"Since Senior Brother has an idea, I won't ask any further. I'd like Lianyue to handle the Immortal Seeking Assembly. What do you think?"
Shui Lianyue was the most talented member of the younger generation at Yinxian Gate, possessing more than enough fame and strength. Having her manage the event would surely spark the enthusiasm of prospective disciples.
Among the younger generation, Shui Lianyue's fame was resounding, and many came specifically for her.
The title of an Innately Sacred Being carried immense weight.
Thinking of this, Qingyang sighed slightly in his heart. Sometimes, having too loud a reputation wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Senior Brother certainly knew this, which was why he rarely let Shui Lianyue show her face to the outside world.
Now that her cultivation had reached the Golden Core stage, she could finally make her mark before the world.
"You are the Sect Master, so of course you have the final say. I'm leaving."
Before his voice had even faded completely, Luochen's figure was already gone from the grand hall.
***
"Senior Sister, is this right?"
Ye Xiangli's voice was filled with forbearance. Hanging upside down from the Tianji Wood, the pain and exhaustion radiating from within her body made her breathing grow ragged.
"The Tianji Wood is a tree refined through lightning tribulations. When you hang upside down from it, the faint wisps of lightning tribulation power within the wood can cleanse your meridians and strengthen your body. Since you wish to embark on the path of immortality, this is the very basics. It's for your own good, Junior Sister."
A faint smile hung on Shui Lianyue's lips as she looked at Ye Xiangli hanging upside down from the Tianji Wood, her light purple eyes rarely holding a trace of amusement.
Watching Ye Xiangli endure the hardship due to physical exhaustion, Shui Lianyue rarely experienced a shift in her own emotions—an emotion known as excitement.
Yet she hadn't lied; the Tianji Wood truly possessed such effects and was indeed useful for the current Ye Xiangli.
Hearing Shui Lianyue say this, Ye Xiangli gritted her teeth and persisted. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and she was soon drenched in a fine sheen of perspiration.
Her smooth locks gradually grew damp with sweat, and clad as she was in light gauze robes, she now carried an aura of hazy, ethereal beauty.
Well, it was practically an anti-gravity skirt, too.
Hanging upside down from the Tianji Wood, Ye Xiangli's cascading hair partially obstructed her vision, blurring her surroundings. Yet when she looked toward Shui Lianyue, she seemed to catch a smile on her face.
It must have been her imagination...
Throughout their journey, Ye Xiangli had never once seen Shui Lianyue smile; how could she possibly show a smile over something like this?
At that moment, Shui Lianyue produced a memory crystal—yes, she simply had to record this.
In the captured image, only half of Shui Lianyue's face was visible as she robotically flashed a V-sign. The background featured Ye Xiangli hanging upside down from the Tianji Wood.
Just as Ye Xiangli was about to reach her limit, an ethereal voice suddenly echoed in her mind, and her consciousness seemed to be pulled into a strange, alternate space.
"Hello, Host. I am the White Moonlight Salvation System 1013. Congratulations on successfully binding with the System."
As this ethereal voice resonated in Ye Xiangli's mind, an extra set of memories inexplicably appeared within her.
The memories depicted the exact scene of Shui Lianyue being surrounded, killed, and perishing at the hands of Demonic Entities. That person, pure as moonlight, was covered entirely in fresh blood. When their eyes met, the emotion in Shui Lianyue's eyes caused a wave of deep sorrow to grip Ye Xiangli's heart.
What kind of emotion was that?
Ye Xiangli couldn't understand it; she only knew that this was not what she wanted to see.
"Hello, Host. I am 1013. You may call me 03, and you can ask 03 any questions you have."
"A System... what is that thing?"
Having just learned of Shui Lianyue's fate, Ye Xiangli felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.
The two had only recently met, yet in her heart, Shui Lianyue was like the warmest ray of sunlight, piercing into her already despairing soul during her darkest hour.
No matter what, she never wanted to lose this ray of light.
"Well... the Host can understand it as us being created by a great existence, and our mission is to fulfill regrets across the myriad realms—such as your Senior Sister's ultimate fate. Surely the Host doesn't wish to watch the Senior Sister who pulled you from despair plunge into the abyss of hell, does she?"
At these words, Ye Xiangli instinctively shook her head in refusal. She certainly did not.
"That's more like it. The Host only needs to complete a few simple tasks to both save your Senior Sister and enhance your own strength. It's a win-win situation."
Hearing the System's words, Ye Xiangli felt no joy. She understood that unearned benefits always came with a price.
"What do I need to pay?"
"Nothing is required. The Host only needs to complete the tasks, and I will transmit the relevant information about our System to the Host."
As the voice of System 03 faded, a flood of information poured into Ye Xiangli's mind, giving her a basic understanding of the System.
The System had only revealed the ultimate ending to Ye Xiangli; as for anything else, she remained completely unaware.
Just then, Shui Lianyue sensed Luochen's return. On Huanxian Peak, Luochen never concealed his aura.
Dropping her gaze slightly, Shui Lianyue stepped forward to catch Ye Xiangli as she was brought down, using a cleansing spell to restore her to her original appearance.
Ye Xiangli's usually blooming, flower-like cheeks were now flushed with an even more radiant and vibrant rosy hue.
"Senior Sister?"
Though she hadn't spent a long time with Shui Lianyue, it was she who had pulled her out of despair. No matter what Shui Lianyue said or did, she would likely place her complete and utter trust in her.
Just like she had moments before.
"Master is back."
The crisp and melodious voice of Shui Lianyue had barely fallen when she heard the System's voice ring out in her mind.
"System task issued. There are a total of three tasks available for the Host to choose from."
Simultaneously, a task selection panel materialized in her mind.
[Task 1: Stroke Shui Lianyue and say in a shy tone: "Did Master's return interrupt our cultivation?" (Completion Reward: Superior Spirit Artifact, Xuantian Qinghao Sword)]
[Task 2: Hang onto Shui Lianyue for ten minutes and call her "Elder Sister" in a fragile and sweet tone. (Completion Reward: Top-tier Heavenly Spirit Root with random attributes)]
[Task 3: Burrow into Shui Lianyue's embrace and experience the warmth of an Innately Sacred Being. (Completion Reward: Comprehension +3)]
Gazing at the three tasks, Ye Xiangli's eyes widened slightly. The choices before her dealt a shock to her young and innocent mind; apart from Task 3, the other two seemed rather abnormal.
"What kind of bizarre tasks are these..."
"Host, you don't understand. Trust 03 and choose Task 2; it's guaranteed to max out your Senior Sister's affection. The radiance of maternal love is magnificent. Of course, Task 1 works too."
Hearing the System's words, Ye Xiangli's already flushed cheeks turned completely crimson, glowing with a soft, dizzy warmth.
No, she couldn't ruin her image in her Senior Sister's heart.
And so, Ye Xiangli chose Task 3.
While the rewards for the other two tasks were undeniably tempting, in Ye Xiangli's heart right now, Shui Lianyue's regard far outweighed any task rewards, and she didn't want to incur Shui Lianyue's annoyance because of them.
In truth, had Shui Lianyue known what was passing through Ye Xiangli's mind, she would have only thought: *Oh, child, you've narrowed your own path—I would have only liked you even more.*