The Chilling Blue Flame of a Goddess

Jiang Jinyue’s voice, though not loud, possessed a strange, captivating magic, cutting through the biting night wind to land with remarkable clarity in the ears of the Immortal Alliance members.

A drastic change swept across the middle-aged cultivator’s face aboard the Immortal Alliance’s flying boat.

The aura of power Jiang Jinyue exuded, while not overwhelmingly strong in his perception, inexplicably struck him with a profound sense of impending death.

His mind immediately conjured images of the elusive grand cultivators, those who appeared like dragons glimpsed only by their heads, never their tails; yet, this serene woman in plain white robes before him bore no resemblance to the legends surrounding any of them.

Still, the primal shiver that coursed through his soul was undeniably real. ‘Ah, yes,’ he mused, ‘this woman has most likely acquired some ancient inheritance, forming a pseudo-core.’

‘What incredible fortune!’

The Immortal Alliance Inspector instinctively recoiled from the notion that this seemingly fragile, arrogant woman could so vastly outstrip an ancient anomaly like himself—one who had toiled and fought within the Immortal Alliance system for centuries—and had, moreover, already ascended to that coveted, awe-inspiring realm.

As for the ‘Three-One Sword Sect’ she spoke of, he had never once heard its name, dismissing it as likely some obscure, backwater sect, perhaps a ‘wild chicken sect’ (TL Note: A derogatory term for a small, insignificant, or unrecognized sect) that couldn’t even approach the Immortal Alliance’s threshold.

Judging by the young woman’s tone, she must hail from a minor sect nestled in some remote, un-‘civilized’ (TL Note: Refers to areas not yet brought under the Immortal Alliance’s direct influence or tutelage) corner, where she stumbled upon a fragmented ancient inheritance and, through it, cultivated a semblance of a Golden Core, as described in their techniques. How else could she be so utterly oblivious to the Immortal Alliance’s formidable reputation?

Indeed, had she truly achieved the Golden Core realm through contemporary methods, she would never dare treat an Immortal Alliance envoy with such blatant disrespect.

It was common knowledge that every Immortal Alliance Inspector served as a direct representative for at least one Golden Core Grand Lord. Even if one held the Inspector in disdain, they would still offer a measure of respect for the sake of the Grand Lord they stood for, never outright tearing away all pretense of civility as this woman had.

While he swiftly constructed a self-satisfying conclusion, his inherent caution compelled him to discreetly ready his life-preserving measures.

As he meticulously arranged his words, poised to ‘awaken’ his opponent with a blend of benevolence and authority, a sycophantic voice from the crowd erupted, barking furiously at the members of the Three-One Sword Sect:

“How dare you, you bumpkin from who-knows-where, affront the dignity of the Immortal Alliance! You’ve merely formed a pseudo-core using ancient techniques, and you presume to flaunt your power before us, the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance?! Do you even comprehend that behind Inspector Gao Yuliang stands a Grand Lord who has forged a Golden Core through contemporary methods—a peerless mighty expert comparable to a Mahayana-stage cultivator by ancient reckoning? And Inspector Gao’s own cultivation is but a single step away from becoming such an expert; his strength is certainly not inferior to yours!”

Gao Yuliang inwardly nodded in comprehension. The fact that this individual, whose cultivation was nearly on par with his own, had arrived at the very same conclusion, only served to bolster Gao Yuliang’s confidence.

Adopting what he believed to be a magnanimous demeanor and tone, he first interjected, “Brother Qingquan, there’s no need for such temper. This fellow daoist hails from a minor sect, utterly oblivious to the vastness of the world. One should not fault the ignorant; as for the offensive remarks just now, this envoy shall let bygones be bygones.”

Then, with an air of grandiosity, he turned his gaze to the members of the Three-One Sword Sect. “Now that you understand the true nature of the Immortal Alliance, why do you not swiftly hand over that vital criminal to us?”

Upon hearing this audacious villain so arrogantly disparage her senior brother’s sect as a “countryside minor sect” and, worse yet, presumptuously deem her cultivation realm that of a “pseudo-core evil cultivator,” Jiang Jinyue was so incensed she could only laugh.

Her laughter, clear and melodious, was nonetheless more chilling than the biting night wind, imbued with a detached indifference that seemed to gaze down upon the mortal dust.

“The Immortal Alliance,” she began, her vermillion lips parting slightly. Her voice, though soft, distinctly cut through the howl of the wind and the low hum of the flying boat’s formation arrays. “It has become sullied once more.”

There was no earth-shattering display, no dazzling burst of light. She simply raised her hand, as pristine and white as jade, and with a delicate flick towards the void, her movement as soft as brushing a fallen petal from her shoulder.

Yet, in the very next instant, the flame of the ancient, ever-burning lamp she held—a flame that had until then remained as still as congealed mutton-fat jade—leapt to life with sudden, fierce intensity!

This time, the light that surged within the lamp was no longer a warm, gentle white, but an intensely cold, ethereal blue glow, as if capable of freezing the very soul. This cerulean radiance instantly distorted and devoured all ambient light, casting her exquisitely beautiful face in shifting shadows, making her appear like a goddess emerging from the spectral depths of the underworld.

