The
moon hung high in the sky
, casting a silver glow over the
Azure Kingdom Royal Academy’s gardens
.
Xiao Li stood still, his sharp eyes locked onto the
mysterious silver-haired girl
before him.
She was
unlike any other disciple
he had seen so far—her
robe was pure white
, flowing like mist, and her
crystal-blue eyes
held an unreadable depth.
Most importantly—
She had
called him by name
, as if she had known him for years.
"Who are you?"
The girl’s lips curved into a slight smile, but there was something
strange in her expression.
"Someone who knows the truth about you."
Xiao Li’s gaze darkened.
"The truth?"
He took a step forward, his
Qi subtly flaring
, preparing for
any potential threat
.
But the girl simply
raised her hand
, as if to assure him she meant no harm.
"I do not come as an enemy, Xiao Li."
"But if you want answers, you must first prove that you are ready for them."
Xiao Li’s smirk returned.
"So, you want to test me?"
The girl nodded.
"Yes."
She raised her hand, and suddenly—
BOOM!
A
wave of spiritual energy exploded from her body
, causing the air itself to tremble.
Xiao Li's eyes flashed.
"Qi Refining Stage 9?"
No—
her energy felt even stronger
than a normal Qi Refining cultivator.
Her power was
refined
, controlled, and far more dangerous than the arrogant disciples he had fought before.
This wasn’t just a test.
"She wants to see if I’m truly worthy of her secrets."
Xiao Li
grinned.
"Fine."
His
Qi surged
, golden light flickering around his body.
"Let’s begin."
The silver-haired girl
moved first.
"Frost Lotus Art—First Bloom!"
The
air temperature dropped instantly
, and
crystalline ice petals
materialized around her, glowing with sharp
blue energy.
"Ice cultivation techniques?"
Xiao Li
dodged backward
as
the petals shot toward him like flying daggers.
WHOOSH!
Each one
sliced through the ground
, freezing the stone where it landed.
Xiao Li’s expression remained
calm
as he twisted his body, dodging every attack with ease.
The girl’s eyes flickered with
surprise.
"Your movement technique is refined… but how will you handle this?"
She
raised both hands
, and suddenly—
BOOM!
A
massive frost lotus
formed in the air,
spinning rapidly
, releasing waves of
freezing energy
that spread across the entire courtyard.
The
ground beneath them froze solid
, and a layer of
ice mist
covered everything.
"If you stand still for even a moment, your body will freeze."
Xiao Li
chuckled.
"Then I won’t stand still."
And in the blink of an eye—
He
vanished.
The girl’s eyes widened.
"Wha—?!"
Xiao Li
reappeared behind her
, his
Qi surging.
"Too slow."
He raised his
palm
, aiming directly at her
shoulder
But she reacted
just in time
,
twisting her body
and countering with an ice-covered palm strike.
BOOM!
Their attacks
collided
, sending
shockwaves
through the air.
The girl
skidded backward
, her
expression serious.
"You're much stronger than I expected."
Xiao Li cracked his knuckles.
"And you’re not bad yourself."
The girl suddenly
smiled.
"Then let’s take this to the next level."
She raised her hands, and the
air around them thickened with spiritual energy.
A second frost lotus began forming, but this time—
"Enough."
Xiao Li’s voice cut through the air, and in an instant—
BOOM!
He
vanished again
, but this time, he
didn’t appear behind her.
He appeared
above her.
"Heaven-Sealing Palm!"
A golden palm strike descended from above
, crashing toward her with
immense force.
Her
eyes widened
.
"I can’t block this!"
She immediately tried to dodge—
But it was
too late.
BOOM!
The
ground shook violently
as Xiao Li’s palm landed just
in front of her
, sending
a shockwave
that knocked her off balance.
As the
mist cleared
, Xiao Li stood
completely unscathed
, while the girl struggled to
catch her breath.
The battle was
over.
The girl slowly straightened, her
crystal-blue eyes filled with curiosity.
"You… are even stronger than I thought."
Xiao Li crossed his arms.
"Now, tell me. Who are you?"
The girl was silent for a moment.
Then, she
sighed softly.
"My name is Xue Yue."
Xiao Li's eyes narrowed.
"And how do you know about me?"
Xue Yue's gaze
met his directly
, her voice calm but serious.
"Because I know the truth of your origins, Xiao Li."
Xiao Li’s expression darkened.
"Explain."
Xue Yue
hesitated
, then took a deep breath.
"You were not meant to be born in Linfun City."
"Your true origins… are far beyond this Mortal World."
Xiao Li’s fingers clenched slightly.
"Go on."
Xue Yue’s voice dropped to
a whisper.
"You are connected to an existence that the heavens themselves fear."
Xiao Li’s
mind raced.
What did she mean?
Before he could question her further, she
turned away
, her voice soft but firm.
"If you wish to learn more… grow stronger."
She glanced back, her eyes filled with
mystery and something else—concern?
"Because soon… your true enemies will come for you."
With that, she
vanished into the night mist
, leaving Xiao Li
alone with his thoughts.
"My true origins?"
His smirk slowly returned.
"Fine. Let’s see where this path leads."
Because no matter what secrets awaited—
He would be ready.