Zhao Yun cast an apologetic look at Wang Zhaojun and swept his hand backward, instantly summoning a row of shadow guards.
"Make sure you take our Lor—take the young master back!"
The shadow guards slowly closed in on Wang Zhaojun, encircling her. Even though she was alone, her cultivation was unfathomable, and they dared not make a rash move.
"I will not let you take him back." Wang Zhaojun's voice was exceedingly faint. Her eyes, like an ancient, undisturbed well, bore no ripples, resembling glazed ice.
In a split second, the shadow guards felt a sharp, whistling chill sweep through the air. By the time they recovered their senses, five men had already fallen. There was not a single wound on their bodies, save for a tiny red dot between their brows.
Knowing full well that the shadow guards were no match for Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Yun made his move, lunging his long spear swiftly toward her.
Wang Zhaojun's expression remained tranquil, her heart entirely free of disturbance. With a subtle flick of her fingertips, she used the Flute of a Hundred Birds Saluting the Phoenix to block Zhao Yun's attack.
Zhao Yun's pupils constricted slightly. As one of the premier experts of Zitong Immortal Palace, this was the first time he had ever witnessed such profound cultivation in a woman.
Wang Zhaojun gazed calmly at Zhao Yun and, without further hesitation, transformed the flute in her hand into a white jade sword, effortlessly pressing her attack against him.
Before Zhao Yun could react, he was beaten back step by step. Caught off guard, the warm jade sword pierced straight through his chest. He bit back his pain, enduring it in silence.
A heavy reek of blood instantly permeated the air. Wang Zhaojun withdrew her sword and cast a cool glance at Zhao Yun. "If you dare to snatch someone from my hands, you had better bring out your true skills."
Zhao Yun pressed his lips tightly together, his figure staggering backward as the shadow guards stepped forward to steady him.
Suddenly, Zhao Yun straightened up, stepped before Wang Zhaojun, and gave her a deep bow. "Since we cannot bring the young master back, I beg Fairy Zhaojun to treat him well."
Instead of answering his question, Wang Zhaojun countered with one of her own: "Are you from Zitong Immortal Palace?"
Zhao Yun made no attempt to conceal the truth. "Yes."
Wang Zhaojun paused for a brief moment of reflection, her mind turning over the possibilities. "Tell me, then, how did you manage to lose him?"
Zhao Yun hesitated slightly before speaking in a slow, measured tone: "The young master has always been mischievous and loves to sneak away. When attending the banquet this time, he happened to find himself near Fairy Zhaojun and followed along."
"Oh?" Wang Zhaojun suddenly curved her lips into a smile, looking at Zhao Yun with an ambiguous expression. "Is that so?"
Before Zhao Yun could reply, Wang Zhaojun continued, "When I picked him up, he was hanging on by a thread, hardly resembling someone who merely slipped out to play. Are you certain you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"
Zhao Yun's expression turned unsightly. He lowered his head in thought and finally decided to tell Wang Zhaojun the truth.
"Seeing as the fairy protected the young master so fiercely at the banquet, there is no harm in telling you. Although the young master is young, this is the time for him to undergo his tribulation. The heavenly lightning over Poyun Mountain, where he underwent his tribulation, was too fierce for us to approach. When the lightning trial ended, the young master was gone."
Wang Zhaojun turned her head abruptly to look at Xiaobai, toying with his silver hair as she murmured softly, "Poyun Mountain? Indeed, when I found Xiaobai, it was in the Jiuling Region."
The Jiuling Region, as the name implied, consisted of nine mountain ranges, among which was Poyun Mountain.
"Xiaobai?!" Zhao Yun nearly choked on his own saliva. She actually called the Sovereign Lord Xiaobai?!
With an air of serene detachment, Wang Zhaojun gazed at Zhao Yun. "He has been by my side for some time now, yet I still do not know his name. Seeing how fair and clean he looked, I simply called him Xiaobai."
Zhao Yun reined in his turbulent emotions and gave a polite cough. "The Lor—the young master's surname is Li, with the given name Bai."
"Li Bai suits him well," Wang Zhaojun murmured softly. She then gently rubbed Li Bai's face and said, "Little fool, you have a name now."
*Little fool?!* Zhao Yun's jaw dropped. Accidentally pressing against his wound, he drew in a sharp breath. Although the Sovereign Lord looked a bit lacking in wits at the moment, he surely wasn't a fool!
