Wings of flames lingered over the city as waves of power and heat crashed against the surface of the formation dome, making it shimmer. All those below felt her oppressiveness. They were unable to raise their heads, much less look at it. They could only bow down before this blazing light, fighting against the darkness. Fortunately, the formation remained strong, dispersing most of it against its surface, protecting all those below.

A woman waited in the centre of it all for her opponent to come. Her dress was a vivid red lined with gold, resembling a fierce flame, as was her hair. Her features were masked with a slight veil, yet none in the know doubted her identity. After all, this blaze alone was proof of who she was.

A strenuous silence hung over the city as none dared to speak for fear of incurring her ire. Still, most people next to Qin Yun couldn't help but turn toward him, remembering the woman's earlier words. Her grievance with the Qin Clan was plain to see, and considering who she was, her plight was apparent.

As she lost her patience, a veil of darkness appeared overhead, blending into the night; even the bright wings of flames couldn't illuminate its depths. It was as if this was another world completely detached from reality where darkness ruled as its only sovereign.

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed into the abyss. Then, a man clad in black emerged from it. His long black hair fell on his back, blending with his attire, while his deep and calm gaze rested on the woman before him.

Without a word, he took a step forward over the void; the realm of darkness around him followed. Sparks flew at the intersection of where darkness met the blazing light as the two forces battled each other for dominion. Two domains rejected each other's superiority, struggling for survival as waves of qi from their creators crashed into each other, creating countless explosions.

The two entities swirled into each other yet remained separate, unable to blend before scattering to all sides, bathing the world in their duality. To one side of the city was an inferno, while on the other was a dark abyss, and in the middle was a gulf where nothing existed but the two individuals facing each other.

"I'm impressed," the man said, his face a mask of stone. "I didn't expect the Immortal Phoenix Sect's young genius to have already reached the Soul Formation realm."

Unlike the blazing flames swirling around her, the woman's eyes were cold, like a glacier devoid of emotions. While her features were soft and elegant, her expression only showed the strength of her temperament.

“Are you part of the Qin clan?” she asked.

“I am," the man replied. "However, you'll have to excuse me; my name isn't worth remembering."

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't lose her composure. She only looked deeper at this man, but she soon lost interest. His identity was irrelevant if he could get her what she wanted.

“I heard you have a junior named Qin Yun in your clan. Bring him to me."

Her tone was imperative, leaving no room for protest. The man remained silent for a while. Whether he was considering her request couldn’t be gleaned from his face. In fact, ever since he had appeared, no emotions had been displayed, just an unfathomable indifference.

“Why should I humour you?” the man asked, his power rising further. The darkness seemed endless, poised to devour everything around him.

"Because I said so," the woman replied, standing her ground. Her wings of flames burned even brighter, making the formation flicker ever faster. Below, mortals could feel their skin sizzle as if being baked alive. They sought refuge away from the heat, yet it seemed all-encompassing.

Suddenly, the barrier became stronger as lines and runes of light appeared on the ground all over the city. The formation shone with renewed strength as it pushed back the two foreign entities overhead. Then, a sun appeared in the night sky, separating the two.

Now bathed in light, the world fell silent as it stood still. The crowd below held their breaths as they waited for whatever would come next, whether a cataclysmic struggle or a peaceful resolution. Time passed slowly as the mortals felt apprehension rise in their hearts. Conflicts between Soul Formation cultivators weren't something they could comprehend. After all, they were nothing more than ants before their mighty powers.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Whatever words were said overhead, none would ever reach their ears as they were all hidden by the light. Suddenly, the light receded, but only two individuals were present: the City Lord and the woman in a red dress.

With a single step, both disappeared from the sky, leaving nothing behind, not even an afterimage, then reappeared meters away from Qin Yun at the top of the stairs leading to the auction house.

All those present lowered their sight, unable to meet the woman’s gaze as it now burned with a peculiar blaze. Unlike her earlier cold eyes, they radiated a flame of will and purpose. Most couldn't bear her presence and collapsed on the stone steps, unable to move further. Even taking a breath was denied to them. They felt crushed by the world's weight, suffocating by a power they couldn't understand.

Then, this mysterious force vanished as the City Lord touched the woman's shoulder. The crowd could breathe again, yet they remained limp on the ground, unable to stand. Only Qin Yun still felt her oppressiveness, all directed toward him. Still, he remained standing as best he could, refusing to evade the woman's gaze. His gaze was filled with endless indifference as he looked at the City Lord before him. While Qin Yun knew his reasons for so, he had enough of being taken advantage of.

Next to Qin Yun, Sun Ya had only just regained her ability to breathe as she struggled to raise herself from the ground. Never in her life had she felt such an oppressive force, even if it wasn't targeting her specifically. How strong would it have been if she had been hit with the brunt of it as Qin Yun had just been?

