Bian Weiyin was actually a bit confused about what Shi Chun was truly thinking. She felt she had made herself abundantly clear—what she wanted was simply the pleasure between lovers in private.

The relationship between the two had progressed to such a point where the occurrence of something beautiful should naturally be enjoyable, shouldn't it?

To have someone who could let her unleash her natural desires, she wanted to taste that flavor.

In private, she herself could be moved emotionally, wouldn't the other person be moved as well? Or was it that she lacked the charm? Judging from the reactions of other men in the past, that shouldn't be the case.

There were some things she indeed did not understand, only Shi Chun knew what was in his own heart.

He knew that the Demon Path had set its sights on Wukang Mountain, and he wouldn't waste time on trivial matters. He too had his own interests to assert, as well as his current identity as a disciple of Wukang Mountain. What kind of disputes would arise if he were to leave?

He was aware that Wukang Mountain was on the brink of some great upheaval. When the time came, where would his blade be directed? He was not even sure himself—perhaps towards the fair neck of the woman before him.

He too had desires of a carnal nature; he just wasn't sure whether Bian Weiyin's intentions were genuine or feigned.

If her affections were feigned, he would have no concerns. Let things happen as they may, and afterwards, it wouldn't affect his readiness to draw his sword.

Now, he was afraid that she was truly in love. It seemed likely, yet he also held doubts. Wasn't it too sudden? Would a woman of her background truly fancy a man of his crude origins, coming from the Land of Exile?

If her feelings were genuine and he accepted them, how would he draw his sword later?

In truth, he was not so heartless; his coldness was always a weapon to protect himself.

"Must I leave?" Bian Weiyin's voice became much calmer.

Shi Chun replied, "There are reasons to leave, and there are reasons to stay."

After trying to understand for a while, the reality was still the person before her eyes. Bian Weiyin hugged him again, rubbing their temples together, fond of holding him tightly, her body slightly rubbing against his, as if wishing to fuse their bodies into one, almost resenting the clothing that was in the way, wanting to break free.

Her hand also slipped into Shi Chun's collar for the first time, feeling the curve of a man's body, trembling as she did so, later passionately seeking a kiss, hoping to ignite a response...

Outside the room, at the end of the hallway on the corner, Xiang Laner leaned against the wall.

She had long suspected there was something between Bian Weiyin and Shi Chun, and had been secretly watching. The first night Bian Weiyin slipped into Shi Chun's room, she had seen it.

She had discovered it again today and understood what Wu Jinliang meant by "smack smack."

Whatever it was, it was their private matter and not her place to interfere.

Silent, she slowly let her head rest against the corner pillar.

The golden nanmu pillar was thick, culled from some mountain, much larger than her entire frame, making her look rather small and delicate, her face filled with an indescribable sense of loss...

The inevitable arrived—the Sky Rain Meteor Conference officially announced the results of the competition on the final day.

Accompanied by several carriages and a crowd of friends, Young Master Nan went with Shi Chun and others. It wasn't exactly accompaniment—they were all meant to attend together.

Though the ranking results of the conference had not been announced, these people already knew them, and Young Master Nan had already informed Shi Chun.

Impressively, the first to fourth places were all among them.

It was also through Young Master Nan's revelations that Shi Chun and the others learned that the seemingly rightful rankings were, in fact, the products of much turmoil and bargaining behind the scenes.

The strongest opposition came from Xuan State. Following somebody's suggestion, not grasping or deceiving but straightforwardly, they clung to the fact that the Insect Extreme Crystal obtained by Shi Chun and his companions was under the name of Xuan State, and they did not let go, mobilizing considerable energy to interfere. Several powers at odds with Wei Mo also got involved.

Anyway, behind the scenes was quite intense. According to Young Master Nan, they were not just idling around for the sake of preserving their rankings…

Within the elegant and fresh room, Mulan Qingqing, dressing in front of a mirror, loosened the belt she had just tightened, slowly pulled open her chest garment, and gradually revealed her chest. On top of the original snowy whiteness tinged with pink, there was an unusual mark—an indistinct dark red handprint was clearly visible on one side of her chest.

She didn't understand what had happened. Although her internal injuries had nearly healed thanks to immortal elixirs, this handprint seemed to have left an indelible mark on her body, showing no signs of fading even several days later, initially just a blurry spot.

In this regard, the healers who checked her pulse could not find anything, only she could see it.

When struck by that palm, she had sensed its peculiarity, yet she hadn't expected such an unsightly consequence.

This made her feel somewhat uneasy. Surely, the mark couldn't stay on her body forever—what did it mean for a woman to have a man's palm print on her chest?

Good thing she wasn't married, or what would her husband have thought?

After rubbing her hand over the mark repeatedly to no avail, she bit her teeth, dressed herself, strapped her sword to her waist, and then sat quietly in her room, waiting.

Upon hearing noises outside, she immediately stood up and left her room, heading straight for the courtyard.

In the yard, the carriages were ready and the elders, including Ji Qinghe, were about to board. Her appearance surprised everyone.

She walked up to the elder and earnestly said, "I want to go too."