Wang Zhaojun took Li Bai's small hand in hers, glanced back at Zhao Yun, and raised her eyes in a sidelong gaze. "If there is nothing else, we shall be leaving first."
Zhao Yun watched Li Bai's departing figure for a long time, unable to gather his wits. He never imagined that after undergoing a tribulation, the Sovereign Lord would not only lose all his magical powers but also turn into an adorable, naive little boy. What was to be done now?!
A shadow guard stepped forward, pulling Zhao Yun back from his reverie. "Young General, are we just going to return like this?"
Zhao Yun collected his thoughts and waved a hand. "Destiny has delivered the Sovereign Lord to Fairy Zhaojun's side, so let him stay there and be well cared for. Without any self-defense capabilities right now, returning to Zitong Immortal Palace would be too dangerous."
"Young General, you clearly could have beaten her. Why did you let her run you through with her sword?" another shadow guard chimed in, stepping close.
"If this general could beat her, how else were we supposed to keep the Sovereign Lord by her side?"
Zitong Immortal Palace possessed four great envoys. Not long ago, one of them stole the Dream-Entering Bead and betrayed Yunzhou, throwing the immortal palace into chaos. The Sovereign Lord was truly in no condition to return.
The shadow guards nodded. The Sovereign Lord was a being close to divinity in the Heavenly Realm; if malicious individuals were to discover that he lacked the power to defend himself, it would spell grave danger.
Suddenly, one of the guards asked, "When will the Sovereign Lord recover, then? Will Fairy Zhaojun mistreat him?"
Zhao Yun stroked his chin in thought. "The Sovereign Lord is so cute and likable right now; Fairy Zhaojun shouldn't mistreat him."
"As for when he will change back..."
His eyes lit up as he turned to the guards. "This time around, the Sovereign Lord must undergo a tribulation of the heart before he can return. Leaving him by Fairy Zhaojun's side is simply perfect!"
Once the Sovereign Lord returned from his tribulation, the Heavenly Realm would welcome its only true god.
The shadow guards silently wiped the sweat from their brows for Li Bai. "With the Sovereign Lord's current little stature? He's supposed to undergo a tribulation of the heart with Fairy Zhaojun? Besides, who doesn't know that Fairy Zhaojun is enamored with the Young Lord of the Dragon Clan?"
Zhao Yun looked somewhat awkward and scratched his head. "Our Sovereign Lord is so extraordinarily handsome. Although his frame is a bit small right now, well, it's not like he won't grow!"
Gongsun Li glared angrily at Pei Qinhu. "We'll stop right here! I don't want anyone else finding out about us!"
Unfazed, Pei Qinhu reached out to ruffle Gongsun Li's hair with a doting smile. "A-Li is my fiancée, after all. When are you planning to return?"
"I don't even like you, so give up!" Gongsun Li batted his hand away from her head and said coldly.
Pei Qinhu chuckled. "Do you fancy Baili Shouyue, then?"
"That's none of your business!" Gongsun Li widened her pure, deer-like eyes and glared unhappily at Pei Qinhu.
"How is it not my business? You are my fiancée. I respect you, and if you don't wish to return to the demon realm, I won't force you."
Gongsun Li gritted her teeth as she stared at Pei Qinhu. "Can you please stop showing up in front of me!"
Pei Qinhu suddenly pulled Gongsun Li into an embrace, asking softly beside her ear, "A-Li, why must you be so cold to me?"
Abruptly, Gongsun Li grabbed Pei Qinhu's wrist and bit down hard, then turned and ran off without looking back.
Pei Qinhu inspected his wound, then watched Gongsun Li's retreating figure with a goofy smile. "My A-Li really is adorable."
When Wang Zhaojun returned to her residence, dusk was already falling. At a glance, she spotted Gongsun Li sitting in a daze beside the lotus pond and asked, "A-Li? What's wrong? Those people didn't hurt you today, did they?"
Meeting Wang Zhaojun's gaze, Gongsun Li's eyes flickered slightly. "I'm fine. I wasn't hurt."
Wang Zhaojun pressed no further. She had sensed the faint aura of another demon clan member lingering on A-Li, likely from meeting a friend.
In the dead of night, Wang Zhaojun was reading in her study when a flash of lightning suddenly split the sky. The deafening rumble of thunder made it difficult to concentrate, so she put down the book in her hand and walked outside.
The silvery-white lightning was exceptionally striking against the night sky, its white glare periodically flashing across the parasol tree in the courtyard. Before long, a howling gale broke out, followed by a torrential downpour.