She couldn't help but feel a slight admiration for Qin Yun, knowing he had remained standing under all this. Yet, this awe turned to dread as she looked at his emotionless face. This was the first time she had truly felt afraid of the man. Somehow, she felt this indifference much more unnerving than pure murderous intent.

The woman's eyebrows rose slightly as she gazed toward Qin Yun. No matter how she looked at him, he seemed just like a mortal, yet his flesh alone rivalled her own. Still, this was far from enough to deter her.

“I am told your name is Qin Yun," she said. Whether this was a question or a statement was irrelevant. All knew what it entailed.

“I am,” Qin Yun replied, his tone neither subservient nor arrogant. “What brings you to see me?”

Seeing his calm gaze under her oppression, the woman smiled slightly, but it was fleeting at best. No one could stop her from doing what she intended.

“I’ve come for my disciple; where is she?”

Qin Yun remained silent for a moment but then sighed loudly, which only brought a frown to the woman's face. While Qin Yun could only see her eyes, it was enough to know her intent.

“What made you start caring now?” Qin Yun said, his voice dripping with reproach, to which the crowd could only involuntarily gasp. They then held their breaths, unwilling to believe their ears. Still, Qin Yun wasn’t done. “Where were you when she needed you the most? It’s been over a year since the incident, a year she had to spend alone when she needed you the most. I may have asked, but it was only rhetorical. After all, nothing you say could ever change what happened. Do you think you have the right to call yourself her master after all this?”

The woman was stunned—stunned that a junior would expose all this before this crowd—but most of all, she couldn't deny his words. After all, her heart was truly heavy with guilt. Had she known, she would have been by her side, disregarding the cost.

She wished to deny his claim, to rectify her reputation, but words failed her. She had failed her only disciple, and that was the truth. Still, to be told so by a man who had taken her disciple from her was more than she could bear. Anger rose in her heart like a blaze, aimed at this man but just as much at herself.

Flames sprouted from her hair, dancing in the still air. Qin Yun felt the heat on his skin, feeling it drying out. His lips were chapped from the moisture loss, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Still, unlike the unlucky bystanders who ran away as fast as their legs could carry them, Qin Yun remained still, his whole body radiating an eerie peacefulness. His hands were crossed behind his back, and his black robes fluttered in the rising wind of this heat wave.

“Is this what you intend to do?" Qin Yun asked, his meaning sharp as a knife digging into her heart. "Will this bring her any type of consolation? I may be selfish, but I am nothing compared to you."

Qin Yun's voice was soft, but his intent was deadly. The woman in red felt the words burrow deep in her heart, making her Dao Domain falter slightly. Despite her many years of life and the sturdiness of her Dao Heart, Qin Yun's words had shaken her mental state. The flames in her hair had extinguished just as abruptly as they came to life.

“Who do you think you are to reprimand me so?” she asked, yet her voice lacked her earlier firmness as if her words had lost all their strength.

Qin Yun looked at the woman with pity, yet it soon faded. He could see her struggle, the pain she felt, yet at this point, he couldn't bring himself to care. Compared to the pain Yun Jingfei had felt, this was nothing. While Jingfei might hate him for wounding her master, he had to do this.

“We possess the only relationship greater than master and disciple; we are husband and wife.”

Qin Yun’s words cut her once again, yet somehow, the woman in red felt a slight relief. However, she soon frowned, expunging that feeling from her heart. How could she allow herself to feel that way? Yun Jingfei wasn’t just a disciple to her; she was closer to a daughter.

How could she allow her daughter to be wed to a random man? If anything, her husband should be someone of great talent and prestige, someone born to stand above others at the peak with Jingfei by his side, not a small man despised by his own clan.

“What can you even give her now that she has lost her beauty and cultivation? It may be cruel of me to say, but why would you want to be wed to a cripple? At least she can spend the rest of her life with me in peace. This is my responsibility," the woman said, yet the words almost remained stuck in her throat. She wavered constantly between sadness and rage.

As for whom that rage was aimed at, Qin Yun figured it was aimed at everything around her: herself, Qin Yun and even the world itself. She was like a bomb ready to explode at any moment, yet Qin Yun wouldn’t mince his words.

“Was Jingfei ever someone to be satisfied with peace? She may be content for a while, but her blood burns for a challenge. To keep that from her is to watch her die a slow death. I’d rather give her wings than watch her rot away.”

The woman's temper flared up once again, but before she could bring her ire onto Qin Yun, a voice emerged from the confines of the auction hall.

“Qin Yun! That’s enough. Don’t you dare say anymore...”

Yun Jingfei, dressed in a familiar blue dress, emerged from beyond two massive doors. She held her mask in her hands as tears flowed from her eyes. Her gaze was conflicted, yet it remained steadfast as she looked at her master.