one. By then, she'd knock him out, drag him back to Jiangnan, sign the marriage contract, throw on the red veil, and for the rest of her life, she could have her sweet, sweet

revenge

on him however she wanted.

Thinking it through like that, agreeing now didn't seem like such a big deal...

Wait, no, hold on!

She suddenly froze.

If the end goal is to get him, why bother keeping my promise at all? I could just knock him out and drag him home! That way, I get both pride and the man!

With this sudden revelation, Ruoning broke free from her mental loop. Her bright eyes sparkled, and when she looked at Yino again, her gaze seemed visibly sharper.

He's right, though. I'm at the mid-Core Formation stage now, and I have the Innate Mystical Sound Holy Physique. Plus, I have shadow guards secretly protecting me, arranged by Aunt Jue.

Given my advantages, why am I even bothering to negotiate with someone who's just entered Core Formation with that useless Wasteland Physique?

Muttering to herself, Ruoning pressed a hand to her lips, her emerald-blue eyes wide as if she'd suddenly woken from a dream. Her grip on the Purple-Gold Liuli Sword in her arms tightened.

In an instant, her guqin appeared once more. Vibrant, multicolored notes swirled around her, and the sheer oppressive aura of a mid-Core Formation cultivator—one favored by destiny itself—sent turbulent winds rippling through the secret realm's square.

The onlookers, sensing the change in the air, quickly stepped back three paces, not daring to get caught up in what was about to unfold.

Standing right in front of Ruoning's overwhelming pressure, Yino twitched at the corners of his mouth. He hadn't expected that, after all these years, Ruoning had actually matured a bit—not a lot, but at least enough to figure him out better than before.

At least... She wasn't as easy to trick as it used to be.

"What do you think you're doing? Can't talk it out, so you're going straight to violence?"

Though Yino had a few trump cards up his sleeve, he realized none of them were particularly useful against Ruoning. Sure, he had his swordsmanship and that nine-colored deer talisman, but beyond that... not much.

The jade pendant with Yuyan's ultimate technique? Nah, I might accidentally kill my future wife.

Using his demon bloodline or forbidden techniques? Out of the question—he couldn't risk exposing his identity and ending up beaten to death by a gang of righteous cultivators.

Without these cards to rely on, Yino had to admit he probably couldn't take her in a straight fight.

He had the Innate Sword Dao Holy Physique, sure, but she had the Innate Mystical Sound Holy Physique. Physique-wise, it was a tie.

Cultivation-wise, he was at a disadvantage.

And this wasn't like when they were kids, playing around. Ruoning was already showing the poise of a destiny-favored.

"So what if I'm a thief?!" Ruoning sneered. "This is the cultivation world. Strength rules everything! Yino, don't think that just because you bullied me as a kid, you're so amazing!"

"There are so many talented poets and scholars in Jiangnan, lined up outside the Liu Manor, composing poems and breaking down doors just for the chance to meet me. And yet here I am, traveling all the way to this godforsaken desert to marry you, and you dare not appreciate it, you bastard?!"

The more she spoke, the stronger the wind around her grew. Her teal hair whipped across her face, her blue-green eyes flashing with a dangerous light. As her fury intensified, she rose into the air elegantly.

Hovering mid-air, Ruoning plucked at her guqin with one hand and directed her sword with the other. She seemed to regain the bold and spirited demeanor she'd had at the start.

Down below, Yino sighed under the weight of her killing intent. Reluctantly, he raised his sword, preparing for battle.

"So now we're justifying you being a thief, huh? I guess all the scholarly wisdom of the Liu family didn't go to waste on you!" He smirked. "Ten years apart, and your ass still itching for a beating, huh? Back then, you used to hang on me all day, calling me 'Hubby' like it was the sweetest thing ever. You even said when you married into the He family, you'd warm my bed every night. Remember that?"

Even on the brink of a fight, Yino couldn't resist tossing out a few embarrassing childhood stories to make Ruoning lose her cool.

