66: Chapter 66 Master's Panel

Breakfast was a nerve-wracking affair.

Just as Zhao Ruoan was lost in wild thoughts, a subtle wave of spiritual energy rippled from outside the courtyard gate.

A cold, ethereal figure silently appeared in the courtyard.

Her white robes were whiter than snow, her grace unmatched.

It was none other than Revered Master, Yun Qinghan.

"Revered Master!"

Luo Li and Third Senior Sister Mo Hongling rose together to bow in greeting.

"Revered Master," Zhao Ruoan stood up as well and bowed deeply.

Yun Qinghan had returned.

She appeared no different from when she had left, her aura steady, though a faint trace of fatigue lingered between her brows.

"Sit down, all of you."

Yun Qinghan's voice was as cold and clear as ever. She walked over to the stone table, her gaze lingering for a moment on the spread of breakfast items.

Third Senior Sister Mo Hongling eagerly offered a soup dumpling: "Revered Master, try my newly made crab roe baozi! It's super delicious!"

Yun Qinghan did not refuse. She accepted it and took a small bite.

She chewed slowly and elegantly.

"Mm, your culinary skills have improved."

Receiving Revered Master's praise, Third Senior Sister Mo Hongling's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with joy.

Yun Qinghan turned her attention to Zhao Ruoan. "Regarding your rescue of those Disciples..."

"Disciple was merely doing his duty," Zhao Ruoan replied.

"You did well," Yun Qinghan evaluated concisely. "Responsible, possessing tact and restraint—you did not disgrace Qinghan Peak's teachings."

She paused before adding, "However, next time, protect yourself first. Your life is more precious than a hundred or a thousand Inner Sect Disciples combined. Do you understand?"

Though spoken with absolute dominance, her words warmed Zhao Ruoan's heart.

"Disciple understands."

Yun Qinghan nodded slightly and continued, "The root cause deep within the mountain range has been eradicated; the beast tide crisis is resolved. Elder Huang and the others are handling the aftermath. You may prepare to return to the Sect."

Having said this, she spoke no further, quietly eating the baozi in her hand.

Standing to the side, Zhao Ruoan's heart began to beat wildly against his will.

A crazy thought uncontrollably welled up in his mind.

First Senior Sister possessed the Supreme Sword Body.

Third Senior Sister possessed the Devouring Divine Physique.

What about... Revered Master?

This Revered Master who casually handed out Immortal Emperor level Cultivation Techniques, who snatched Disciples from other peaks at the slightest disagreement, and who was unreasonably domineering—just what kind of Heaven-Defying existence was she?

Curiosity was frantically scratching at his heart.

Screw it, let's do it!

If he didn't take a peek, he felt he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!

Zhao Ruoan took a deep breath and recited silently in his mind.

"Eye of Insight, activate!"

Pretending to look at the ground, his peripheral vision remained dead locked onto Revered Master.

The next instant, a golden light screen—a hundred times more brilliant than the previous two combined—exploded in front of his eyes!

The intensity of the light nearly blinded his eyes.

[Name: Yun Qinghan]

[Realm: ??? (The target's existence surpasses the Heavenly Dao's comprehension; uninspectable)]

[Identity: ??? (Empress Bingli)]

[Spiritual Root: ??? (Grandmist Chaos Sword Body)]

[Physique 1: Nine-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart (Born Saint, naturally comprehends all laws and techniques)]

[Physique 2: Supreme Emotionless Dao Embryo (Emotionless and self-less, aligning naturally with the Dao)]

[Physique 3: ???]

[...]

[Physique 9: ???]

[Background: Upper Realm Immortal Emperor, Revered Master of Frost Law, titled "Empress Bingli." Following the War of Gods and Demons, she was betrayed by her sworn enemy and close friend, who trapped her in a Heaven-Severing Killing Array. She ultimately detonated her Emperor Soul, dying alongside several Immortal Emperors, leaving only a remnant soul to undergo Reincarnation and Rebirth in this world.]

Zhao Ruoan: "..."

