W-where did all of this come from? Rong Xiu rubbed his brows rather helplessly. “Elder Meng, you’re thinking too much.”

The two of them are clearly the same person. Besides, I wouldn’t do such a thing. 

“The relationship between Chu Yue and me… can’t be explained in a word or two, but don’t worry. It’s definitely not what you think it is.”

Elder Meng looked at him, and his heart wavered. “Really?”

Rong Xiu retracted his hand, and his thin lips curled up into an extremely faint smile. “Do you think Chu Yue would accept it if I did that?”

Of course, he wouldn’t! That kid looks handsome and is always smiling, but in actual fact, he isn’t someone who would let others step all over him. If not, could he have gotten into so much trouble? Seeing that Rong Xiu had guaranteed it himself, Elder Meng felt more at ease.

Rong Xiu doesn’t have to lie about such a matter, but the duo’s relationship is indeed strange. When I have the chance in the future, I must ask about it properly. 

“Okay, let’s not talk about this first. It’s fine as long as you know what you’re doing.” Elder Meng stopped the conversation and flung the dust. His gaze then swept across Rong Xiu’s shoulders and landed on the door that was quietly floating. “I told you to come because of an even more important matter. Look at this door and see if there’s a problem.”

Previously, he went down just for this.

Rong Xiu turned around, and his brows were raised slightly. “Actually, I wanted to ask—when did this door come up?”

Elder Meng squinted his eyes. “Probably… ten days ago. At that time, I already felt that the door wasn’t right, so I moved only it up. After observing it for a while, I realized that it’s indeed amiss, but… I can’t be sure, so I invited you over to take a look.”

Rong Xiu stared at the door for a few seconds and suddenly laughed. “You’ve guarded the door for so many years. Nobody else knows it better than you, right? If you think it has a problem, then it definitely has.”

Elder Meng still felt uneasy. “This situation is rather complicated. Take a look at it first.”

Seeing how insistent Elder Meng was, Rong Xiu didn’t decline him further.

He took a few steps forward and walked to the door. Then, he raised his hand and slowly stuck his palm against the door.

It was cold to the touch. A faint coldness directly dug into his heart from his palm, but there faintly seemed to be warmth.

That gush of warmth was very peculiar as it flashed across, and one couldn’t differentiate it. It seemed as though something was wavering and wanted to rush out from within, but it turned around and disappeared the moment it was about to come out.

Rong Xiu retracted his hand and looked calm.

“How is it?” Elder Meng leaned his body forward and asked rather anxiously.

In the beginning, he didn’t want Rong Xiu to intervene in this matter. But now that Rong Xiu was already here, and he increasingly felt that the door was problematic, he still decided to ask Rong Xiu for his opinion after much thinking.

Rong Xiu paused for a moment and looked at Elder Meng. “What do you think?”

Elder Meng’s brows were tightly furrowed, and his expression was solemn. “I thought… that item is about to wake up…”

The first time he detected the ripple, perhaps he could convince himself it was a misunderstanding. However, it was still like this the second time and the third time, and the commotion got increasingly bigger.

He couldn’t help but be alert.

Rong Xiu smiled. “Since you already have a decision, why are you still asking me?”

“But this isn’t right!” Elder Meng couldn’t hold himself back as he rushed forward and flung the dust in his hand. Then, he pointed toward that door. “That girl is still missing now, and I can’t even see her figure. How can this thing have a commotion, or does it represent that the girl is coming back soon?!”

When Elder Meng said the second half of the sentence, faint elation surfaced in his eyes. Thinking that Rong Xiu was still standing here, he hurriedly restrained himself.

Back then, many people knew that Rong Xiu liked that girl, but they basically didn’t mention it anymore.

A few years had passed, and everything had changed. Rong Xiu even had his own princess consort, so it seemed more inappropriate to bring up that girl.

However, Rong Xiu looked normal as if he didn’t mind talking about this. He thought about it seriously and nodded thoughtfully. “That might be possible.”

She is indeed… coming back soon. 

“You think so too?” Hearing this, Elder Meng felt more at ease.

Previously, he was still worried if this represented that the girl was in trouble. But now that Rong Xiu said that it just represented that she was coming back soon, he felt more relieved and less worried.

Rong Xiu’s gaze flickered, and his peripheral vision lightly flashed across that door. If she didn’t fail to break through two days ago…

“You don’t have to be worried. It seems like everything is fine,” Rong Xiu added.

Elder Meng heaved a sigh of relief. “T-then, I’ll just wait for her to come back!”

It seemed like Rong Xiu had already put things down, so Elder Meng had let go of his last consideration. “There’s nothing else now. Take good care of Chu Yue.”

Rong Xiu nodded. “I won’t disturb you further then.”

Then, Rong Xiu cupped his fists, turned around, and left.

Looking at his departing back, Elder Meng sighed. “Sigh… Thinking of back then…”

What a match made in heaven! Yet, it became like this now… Forget it! Since Rong Xiu doesn’t think about it anymore, why should we join in? 

Elder Meng’s hands slightly slid across that door. The intricate markings on the door left a smooth and gentle touch on his palm.

“That girl… is really magnanimous…”

…

The Sky-Cloud Empire, Wan Zhong Mountain.

The sun set, and the remaining warm orange glow dyed the sky a faint golden.

Jiang Zhiyuan—who had kneeled for the entire day—finally loosened her body and rubbed her sore and numb kneecaps. Even though she had been here for quite a few days, she still wasn’t used to this kind of punishment.

Anyone who had to maintain the same kneeling posture for 12 hours from morning to night wouldn’t be able to take it, yet she had to endure it. This was because it was her only path of return now!

Jiang Zhiyuan looked up.

The top of the mountain was peaceful.

I wonder when the clan leader can come out of seclusion… She thought with much grumbles. But once that idea popped up in her mind, she became hopeless again.

The clan leader had already been in seclusion for so many years and didn’t show any signs of coming out. Now, Jiang Zhiyuan didn’t know when she had to wait until…

Crack!

A crisp shatter was suddenly heard!

Jiang Zhiyuan’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly looked up!

She saw an inch-long crack appearing in the middle of the gigantic Xuan formation on the mountain. Faint and pure rays of light shone out from within.

This… Jiang Zhiyuan’s eyes suddenly lit up, and a bold guess surfaced in her mind!

Crack!

At the side, another crack appeared!

It was as if a switch was suddenly activated, and the entire Xuan formation moved.

Those cracks appeared one by one according to the Xuan formation’s outline. Not long later, the bright light shining out from below had already wrapped the entire mountain!

A tremendous aura exuded from within!

Detecting that suppression, Jiang Zhiyuan wasn’t terrified at all and was elated. The clan leader is coming out of seclusion!