The weather in North County had never been particularly good.
Compared to the Central Plains region, it was much colder.
Even in the afternoon, one could still see white mist that seemed to fall from the clouds filling the sky.
This empty, colorless painting was quite suitable for snow scenes.
However, the snow on the heavenly mountains only fell on their shaded sides.
It always presented a scene that looked both like daytime and like nighttime, with little human presence.
But today, this quiet white mountain was much livelier than usual.
Over a hundred small boats, wrapped in clouds, drifted over leisurely and descended directly toward the empty plain in front of Tang Zhi.
The wind rose.
Tang Zhi tightened the robe around her body and slightly raised her head to look.
The red velvet scarf around her neck fluttered high in the wind, half-covering the side of her face along with her ink-black hair.
She reached out and pulled the scarf down to reveal her lips.
Her thin lips parted slightly as she exhaled a puff of white mist.
As if she had thought of something, her expression softened a little.
White clothes and black skirt, with a bright red long scarf.
This outfit made her stand out particularly in this pale, quiet world.
And that was exactly what she wanted — to let that person spot her at the very first moment.
According to the rules, she should have been waiting inside the Immortal Alliance Pavilion behind her.
But she truly could not wait any longer.
So she stood quietly facing the increasingly cold wind, from early morning until now.
One Cloud Boat after another glided past the young girl.
The people who stepped out of the Cloud Boats could not help but look at her with either curiosity or furrowed brows.
Those gazes were both good and bad.
But everyone could tell that the young girl was waiting for someone.
Therefore, no one would come forward at this moment to make a fool of themselves.
Her gaze searched until she finally found a familiar figure in the latter half of the area.
The corners of her lips could not help but curve upward.
She nervously licked her lips, then walked over in that direction.
***
“Phew… We finally arrived. I was suffocating.”
Xu Yanrou stood beside the Cloud Boat and stretched lazily.
Then she brought her pipe over to the side to light it.
After impatiently taking a puff, a look of enjoyment appeared on her face.
Back in the sect, because she had to handle affairs, she could never put down her pipe.
Over time, she had developed a dependence on it.
On the Cloud Boat, out of consideration for her junior sisters, she had endured the entire way.
“This thing is harmful to the body. Do not become addicted.” Yun Zhao gently reminded her.
“How could it be that easy? I smoke every day and have not become addicted. Do not worry.” Xu Yanrou smiled and did not take the words to heart.
“Wow, there are so many people. But why are there so few people from other sects?”
Ning Yao jumped down.
Because of the surrounding wind, she slightly raised her hand to shield herself.
She squinted and stood on tiptoe, scanning the surroundings.
“It feels like very few other sects even have more than three people?”
“Did you forget those twenty restrictions?” Xia Liu sighed.
“Just the single rule prohibiting cultivators from those factions has already eliminated many people.”
Hundreds of years ago, the path of cultivation had branched into many schools.
After subsequent organization and classification, there were roughly more than ten types.
In the Immortal Alliance’s requirements this time, all the factions that had developed and diverged over the past hundred years were prohibited.
This caused some sects to be unable to assign powerful disciples and simply chose not to participate.
“Why am I the only one at the Qi Refining stage…”
Yun Li felt somewhat out of place.
Looking around, the lowest cultivation level among these sect disciples was already Golden Core.
She could not help but feel a little discouraged.
“After all, other sects are not wealthy enough to have six slots.”
Su Zhan nodded lightly and calmly looked up at the surrounding scenery.
In the original novel, the North County mountain range was an important map in the mid-to-late stages and contained quite a few good things.
She had originally planned to come here to explore after breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage.
Now it seemed she would not be able to do so in a short time.
“There is someone approaching with ill intentions… Are they here to pick a fight?”
Ning Yao, who had been observing the people around them, suddenly furrowed her brows.
The girl who had been standing straight on the open ground earlier wearing a red velvet scarf had noticed them.
She was now walking over with an aggressive stride.
Just by looking at her figure, Ning Yao felt that this person was terrifyingly strong.
She could be certain that this person was a sword cultivator.
Moreover, in the path of the sword, she was several times stronger than her.
She was afraid that even Su Zhan would find it difficult to match her.
“Hm? Who is it?”
Xu Yanrou followed Ning Yao’s gaze.