And lose her cool she did. Hovering in midair, her cheeks flushed a deep red as she glared down at him, her feelings a chaotic mixing of love and hate.

"Yino, Shh-shut up!!!"

"When I catch you, we'll see who warms whose bed!" she screamed, throwing all pretense to the wind.

She plucked her guqin, unleashing waves of vibrant sound. A colorful sonic field spread across the square, wrapping everything in its domain.

Yino kept his eyes fixed on Ruoning's figure in the air. But just as a rainbow of notes shot past him, the teal-haired girl floating above suddenly vanished like an illusion.

Tch...

Why does it always have to be illusion types, like Jinyue? They're the worst.

With no target in sight, Yino felt the pressure mounting.

In fact, in Fallen Immortal, there wasn't even supposed to be a musical magic branch. Ruoning's Mystical Sound Holy Physique and her sect's guqin arts were a form of illusion-based cultivation, designed to confuse opponents through tricks and deception.

How the hell am I supposed to find her now?

Damnfox, where are you? Help me out!

Drenched in sweat, Yino scanned the rainbow-lit sonic field in vain, the melodic notes only adding to his unease.

Suddenly, a red-haired fox girl burst through the barrier, her eyes glowing with a crimson sigil.

"Yino! Right rear flank! Watch out!" shouted Jinyue.

But Ruoning was faster. Hidden within Yino's blind spot, she struck, her blunt blade aimed squarely at the pressure point on his neck.

At the last second, Yino abandoned his sword and twisted his body to dodge.

Even so, the sound of her blade grazing his position rang out—sharp and clear.

*Clang!*

"That's enough."

A cold, commanding woman's voice suddenly cut through the chaos.

Before Yino could steady himself, a soft but icy hand caught him by the wrist.

He turned, and there she was—the white-robed immortal he'd bid farewell to earlier that morning at Ranmo Peak. Now, she stood before him in the Azure Forest, shielding him from Ruoning's strike.

"You again?!"

Ruoning gasped, startled by the sheer chill radiating from the woman's ice sword. In a single clash, the frost spread, freezing her Purple-Gold Liuli Sword and biting into her fingers.

Panicked, Ruoning withdrew her blade, retreating to ease the numbing pain in her hand.

Though she'd grown up among Jiangnan's elite, accustomed to the finest scholars and warriors, Ruoning recognized true strength when she saw it. This wasn't just cultivation power—it was the unshakable aura of someone who'd fought and killed their way through countless battles.

And let's not even mention… her assets.

"You claim Jiangnan is a land of refinement and culture," the white-robed woman said calmly, her voice tinged with mockery. "But judging by your behavior, you're not much different from the 'barbarians' of the Western Region."

Ruoning flushed, embarrassed and furious all at once. But for a moment, all she could do was stand there, staring at the immaculate beauty before her.

"You...!"

God, she is beautiful.

Even Ruoning, who'd grown up surrounded by elegance, found herself swallowing nervously.

"You must be the Lady Yuyan Uncle He always mentioned," she stammered, instinctively lowering her tone.

The white-robed woman didn't reply immediately. She simply glanced at Yino before turning her gaze back to Ruoning. Her expression was one of cold indifference, but her presence was impossible to ignore.

"That's me," she said.

Yuyan stood with her arms crossed, her signature posture with the Frost Chant Sword tucked at her side. Honestly, every time Yino saw her like this, he couldn't help but wonder—

would her sword end up smelling like milk if she held it between these melons long enough?

"Since you've already heard about me at the He family mansion, you should know that Yino is now a disciple of the Wuji Sect and my personal protégé," Yuyan said calmly. Though her tone wasn't angry, her displeasure was crystal clear. Find exclusive stories on empire

After all, Yino was her junior disciple, yet here Ruoning was, publicly declaring she'd take him away—a clear disrespect to the sect.

For a moment, Ruoning realized she wasn't exactly in the right here. When dealing with Yino alone, she could rely on strength, but now that Yuyan had entered the picture, even the headstrong Ruoning became a little more self-aware.