A hush fell over the group.

Ji Qinghe frowned, a bit frightened by the girl's persistence. She had already spewed blood out of anger twice, and if it were to happen again in public given the results of the competition, it would not only affect her body, but the reputation of the Su Yuan Sect would also suffer.

They already knew the outcome of the rankings; it had nothing to do with the Su Yuan Sect anymore. Initially, the sect did not intend to attend, but a renowned reputation is hard to decline. For such an event, if the number one sect of the Shengshen Continent did not show up, it might displease the significant figures who appeared.

The Domain Master of Xuan State, Chi Rang, had repeatedly sent notifications, stating that despite the loss, they must make an appearance.

After some consideration, Ji Qinghe tried to gently dissuade her, "Qingqing, there's no need to watch the villains rejoice."

The fellow sect members also nodded in agreement, all wanting the best for her.

Mulan Qingqing said calmly, "Elder, Shi Chun is not a villain. He truly is stronger than me, superior in every way. He won against me with his own strength, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly!"

It was true she had been driven to vomit blood before, but these past few days, she had come to terms with the facts.

And there was nothing that hadn't been understood, really; the previous anger wasn't actually directed at the opponent.

Seeing her openheartedness, Ji Qinghe was naturally pleased but still hesitated, "Why do you want to go?"

Mulan Qingqing replied, "A loss is a loss; there's no need to hide from it. I'm the only one from the Su Yuan Sect fit to attend. If none of us goes, it would only make us the laughingstock. I want to see the Wang Sheng from before, as well as the Shi Chun of today. I want to see if they really are the same person. If so, I'd like to congratulate him in person."

Ji Qinghe fell silent for a moment and said no more, giving a slight nod before boarding the carriage.

Mulan Qingqing followed on board.

Once the two carriages left the courtyard, they headed straight for the capital's training field, where the conference was concluding—ample space had been secured for the event.

When they dismounted outside the training field, Mulan Qingqing, though composed, still felt a little uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she could feel people pointing and talking about her.

This was her first time entering the capital's training field, unaware of the massive changes it had undergone.

In the middle of the field stood a huge ice-sealed pillar, emitting bone-chilling cold.

Many people had already arrived, and more were continuously entering.

The sects allowed to participate were still limited to three individuals each, though some received special notifications to bring in five more, like Bian Jixiong from Wukang Mountain, who could guess the reason—they could introduce five more disciples to the event.

Furthermore, their seating area had been relocated to another section.

Sitting down with the elder, Mulan Qingqing could still feel the unusual stares from around the venue, but she paid them no mind. She asked her sect members where Wukang Mountain was seated, then looked back to search but did not see Shi Chun's figure. Could he have not come?

She didn't know Wukang Mountain's seating had been adjusted, and without that notification, the Su Yuan Sect was also unaware.

At this moment, Shi Chun was waiting with the Wukang Mountain group in a pavilion atop a mountain. Not just them, but people from nine other sects were there too, with Bian Jixiong interacting with those sect leaders.

Those sects who knew they had made the list rushed to the event, even if they had previously not attended.

Atop another mountain bathed in the morning sun, Young Master Nan was beaming with a ruddy complexion, greeting the lively throng of friends and distinguished guests. His vibrant demeanor was a stark contrast from his previous days of near-death reclusiveness.

"Young Master Nan, congratulations, I heard you've made a fortune, you must treat us," someone joked.

"Haha!" Young Master Nan laughed heartily, "Not at all, not at all. Even if I do make a fortune, it would only be a modest earning, hardly worth mentioning. A feast, you say? Just ask, Brother Lu. I'd be honored. Normally, to have such distinguished company is a rare pleasure; I'd oblige every day if I could."

Gong Shaoci reserved a special pavilion in a quieter corner for the Miao family to enjoy a bit of privacy on this crowded day.

Knowing that Shi Chun was attending today, Lan Qiaoyan, Miao Yilan, and Miao Dingyi's gazes searched the crowd intermittently.

They could only hope for a distant glimpse, as Miao Dingyi had already set the tone with the mother and daughter not to seek a direct meeting with Shi Chun—it wasn't appropriate.

With Shi Chun in the limelight, too many were paying attention.

Gong Shaoci was also curious to meet the man who had "snatched love with a sword" from Xuan State men in the screens.

Many on-site wanted to meet the man in person; they had only seen him in the screens, and now everyone there knew Shi Chun was number one.

Therefore, someone greeted, "Young Master Nan, I heard Shi Chun has been with you having fun these past days, call him over to have a drink with us."

The tone still had a hint of condescension, as if calling over Shi Chun was doing him a favor—a bit like calling for a beauty to join for drinks in a brothel.

Young Master Nan waved his hand, pointing towards the mountain where the important figures resided, "Please, spare me. I certainly don't have the clout to disturb today's proceedings."

Within that mountain's complex of buildings, over a hundred Domain Masters of the Shengshen Continent had gathered, and even the seven Star Lords overseeing them had taken time to attend. They were only waiting for the Right Minister, responsible for the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, to make his grand entrance.

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