The moment Wei Zhaoli stepped into the Scripture Hall, clad in a moon-white dress adorned with flowing cloud patterns, the very air seemed to freeze.
The green jade talisman hanging at her waist suddenly erupted with a blinding spiritual light, incinerating every doggerel poem and insulting flyer pasted on the walls into piles of gray ash.
"Senior Sister Wei..."
Several inner sect disciples scrambled to their feet to bow in greeting, but her wide sleeve swept out with a sharp whistle. An invisible force struck them, sending them tumbling across the floor.
"Silence."
The two icy words fell like shards of frost, plunging the grand hall into a deathly stillness.
With a light tap of her toes, Wei Zhaoli soared into the air. Her sleeves fluttered like mountain snow in the morning light as she landed gracefully upon the highest dais of the Scripture Hall.
"I shall lead today's morning lecture."
While core disciples occasionally taught sessions, her appearance at this critical juncture made her intentions clear to everyone.
Before her voice had even faded, seven dazzling sword beams erupted from her fingertips. They intertwined in the air, weaving together to form the radiant emblem of the Shen Family.
Amidst the surging energy, the swords at the waists of the disciples who had been gossiping earlier began to vibrate violently. Suddenly, they flew from their scabbards and shattered into metallic dust mid-air.
"I heard someone questions my fiancé's cultivation?" Wei Zhaoli’s gaze swept over the crowd like a lightning strike.
Every disciple touched by her eyes trembled uncontrollably, feeling as though a cold blade were pressed firmly against their throat.
Zhou Ming’s face turned ashen. Just as he opened his mouth to offer an excuse, Wei Zhaoli raised a jade-like hand.
A green talisman flew from her sleeve, unfurling into a screen of light that projected a clear image of Liu Xu’s provocation from the previous day.
"Since you are all so concerned with the inner sect's reputation," her voice rang out with chilling authority, "perhaps you should see who is truly tarnishing our discipline."
In the projection, Liu Xu’s vulgar remark about "hiding under a woman’s skirt" was amplified, rumbling through the hall like thunder. The crowd watched in stunned silence.
Wei Zhaoli tapped the air, and the image shifted to show Liu Xu being escorted away by disciplinary disciples.
"Liu Xu violated Sect Rule 321. He has been sent to Seclusion Peak for three years of confinement," she stated, her tone measured but final. "If any of you wish to follow him, feel free to continue."
Zhou Ming and his cronies broke into a cold sweat. In the light screen, they could see Liu Xu being bound by thirty-six chains of jagged sword energy.
Wei Zhaoli then condensed a wisp of cyan energy at her fingertip, tracing a perfect arc through the air. As it moved, tiny talisman patterns materialized, merging sword techniques with the art of talismans.
"Externalizing sword energy is but a minor skill," she said, looking at Zhou Ming with a hint of pity. "True sword intent lies in..."
The strand of energy suddenly split into three, intertwining into a dazzling, complex display of light. The masterful control drew sharp intakes of breath from every corner of the room.
"...in being connected heart and mind."
As she spoke, her gaze softened and fell upon Shen Xian. He responded with a knowing, lazy smile.
The interaction turned the faces of the detractors deathly pale. For the rest of the lecture, Wei Zhaoli focused on explaining techniques, her eyes occasionally drifting back to her fiancé. Envy and jealousy remained, but the hatred had vanished—overwritten by pure terror.
After the lecture, Wei Zhaoli and Shen Xian walked together down a quiet bamboo path. The hem of her skirt brushed against the stone steps with a soft rustle.
The sharp aura she had wielded in the hall had vanished, replaced by a rare, gentle softness.
"There was really no need for that," Shen Xian said, lightly tapping a bamboo leaf as they passed. "Such rumors can't harm me."
"No."
Wei Zhaoli offered a rare, firm rebuttal. She looked at him with an earnest expression.
"You are someone I have acknowledged. It is only right that I protect you. I have already reported this to the Sect Master and rooted out those with ulterior motives. This storm has subsided."
Shen Xian felt a stir in his heart. He hadn't realized she had been absent for the past two days because she was busy dismantling the conspiracy against him.
"You've worked hard," he said softly, a trace of tenderness surfacing in his eyes.
"Not at all," she replied, her voice light. "This matter started because of me. I was too abrupt when I visited you that day."
"Don't worry about it," Shen Xian said gently. "Even without you, trouble would've found me. A Shen Family heir in the Qi Refining Realm is too tempting a target for some."
Wei Zhaoli stopped walking and looked at him, her exquisite profile dappled by shadows of bamboo leaves. "I am sorry."
"It really doesn't matter," Shen Xian said, curving his lips into a smile.
He reached out and gently brushed a fallen leaf from her shoulder. His fingertip grazed a strand of her hair, catching a faint, elusive fragrance.
Wei Zhaoli started slightly but did not pull away. She merely turned her face aside, a hint of red creeping onto her ears.
They reached the residence in silence. Wei Zhaoli paused, the sunlight gilding her eyelashes.
"I may need to go into seclusion for some time," she said softly.
She was on the verge of a breakthrough and needed to prepare for the opening of an ancient ruin.
Shen Xian’s eyes flickered with joy. Her breakthrough meant a massive return for his system; this was the best possible news.
"That's wonderful," he said. He reached into his sleeve and produced a gift he had prepared.
It was the Mystic Spirit Plate. Entirely jade-green and engraved with nine profound spirit patterns, it held a Heart-Calming Mystic Crystal at its center that pulsed in rhythm with a cultivator's breathing.
As it hovered, the plate emitted a faint sandalwood fragrance and the illusory sound of clear-heart chimes.
"This suits your seclusion perfectly," Shen Xian remarked.
He needed to give away his best items now, knowing he wouldn't be able to receive a reciprocated gift for a while once she went under. He wondered what legendary treasure the system would return for this one.