After seeing who it was, she could not help but chuckle softly with a knowing smile.
“It is not to pick a fight, but she is indeed here to find someone.”
“That is Tang Zhi, the Young Sect Master of Tongwen Sect. In terms of seniority, you should call her Senior Sister.”
Yun Zhao introduced gently.
“She is here. She must be specifically looking for Su Junior Sister.”
“Looking for Su Wood?”
Ning Yao blinked and turned to look at Su Zhan.
“You, who never steps out of the main gate or the side gate, actually have such a powerful friend?”
“Not a friend… She and Su Senior Sister have a marriage engagement.” Xia Liu said quietly.
“Did you not see her during the past few days in the sect? She came while Su Senior Sister and I were out on training.”
“I only came out of seclusion right before you returned. How could I have seen her?”
Ning Yao expressed disdain.
She had never been interested in this kind of gossip.
Although she had heard that Su Zhan had a fiancée, Su Zhan herself had never mentioned it.
She had thought it was just the other disciples talking nonsense.
“Besides, even if she came, so what? She did not go around telling everyone she was Su Wood’s fiancée. Where would I know about something like this?”
“Be quiet. Otherwise, if she hears you badmouthing her, you will have a hard time later.” Xu Yanrou said helplessly.
This girl Ning Yao was truly too loose with her words.
She really did not know how Cheng Shuang usually taught her.
She even went around claiming to be someone’s fiancée.
It was truly bold of her to say such things.
If others heard it, they would think she was provoking them.
“Sister Su…”
A voice as clear as snow lotus reached them.
The young girl stood gracefully in front of Su Zhan and slightly raised her head.
She wore a faint smile, restrained yet dignified.
“It has been a long time.”
“It has been a long time.”
Su Zhan nodded and spoke tentatively.
She did not know what tone would be appropriate for a greeting, so she decided that saying less would mean making fewer mistakes.
What she did not know was that the girl opposite her had the exact same thought.
Thus the two of them faced each other in silence.
Just like that, the conversation went nowhere.
For a moment, it became quiet.
“Pfft…”
Xu Yanrou secretly turned her head away and could not help but laugh out loud.
“Sigh…” Yun Zhao let out a helpless, soft sigh, as if she had already expected this.
Ning Yao blinked, looked left, looked right, and asked in confusion, “Why did you two stop talking halfway through your sentences?”
“It is getting colder here. This is not a place to talk. Why not go report first, and then the two of you can find a quiet place to catch up later.”
Xia Liu could not stand watching these two wooden blocks remain deadlocked.
She spoke up to help them out of the awkward situation.
She could tell that this Young Sect Master had something she wanted to say, but had stopped after starting.
It seemed that some personal words were indeed not convenient for the rest of them to hear.
“Ah, it was my oversight.”
Tang Zhi nodded as if waking from a dream.
She smiled apologetically and swept a grateful gaze over Xia Liu.
She half-turned and said, “Everyone, please come with me.”
Yun Li and Xia Liu subtly gave Su Zhan a gentle push forward, so that she ended up walking side by side with Tang Zhi.
Su Zhan felt somewhat at a loss.
But she could sense that the girl beside her was also becoming uncomfortable.
Her originally steady steps quickened and became slightly disordered.
She even nearly stepped on her own feet.
“Aiya, how youthful.”
The others behind them consciously fell half a step back, leaving enough space for the two girls.
Xu Yanrou sighed with emotion and teased in a low voice, leaning closer to Xia Liu and the others.
“When do you think Little Tang Zhi will be unable to resist taking your Su Senior Sister’s hand?”
“What is wrong with holding hands? It is not like they are doing something shady. Why say it so sneakily.”
Ning Yao curled her lip.
“Tang Zhi Senior Sister seems like she can already barely hold herself back…”
Yun Li muttered quietly.
At their words, everyone quietly looked over.
They saw the girl wearing the red velvet scarf slightly turn her head.
Her arm moved as if casually.
With the rhythm of her steps, it slightly rose and then fell.
Her fingertips curled, as if wanting to touch, yet withdrawing at the very last moment.
In contrast, Su Zhan was walking forward with large strides, her eyes looking straight ahead and her arms hanging naturally at her sides.
She seemed completely unaware of the small movements of the person beside her.
It truly made the onlookers anxious.
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