Chapter 278: Bing Xin

Heaven Immortal Sect, True Central Area.Teleportation Hub.

A ripple of light formed on the formation, and from within it stepped a young man.

He wore clan robes and a simple bamboo hat, its brim casting a shadow that hid half his face.

But even so, the parts that were visible were unforgettable — two golden eyes burned beneath the shadow, bright enough to outshine the sun and carrying a majesty that did not belong to someone his age.

Long black hair, threaded with strands of white, spilled over his shoulders like flowing night and dawn intertwined.

The surrounding disciples glanced over instinctively... then quickly looked away. Something about him made them uneasy.

The young man swept his gaze across the teleportation hub, searching for a peculiar Elder.

’Not here.’

His expression remained unreadable.

Then exiting the Hub, a Glide Disk appeared beneath him. He stepped onto it with practiced ease, letting the artifact carry him.

Holding his medallion in one hand, he turned sharply and shot forward like a streak of light.

His destination was clear and unmoving.

The Discipline Committee.

Formerly known as the Punishment Hall.

And today, he walked toward it with purpose.

***

The man arrived before a towering pagoda — each level radiating a solemn and oppressive aura.

Countless disciples in uniforms moved in and out of the structure, each robe marked with a single character: "Discipline."

Their expressions were rigid, their movements precise. This was not a place where one wandered casually.

After a brief inspection at the gate, the man stepped inside.

He did not linger.

His steps were steady, purposeful, carrying him up the spiraling stairs.

His destination was clear — the highest floor, where only a few had permission to tread.

Halfway up, the pressure in the corridors noticeably thickened.

As he reached the staircase leading to the final level, someone descended.

A red-haired disciple with sharp spikes of hair, stern eyes, and an aura so unfathomably deep that the hallway itself seemed to tense around him.

His cultivation was enormous, easily among the top in the entire Discipline Committee.

"Halt."

His voice was calm, but his presence was a mountain.

"Entry above this floor is restricted. If you are lost, return below and seek guidance. This is not a place where one may come and go freely."

He spoke firmly while staring into the young man’s golden eyes.

And for the briefest moment... he felt pressure in his spirit.

’What pressure... What is this gaze?’

Before the red-haired senior could question, the man stepped forward.

He didn’t argue.

He simply produced a letter from his storage ring and handed it over with both hands.

"I have business with the Committee Head," the young man said.

His voice was deeper now — matured, steady, no longer resembling the childish tone he once carried.

The senior raised an eyebrow and examined the seal on the letter.

His expression changed.

It bore the mark of the Elemental Heaven Peak, and the aura saturating it was unmistakable, it belonged to someone of Elder rank or above.

"...Wait here."

Without further words, the senior turned and ascended swiftly, leaving only the echo of his footsteps.

Meanwhile, the man walked toward a nearby window and looked outside.

The view was vast.

Far away, activity surged across the sect. Spirit beasts soared through the skies, their massive forms carrying disciples toward the heavens.

Above the sect, suspended high in the clouds, floated a colossal island — newly formed.

Around it hung multiple gates, shimmering like portals to other worlds.

The man watched silently as spirit beasts ferried disciples upward, one by one stopping before a gate, releasing their passengers into the unknown.

The world was changing.

And he had come here for that very change.

’The formation of that gate is really unusual...’ the young man thought as his golden eyes swept across the distant floating island again.

Ordinarily, Gates appeared on the ground, open for any person brave enough to step inside. Entire generations seized fortunes through those Gates — clearing them, hunting beasts, and gaining massive experience and fame.

But these?

These Gates hung in the sky.

A normal person would struggle to reach them, let alone a puny human.

Without spirit beasts, aeroplane or helicopters, access was impossible.

And the reason behind this strange phenomenon...

Well, he already knew.

His master had explained that this time, the Gates were not merely trials:

They were bridges.

Bridges that connected to the other side.

Just then, footsteps echoed behind him.

The red-haired senior had returned.

"The Committee Head is waiting for you," he said, handing back the letter. His tone held restrain, clearly wanting to say more but choosing not to.


The young man offered a small nod and turned away.

As he departed, the senior stared at his back, whispering to himself:

"...The timing is too coincidental. He arrives right before the Committee Head departs for the Floating Island? What kind of luck is that? Or is this... fate?"

He shook his head.

[Readers: Plot armor. It had to be plot armor.]

Meanwhile, the young man reached the topmost floor.

Before he could raise his hand to knock, the doors opened on their own.

A faint, cold fragrance drifted out.

Inside, the top floor was a vast hall, silent and pristine. Disciples stood at attention along the sides, each with an aura so sharp it could cut stone.

But all of them paled before the presence seated at the center.

At a heavy jade desk sat a woman whose beauty seemed sculpted by the heavens themselves.

Her hair was pale as moonlit snow, cascading smoothly down her back.

Her lashes long and delicate, framing eyes of glacial blue — cold, fathomless, and serene.

Her skin flawless like carved jade.

Her lips soft and pale pink.

Though breathtaking, she radiated no warmth.

Only a calm coldness — dignified, distant, absolute.

A cold beauty.

This was the Discipline Committee Head.

This was Bing Xin.

She held the letter he had sent, her icy gaze scanning its contents. The pressure in the room subtly bent toward her, as if the very air acknowledged her authority.

Then, her eyes slowly lifted.

Golden and blue met.

For a fraction of a second, the frost in her gaze flickered.

Bing Xin closed the letter.

And looked directly at the young man who had stepped inside.

It was Yu Xuan.

***

[A/N: New volume begins...]