Today, as usual, Jianyu was sparring with Xin Guang. He had grown somewhat attached to this foolish brat over the past few days, perhaps because Xin Guang reminded him of his third disciple, and perhaps that was the reason why he had beaten Xin Guang soundly.

'That rascal...'

"Just get over it, it's not that ba-"

However, Jianyu's words were cut short when Lei Qiang communicated with him through their spiritual connection.

|Young master, there's been an update from my subordinates who were following Xiao Dong.|

|And?| Jianyu inquired.

|We...| Lei Qiang hesitated, a tinge of guilt apparent in her voice, |lost him...|

Jianyu's eyebrows furrowed in response to the unexpected news. While he had anticipated the possibility of losing track of Xiao Dong, he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

'Hmm... Well, I expected this much, but definitely not this early...'

|Sigh... How did this happen?|

Hearing this, Lei Qiang, who was communicating through spiritual sense, paused for a moment, appearing hesitant.

|Yesterday, my subordinates followed Xiao Dong into an inheritance site, but before we could make a move, it was already empty.|

"What?"

Jianyu blurted out his inner thoughts upon hearing Lei Qiang's report, prompting her to continue.

| Xiao Dong, who entered later, discovered a secret passage, and my subordinates followed. However, that place was already emptied, and traps were set, causing the space around them to begin to collapse...| Lei Qiang paused for a moment, |We lost Xiao Dong there...|

This revelation left Jianyu's mind blank. Countless possibilities raced through his thoughts, but one conclusion stood out.

'Did someone else find it before Xiao Dong?

He quickly dismissed the notion, thinking it unlikely that the heavens could make such a basic mistake.

'That's unlikely, the heavens wouldn't make such a basic mistake...'

'Did the Heavens give up on Xiao Dong? Given the recent interference with my plans, it's highly unlikely they would give up now...'

Jianyu considered these possibilities but found them lacking in plausibility.

This leaves only a few possibilities...

'Either someone below the Dao realm, with great achievements in the Dao of karma, someone who has come close to uncovering the workings of the heavens, or someone who possesses some Karmic treasure...'

'Quite unlikely, though not entirely impossible. Only someone who doesn't yet grasp the consequences would do such a thing...'

'I'm doing something similar, but I didn't obtain this knowledge by spying on heavenly secrets. So, I should be somewhat safe for now.'

His thoughts raced, trying to identify the potential culprits or factors behind Xiao Dong's sudden disappearance.

'Or the second possibility is...' Jianyu hesitated, as even the thought felt quite outlandish '...someone who already knew.'

But someone like me? Practically impossible. Dao realm experts no longer have souls, when they forge their Dao, separating them from the cycle of reincarnation.

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'I am... Somewhat of an enigma, I guess?'

'If there's someone who already knew... That means they either have memories of the future or a soul that has traversed the river of time, Which in itself is far more unlikely than any of the other possibilities.'

While there were a few other possible scenarios Jianyu decided to exclude them as they were simply not something concerning himself over right now.

Jianyu fell into deep contemplation after assessing the situation. It had taken a dire turn. He not only lost track of Xiao Dong's location but also faced a new variable that threatened his plans.

Furthermore, there was a high chance that Xiao Dong might acquire a new opportunity, one that Jianyu was completely unaware of.

"Sigh..." Audibly sighing, Jianyu's head began to throb from the headache induced by this new variable.

|Lei Qiang... Try to find out about the one who visited the inheritance site before us and the whereabouts of Xiao Dong.|

|Yes, young master.|

'Whoever you are, you better be prepared.'

Jianyu's eyes narrowed, and a cruel, villainous smile naturally crept onto his face.

'...For once I find you, you will regret having ruined my plans...'

...

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

...

Yin Xifeng received a report from her maid about a successful mission, while sitting in her room at Stellar Flame Peak and gazing out at the fiery red vegetation beyond her window. "Young miss, I have completed the mission you assigned to me."