‘This bodes ill,’ Mo Tingbei thought to himself.

‘Junior Sister has truly harbored killing intent! Should the flame of her natal magic treasure touch them, even a Grand Golden Core cultivator of equivalent standing would likely lose half their life if caught unprepared by a single strike! What’s more, not a single person among the opposing group has even crossed that critical threshold of cultivation.’

To him, the others were simply ignorant.

‘Junior Sister has only just achieved the Golden Core; she hasn’t even had the chance to hold a ceremony to announce it to the world. Their ignorance is forgivable. A light punishment, perhaps temporarily crippling their cultivation to make them reflect, would suffice. There’s no need to resort to such extreme measures.’

He had intended to intervene, to voice his objection, but how could a crippled man like himself, stripped of all cultivation and no different from a mortal, possibly keep pace with the swiftness of a Grand Golden Core cultivator?

The very tail end of his aborted “No” still lingered in his throat when Jiang Jinyue’s lamp flame, like a mythical Kunpeng (TL Note: A giant fish that transforms into a bird, capable of swallowing vast expanses), rose to engulf heaven and earth, shrouding the entire firmament! In that moment, between the heavens and the earth, it seemed as though nothing remained but that cold, ethereal blue, consuming all.

“Crack… crackle-crackle…”

Upon the incredibly sturdy hull, intricately carved with layers of protective runes, thick sheets of profound ice, shimmering with an eerie cerulean glow, inexplicably materialized from thin air!

The biting cold emanated not from the external environment, but from the very marrow of every living being caught within the lamp’s ethereal flame! The low thrumming of the multi-decked warship’s propulsion array abruptly ceased, as if a mighty river had been instantly frozen solid.

On the deck, the several peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, their faces still contorted in expressions of shock and ferocity, were instantly encased in a thin, yet utterly indestructible, layer of cerulean ice crystals, transforming them into remarkably lifelike ice sculptures!

Only from Gao Yuliang’s form did a dazzling golden light erupt; it turned out that, on a sudden impulse, he had activated a protective measure he had long prepared, barely managing to withstand the terrifying lamp flame for a single, fleeting instant. Yet, this proved utterly meaningless.

Swiftly, his body too became shrouded in a layer of white frost, his hair and beard turning to ice, his movements sluggish as though mired in an ancient, primordial swamp. Even as the lamp’s flame fully consumed him, his eyes remained wide, filled with an unparalleled horror and disbelief that defied description.

In the years to come, whenever Mo Tingbei chanced to return to the bustling mortal world, the legend of “White Night” had long since been woven into the fabric of human lore.

The legend spoke of that night when both stars and moon vanished, leaving only a single, ethereal blue ancient lamp suspended in the nine heavens, casting down a chilling radiance that froze all creation. None could fathom why this bizarre spectacle had appeared, nor why it had vanished. Among mortals, some swore it was a celestial warning delivered to the then-Emperor Wuyin, while others staunchly believed it to be a clash between sword immortals from ancient tales; such rumors, and more, proliferated endlessly.

Most cultivators, however, were privy to the true events, and naturally took it as a stark lesson for themselves.

Of course, these were all matters for another time.

For now, upon seeing that Jiang Jinyue had not shattered the Immortal Alliance members—who now resembled figures encased in blue amber—but had instead collected them into a small, casually opened spatial rift, a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding finally escaped Mo Tingbei’s chest.

‘Junior Sister has merely used her divine abilities to trap these individuals; there’s still room for resolution.’

Jiang Jinyue floated back onto the ship’s bow, and upon seeing Mo Tingbei’s anxious expression, she let out a soft laugh, like the gentle unfurling of spring blossoms. Gone was the overwhelming aura that had just now gazed down upon all beings and commanded the awe of heaven and earth. “Senior Brother, do you truly believe me to be some arrogant, insolent person who utterly disdains all the heroes of this world?”

Mo Tingbei found himself speechless, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. “Senior Sister, your temperament seems to have undergone a drastic change today; you exhibit an almost cynical and world-weary disdain. With their blatant provocation, coupled with your manner, I couldn’t help but feel concerned.”

Jiang Jinyue, however, remained rather unperturbed. She had, of course, discerned that Mo Tingbei was seizing this opportunity to subtly hint at the unsettling changes he had noticed. Yet, at this juncture, she felt no inclination to restrain herself. What did it matter if her true nature was exposed? Could Mo Tingbei truly bring himself to abandon her, his former junior sister, after all this time?

Having awakened her past life’s wisdom, she had grown weary of the entire human realm, be it the mundane mortal world or the arduous path of immortality. Only Mo Tingbei remained her sole anchor in this existence.

“Senior Brother, there’s no need to worry; simply focus on recuperating. Now that I have attained the Great Dao, even if I were to truly dispatch this group of ‘house dogs,’ it would merely require a single intervention on my part for the Immortal Alliance as compensation.”

Mo Tingbei’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he sighed inwardly.

The rumors, it seemed, had not been false; Junior Sister was indeed such a cynical and world-weary individual, and now she had even achieved the Great Dao…

For the moment, she could still rein in her murderous intent, but in the days to come, he feared…

‘He could only hope that no one else would be so blind as to provoke Junior Sister again.’