A Chilling Revelation

Upon hearing this, Zhao Luo’s gaze once more settled upon the figures trapped within the ice.

She meticulously scrutinized the attire and magical artifacts adorning the group, yet she could discern no flaws.

Their appearance, by all accounts, was that of authentic patrol envoys. However, their sheer numbers struck her as peculiar.

Suddenly, her eyes fixed upon the miniature sword fastened to the waist of the leading figure.

While the craftsmanship of this accessory unmistakably bore the mark of the Immortal Alliance, an unsettling feeling persisted within her, hinting that something was amiss.

Mo Tingbei, observing that she seemed to be on the verge of a realization, did not press her.

Yet, in the very next moment, his body imperceptibly stiffened for a fleeting instant.

Jiang Jinyue had, at some point, curled into his embrace.

She was like a drowsy kitten.

Distinctions between genders, the impropriety of physical contact—such worldly customs were, to her, nothing more than laughable constraints.

She was a Golden Core Dao Lord, transcending the mundane, free to act on her every whim.

Those who usurp nations are feudal lords; cultivators are a selfish lot, endlessly demanding from heaven and earth. Golden Core cultivators, in particular, were the greatest ‘thieves’ between heaven and earth.

She was not like her Senior Brother, who constantly burdened himself with responsibilities and grand ideals.

If she desired something, she would seize it, fight for it, and cling to it fiercely.

Her Senior Brother might attempt to draw a line between them, citing his dwindling lifespan, but she would never allow him to have his way.

With him unable to move, unwilling to move, and too embarrassed to move, this was her opportune moment to act spoiled, be unreasonable, and press her advantage.

She could distinctly feel the steady beat of his heart beneath his chest, the warmth of his body radiating through the thin fabric. All of it filled her with profound attachment, even a cruel delight—’See? You ultimately cannot bear to push me away.’

She even deliberately snuggled further into his arms, finding an even more comfortable position.

She felt her Senior Brother’s body stiffen even more, a sensation that brought a subtle pleasure to her heart.

Though resigned, Mo Tingbei found it difficult to make any move.

“If you forget to conceal yourself, and this young lady opposite accidentally witnesses this, who knows how many rumors will arise?”

Jiang Jinyue, however, merely shifted again, pressing her face against Mo Tingbei’s firm, resilient abdomen, letting out a few contented hums.

“She wouldn’t dare,” she murmured, narrowing her eyes as she glanced sideways at Zhao Luo.

Under her Dharma Eyes, the techniques laid down by a Purple Mansion True Person at their peak could not even cast a hint of obscurity in her vision.

Beneath the unremarkable male facade lay a face as clear and delicate as a white mountain flower, evoking pity.

At this moment, that beautiful face, capable of stirring great trouble, was filled with utter confusion.

Mo Tingbei sighed inwardly.

‘What could he do?’ His Junior Sister had now fully ascended to another realm. He truly couldn’t maintain the air of an elder, especially with a Purple Mansion cultivator sitting before them.

Even if the Purple Mansion cultivator was a superficial one, whose True Nature had not yet solidified, he couldn’t, like his Junior Sister, effortlessly and mystically deceive a fellow cultivator of the same grand realm.

‘Let her be,’ he decided.

Suddenly, a flicker of understanding crossed Zhao Luo’s face.

Mo Tingbei’s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

It seemed there was an unexpected pleasant surprise awaiting them.

Jiang Jinyue also straightened up, her crown coincidentally pressing against Mo Tingbei’s Adam’s apple, making her feel a little stifled.

She, too, had grown somewhat intrigued.

Zhao Luo approached the ‘ice sculpture,’ leaning in closer, seemingly searching for something to verify a particular conjecture.

Her gaze fell upon the cultivator frozen within, and she couldn’t suppress a gasp of astonishment.

This patrol envoy bore a striking sixty percent resemblance to a former Immortal Alliance Leader, a figure now only seen in portraits!

Yet, the Immortal Alliance records clearly stated that this leader had perished in a monumental case, suppressing a cataclysmic collapse of multiple secret realms, all while still unmarried!

After the turmoil subsided and posthumous honors were bestowed, a search across the world failed to uncover even a trace of his bloodline, cementing his status as a revered and selfless individual!

Moreover, the pendant at this person’s waist, though similar to the current patrol envoy token—making it easy for ordinary people to mistake, and even she had nearly been deceived by the ice’s reflection earlier—upon closer inspection, revealed a different truth.

With her extensive knowledge of Immortal Alliance texts, she recognized the small sword’s design as one used three thousand years ago, before that world-shattering incident!

A preposterous yet chilling thought surfaced in her mind:

‘Could it be that the former leader did not truly perish back then?’

‘Or did he leave behind some unknown bloodline? But why would the Immortal Alliance be entirely ignorant of this?’

‘Or perhaps, this person before her had some hidden connection to Grand Leader Gao’s “demise” and that momentous incident three thousand years ago?’

Countless conjectures, some rational, some absurd, surged through Zhao Luo’s mind like a tide, causing her to momentarily forget her surroundings. She stood transfixed before the ice sculpture, her expression fluctuating wildly.

Mo Tingbei appeared oblivious to her anomaly. He held his tea cup aloft in an odd posture, as if deliberately avoiding something, and took a sip of tea before speaking:

“It’s rather shameful to admit, but in my early years, for the sake of my sect’s livelihood, I once scoured secret realms across the world. I’m quite familiar with the aura of various secret realms. The aura emanating from these individuals is quite peculiar; it seems to point to a type of ancient secret realm that should have long vanished into the river of history—a Mirage.”

He sighed softly, as if lamenting something. “According to ancient texts, the last large-scale appearance of such a unique secret realm occurred during the Calamity of the Sky’s Fall three thousand years ago. The only time I was fortunate enough to encounter such a secret realm was on the eve of its collapse. I never imagined that a legacy could still exist today, nurturing living beings.”

Zhao Luo felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind, leaving her dizzy and her vision momentarily black.

A bone-chilling cold spread from the depths of her heart.

‘The Mirage secret realm…’

‘The Calamity of the Sky’s Fall…’

‘The accessory style from three thousand years ago…’

‘The mysterious patrol envoy resembling the martyred leader…’

Innumerable clues furiously collided within her skull, striving to piece together a terrifying picture that would overturn all her previous understanding.

The Immortal Alliance’s ancient texts stated in black and white:

That year, the leader, to prevent the collapse of the secret realm, had personally cut off his own retreat and heroically sacrificed himself.

Afterward, many powerful figures within the Alliance searched repeatedly, yet failed to recover even a shred of clothing or half a bone.

‘Since no remains were found…’

‘Does that mean the esteemed Grand Leader might not have truly died at all?’

‘Could it be that the martyred hero, revered as a model by the Immortal Alliance and immortalized in history, had actually shed his mortal coil, secretly orchestrating unspeakable schemes?’

‘This group before her, most likely from the hidden Mirage secret realm but wearing the Immortal Alliance’s tiger skin as ‘patrol envoys,’ was the ironclad proof!’

‘And the true story behind the Calamity of the Sky’s Fall, which caused several secret realms to collapse and shook the heavens, was likely far more complex than the understated “accident” described in the records.’