"Mhm." Yin Xifeng nodded as she received a spatial pouch from her trusted maid.

She felt elated as she gazed at the contents of the spatial pouch. She had acquired a suitable treasure to gift to Jianyu and successfully thwarted that troublesome Xiao Dong's opportunity at the same time. This accomplishment brought her genuine satisfaction.

"More importantly, have you been alright in the past few days, my lady?" Su Lan, Xifeng's maid, asked her with a concerned look on her face.

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

Xifeng simply tilted her head in confusion, not understanding her maid's intent.

"I am talking about your relationship with young Lord Jianyu. You haven't seen each other in a while."

"We just met a week ago; there's no need for you to worry about this."

Xifeng replied calmly, even though she also longed to see Jianyu. She understood that disrupting his cultivation might make her seem like an annoyance and had refrained from acting on her desires.

"Is that so?..." Su Lan muttered and remained silent for a while as if pondering a matter.

"... Miss, lately there have been rumors regarding young Lord Jianyu... meeting a certain girl-"

"What?!"

Yin Xifeng's aura began to fluctuate as her emotions immediately spiraled into chaos, and she could no longer think straight.

'Who could it be?! Was it Xiao Xiang? No, she should be with grandmother currently...'

"What is this girl's name?" Xifeng inquired urgently.

Su Lan, seeing her lady's chaotic state, couldn't help but worry and regret discussing this matter.

"Miss... Her name is Mo Suyin."

"..."

Xifeng's aura dissipated, and a complicated expression settled on her face.

"I-is that so...? Th-there's no need to worry a-about this! A-anyway, you can leave for now; I wish to rest for a while."

"...yes."

Witnessing Xifeng's strange demeanor and stuttering speech, Su Lan reluctantly decided to leave, sensing her lady's discomfort.

Yin Xifeng felt a tempest of chaotic emotions swirling within her as she recalled the events of the past—what she had done and the consequences of her actions.

'A-anyway, it's all in the past now... Moreover, I can fix everything, t-that's right!! I just have to make up for my mistakes!'

'Yes! That's right!'

'And I was also able to get this...'

Xifeng looked at the spatial pouch she had received from Su Lan, and a smile crept onto her face as if her previous state had been an illusion.

'Hmm~ I wonder if Jianyu would like this?'

Xifeng let out a light chuckle as she thought of her beloved fiance.

'Well, I do have some fire element treasures too, but he seems to be concealing that...'

Soon, a deep frown appeared on her face as she recollected the issue that had been troubling her for months.

There had been too many changes in the current timeline compared to her original one. Most of these changes centered around Jianyu, causing her even greater concern. His temperament had shifted, but she could attribute that to her interference. Furthermore, Jianyu's admission to the sect had been unusual. In her previous life, he hadn't participated in sparring matches and was accepted into the sect without trials, given his previous Core Formation realm cultivation.

'Sigh... Am I holding him back?'

Besides her own interference, Xifeng couldn't identify any other reason for Jianyu's current circumstances. Moreover, he now exclusively employed his water spiritual arts, unlike in her past life.

'Well, at least that pest Xiao Dong getting weaker is undoubtedly pleasant~ and since I've snatched quite a few of his opportunities, he'll only weaken further, and then...'

Xifeng narrowed her eyes as a villainous grin crept onto her delicate face.

'...soon enough, there will be an opportunity to get rid of him entirely.'

...

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

...

"Xin Guang, send me a copy of your cultivation methods by tomorrow. I'll refine them to better suit your needs. Tomorrow, I'll also teach you more effective combat techniques to enhance your martial prowess, so be prepared."

"...yes," Xin Guang responded unknowingly, taken aback by Jianyu's unexpectedly composed and profound demeanor.

"Mhm, then go ahead and rest for now."

"Yes!"

With that, Xin Guang hastily departed from the training grounds, fearing that the enigmatic figure known as Jianyu might change his mind.