After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

"Order all peaks to strengthen their defenses, and double the cultivation resources provided to all disciples. After the great battle, there will surely be an even greater storm; we cannot afford to be complacent in the slightest."

"Each peak master should tally the casualties and inventory the supplies, and submit a report to me before noon tomorrow."

Under her well-organized arrangements, the entire Hehuan Sect worked together and quickly transitioned from the tension of wartime to an orderly state of preparation for war.

After receiving his reward, Lin Fengmian left the main hall and took Xiao Ling'er to Jade Spring Peak to pack up his belongings and leave.

Actually, he didn't have much to pack. A few changes of clothes, a few cultivation manuals, and some miscellaneous pills were all stuffed into his storage bag.

Then, in high spirits, he flew towards Luoyun Peak on his sword.

Luoyun Peak is even more beautiful than rumored.

The summit is perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds, resembling a fairyland. Standing atop the summit, one can look down upon a surging sea of ​​clouds.

In the distance, layers of mountains rise, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyes the clouds golden and red, creating a breathtaking spectacle of countless rays of light.

The air was filled with the refreshing scent of grass and trees, and the spiritual energy was so rich that it was almost tangible. Taking a deep breath, I felt my entire body feel more comfortable.

"Tsk tsk, this is what life is all about!"

Lin Fengmian opened his arms and greedily inhaled the spiritual energy from the mountaintop, feeling all the fatigue from the previous battles swept away in that instant.

In the future, I can relax on Luoyun Peak, cultivate immortality, and occasionally go down the mountain to fight and collect female slaves. It couldn't be more pleasant!

He turned around and looked at the aloof and ethereal figure behind him.

Xiao Ling'er remained dressed in white, her figure as upright as a snow-covered pine tree on a solitary peak. Her long, black hair cascaded down her back, loosely held up with a single, plain white jade hairpin.

A few strands of hair fell beside her fair cheeks.

Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, her nose was straight and delicate, and her whole face was flawless.

What's most captivating is the lingering, awe-inspiring sword intent emanating from her. Even with her sharpness concealed, she still exudes a cold and aloof aura that keeps strangers at bay.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed her in a warm, orange-red light, making her appear as if a sword immortal from the heavens was about to ascend to heaven on a cloud.

Lin Fengmian admired the beautiful woman before him, cleared his throat, and deliberately put on a stern face, saying:

"Xiao Ling'er, now that you are my sword slave, you must not neglect your sword cultivation."

He pointed to a side dwelling, rich in spiritual energy, adjacent to his main cave:

"From this day forward, you shall cultivate in that cave. Without my permission, you shall not slack off, you shall not go down the mountain on your own, and you shall not have any contact with any outsiders."

As he spoke, he casually tossed a storage bag over.

Xiao Ling'er caught it subconsciously, and when she scanned it with her divine sense, a look of disbelief and surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes.

Inside the storage bag were neatly arranged hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones, three bottles of high-quality pills, and two jade scrolls.

She glanced at it and found it to be a low-level sword manual and a scroll of a master's swordsmanship insights!

These things were quite common to her when she was still a direct disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

But her current status is that of a prisoner and a sword slave.

Lin Fengmian not only did not use her as a furnace to replenish his energy at will, but instead gave her such precious resources to urge her to improve her swordsmanship.

What... what does this mean?

She furrowed her brows slightly, her heart filled with doubt.

She wasn't some ungrateful fool; she'd seen far too much treachery and deceit in the cultivation world.

But Lin Fengmian's actions were something she couldn't understand at all.

Are they planning to fatten us up before slaughtering us? Or... do they have other motives?

No matter what she thought in her heart, her life was now in someone else's hands, and she dared not disobey in the slightest.

He could only obediently lower his head and softly reply, "Yes, young master."

Her voice was cold, yet carried an undisguised complexity. Her expression betrayed a clear resentment coupled with an unavoidable composure.

This made Lin Fengmian extremely happy.

He nodded in satisfaction, stretched, and looked around at the Luoyun Peak that belonged to him.

The main cave is located in the best spot on the summit; upon opening the door, one can see the sea of ​​clouds rising and falling, and the setting sun melting into gold.

The rosy clouds were dyed red by countless rays of light, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.

"Alright, you can go and settle in now."

If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime.

Xiao Ling'er clutched the storage bag, pursed her lips, gave a soft reply, and turned to walk towards the side residence.

Dressed in flowing white, her back was slender yet upright, like a sharp sword that had not yet been fully tamed.

Lin Fengmian watched her departing figure, stroked his chin, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Let him nurse it back to health, take his time. I have plenty of time anyway.

...Meanwhile, in the Golden Palace of the Great Yan Dynasty, thousands of miles away.

Night had fallen, yet the palace was brightly lit.

As Yan Kui was reviewing memorials on his throne, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, followed by a guard scrambling in.

He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling:

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Yan Kui frowned, put down his vermilion brush, and said in a deep voice, "What's the matter with the panic?"

The guard raised his face, which was covered in cold sweat, and said in a hoarse voice: "The allied forces of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Yinshan Palace, which were sent to wipe out the Hehuan Sect... were almost completely wiped out! Less than 30% of them escaped alive!"

The three fake infant commanders...all fled in disarray!

Yan Kui suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically.

"What did you say?!"

Yan Kui slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, abruptly standing up. His eyes widened as he stared intently at the kneeling guards, his voice filled with disbelief and fury.

"The Joyous Union Sect is nothing but a small, second-rate sect. How could it possibly annihilate the combined forces of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Yinshan Palace, and Heavenly Sword Sect?! Are you kidding me?!"

The guard trembled at Yan Kui's furious aura, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his back almost touching the ground, and his voice shaking:

"Your Majesty! I dare not speak presumptuously! The cultivator who escaped said it himself, and it is absolutely true!"

The Hehuan Sect has a Nascent Soul ancestor in charge, who is... who is the female cultivator who attacked His Majesty at the banquet last time!

Yan Kui's pupils suddenly contracted.

The woman who attacked him at the last banquet

He still remembers it vividly.

That aloof and stunning face, those indifferent eyes devoid of any emotion, that casual strike... he was undoubtedly a Nascent Soul cultivator!

He had thought the Hehuan Sect was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will, but he never expected that it would hide such a master!

"Hmph!" Yan Kui slammed his palm on the armrest of the dragon throne, shattering the hard rosewood armrest with a crack, sending wood chips flying. His voice was filled with chilling killing intent.

"He's just a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he dares to oppose my Great Yan Dynasty?! I will immediately summon my master from seclusion to personally lead the allied forces to raze him to the ground!"

He turned to leave.

"Your Majesty, your Majesty, please wait!"

The guard quickly raised his head and added in a hurried voice,