Grandmist Chaos Sword Body?

Nine-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart?

Supreme Emotionless Dao Embryo?

And there was a long string of question marks after that—he didn't even dare imagine what those were.

The most absurd part was the background description.

An Immortal Emperor Reincarnation?!

And a ruthless figure who was betrayed by a nemesis and best friend, taking down several Immortal Emperors with her in the end?!

He had always thought Revered Master was an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation who fit the typical Rebirth female lead trope of "thirty years east, thirty years west, do not look down on a young girl's poverty."

Now it seemed his vision was still too narrow.

Compared to Revered Master's loadout, his System, along with the Supreme Sword Body and Devouring Divine Physique, were all child's play!

As a transmigrator with a System, he didn't even count as "ordinary"—at most, he was a extra, Mob Character A.

Within a few breaths, Zhao Ruoan's expression underwent a complex transformation from blankness to horror, and finally to numbness.

"What is wrong with you?"

Yun Qinghan's cold voice sounded.

Zhao Ruoan jolted, snapping back to reality, only to find three pairs of beautiful eyes fixed upon him.

"N-Nothing!" He frantically waved his hands. "Disciple was merely thinking about Revered Master's matchless Divine Might, resolving the beast tide with a flick of her fingers. Filled with utmost admiration, I lost myself in thought for a moment."

Flattery never hurts.

"Slick-tongued."

Yun Qinghan gave him a cool glance, not probing further.

Finishing the dumpling in her hand, she stood up.

"The matter here is resolved. We return to the Sect."

The moment her words fell, she brought her fingers together like a sword and lightly slashed toward the sky.

*Zheng—*

A crisp, resonant sword chime echoed across the sky.

A crystal-clear longsword, appearing as if carved from ten-thousand-year-old mysterious ice, flew out from her body, expanding rapidly in the wind.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a giant ice-crystal Flying Sword dozens of zhang long, hovering above the courtyard while radiating freezing cold air.

"Let us go."

Yun Qinghan stepped onto the sword blade first.

Luo Li and Third Senior Sister Mo Hongling followed suit, accustomed to this.

Zhao Ruoan remained dazed on the spot, looking up at the colossal sword, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Is this what an Immortal Emperor's style looks like?

...

The giant sword ripped through the sky at an unimaginable speed.

The mountains and rivers beneath them receded rapidly into blurry streaks of light.

Standing on the sword, buffeted by the biting wind at high altitude, Zhao Ruoan's mind remained turbulent for a long time.

Revered Master is an Immortal Emperor Reincarnation.

She has enemies powerful enough to besiege her to death.

Those enemies must be at least at the Immortal Emperor level.

And there's more than one of them.

Having taken an Immortal Emperor as a Master meant he had effectively booked Immortal Emperor level enemies in advance.

The pressure shot up instantly.

With his current Cultivation level, let alone an Immortal Emperor, any ordinary Immortal blowing a breath at him would instantly send him to the grave.

No way, I must Cultivate quickly!

I must become stronger at top speed!

At the very least, I must have enough strength to step in front of Revered Master and take a strike for her when her enemies come knocking.

Zhao Ruoan clenched his fists.

Qingxuan Sect.

Qinghan Peak.

When the giant ice sword landed smoothly on the peak's square, Zhao Ruoan was still somewhat dazed.

This trip to the Tianyao Mountain Range had lasted merely a few days, but to him, it felt like a century had passed.

"Junior Brother, go back and rest first. I will head to the Karma Hall to hand in the mission," Luo Li said.

"Junior Brother, I'm going back to make delicious food for you!" Third Senior Sister Mo Hongling also waved her small hand.

"Go on."

Dropping those two words, Yun Qinghan's figure flashed and vanished on the spot, returning to her main hall.

On the square, only Zhao Ruoan remained.

He exhaled a long breath of turbid Qi, purging the violence and fatigue of recent days along with the shock and pressure in his heart.

No matter what the future holds, living in the present is what matters most.

He turned and walked toward his small courtyard.