Chapter 680: Not Interested

Jiang Yi quickly led them to their lodgings—a rather crude place.

It was a small cabin built of simple wooden planks. Though it looked crude from the outside, it was warm and toasty within. The difference between its appearance and the reality was quite stark; everyone had assumed it was a simple shack, but it held a secret.

“Wow, it’s so warm in here!” Wu exclaimed in amazement. “When it gets this cold back home, we have to light a fire to get warm. Nothing else works.”

Yi Tianyun smiled. These cabins might have looked simple, but they were built from the trunks of Celestial Plum trees, giving them perfect insulation. As long as they stayed inside, they wouldn’t feel the cold even in a single thin layer of clothing.

With their cultivation levels being so low, they weren’t yet impervious to the elements, so proper housing was prepared for them.

Jiang Yi immediately explained the rules. The gist of it was a warning not to wander off. If they were caught, they wouldn’t just be kicked out—they might even be punished.

After finishing his instructions, he told them to rest. Other work would be assigned later. Since they had just arrived after a long journey, they were allowed some time to recover.

The men and women were housed separately. He and Wu were assigned to one cabin, while the young women were placed in the adjacent cabins. It wasn’t too crowded.

“Wu, you stay here and rest. I’m going to step out for a bit,” Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile. ‘I didn’t come here to do menial labor. A dignified Saint King doing chores? What a joke.’

“Yi, you can’t do that!” Wu said urgently. “If you wander off and get caught, what if you get kicked out?”

Wu was truly honest and simple, a stickler for the rules. Then again, most newcomers were obedient; they wouldn’t dare act recklessly in a new place like this.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. You just stay here,” Yi Tianyun said with a smile. “Besides, you won’t be here for long. Remaining here would only waste your Potential.”

“Yi, what do you mean?” Wu scratched his head in confusion, but Yi Tianyun was already gone. By the time Wu opened the door to look, he was nowhere to be seen.

After leaving, Yi Tianyun moved as if through an empty realm, heading toward the heart of the Celestial Plum Mountain Range—the Celestial Plum Palace.

Numerous towering structures dotted the vast, snowy mountain, blending in with its undulating terrain and looking perfectly normal. In reality, the entire area was a grand formation. Each palace served as a formation eye, capable of erupting with immense power to repel outside attacks when needed.

‘Whoever built this grand formation,’ Yi Tianyun thought, ‘must have been an expert on par with a Creator!’

‘Their skill must have been at the peak of the Divine Rune Grandmaster level, perhaps even half a step into the realm of a Creator.’

His gaze swept across the landscape, taking in every detail of his surroundings. Nothing escaped his notice. He could even see through the Divine Runes of a Creator, discerning every minute detail within.

He quickly pinpointed Shi Xueyun’s location, and his heart leaped with joy. ‘She really is here! I was right!’

A thrill coursed through him. All his efforts hadn’t been in vain; he hadn’t come to the wrong place. In fact, he had suspected as much the moment he arrived and saw the uniforms of the disciples.

‘Aunt, I’m here…’ Yi Tianyun’s eyes flashed, and his figure vanished. He moved stealthily toward his destination. Unless one was a Saint King Stage expert, it would be impossible to detect his presence.

「Meanwhile, in the Celestial Plum Palace.」

Shi Xueyun gazed at the snowy landscape outside her window, her beautiful eyes filled with a faint melancholy. Her aura, however, had grown much stronger than before—she had reached the third level of the Void Spirit Stage. Such progress was terrifyingly fast.

In just over a year, she had broken through to the third level of the Void Spirit Stage. It was unbelievable. A little more than a year ago, she had just broken through to the Spirit Pill Stage. Now, she had not only surpassed the Core Transformation Stage but had also reached the third level of the Void Spirit Stage. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long for her to break through to the Spirit King Stage.

‘Celestial Cloud, soon… Once my cultivation is a bit stronger, I’ll be able to leave and help you look for the others. I wonder how you’re doing now?’ Shi Xueyun’s eyes filled with longing. Though no one stood before her, the image of Yi Tianyun was reflected in them.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK…

A knock sounded at the door. Shi Xueyun’s gaze turned cold, but she didn’t turn around.

“Young Master Mei, I’m tired. I don’t wish to see anyone today,” Shi Xueyun said flatly.

CREAK…

The door was pushed open anyway. A handsome young man entered, carrying a piece of precious jade. The moment he stepped inside, the jade emitted a faint, cold light. Anyone with a discerning eye would immediately recognize its immense value for cultivation.

“Xueyun, I brought you a piece of Ice Divine Jade. It will be of great help to your cultivation. I know you’re tired, but cultivating with this will allow you to achieve twice the results with half the effort.” Young Master Mei smiled faintly. His handsome face was that of a true lady-killer, and combined with his astonishing cultivation—the eighth level of the Void Spirit Stage—he was all the more attractive.

“Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Mei. I appreciate the thought. Also, please don’t call me Xueyun. Address me as Junior Sister.” Shi Xueyun turned her head, her expression still icy, completely unmoved.

“Xueyun, don’t be like this…” Young Master Mei moved toward her, reaching for her hand, but she dodged back lightly, her expression colder than ever.

“Young Master Mei, please conduct yourself with dignity!” Shi Xueyun said in a low, stern voice.

Young Master Mei’s expression soured. “Xueyun,” he said coldly, “do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? Always muttering ‘Celestial Cloud, Celestial Cloud.’ I don’t know who this ‘Celestial Cloud’ you speak of is! But whether he’s your former Dao Companion or just someone you like, do you really think his status is higher than mine?”

“I am the Young Master of the Celestial Plum Divine Clan! In the future, I have a very high chance of becoming the Clan Leader! You can’t go wrong by choosing me. Besides, our constitutions are perfectly compatible—a match made in heaven. If we become Dao Companions, our cultivation will advance with twice the results for half the effort!”

His eyes burned with fanaticism and a deep possessiveness. He coveted Shi Xueyun. Her talent and beauty were both peerless. If she became his Dao Companion, his cultivation would surely accelerate. With his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, he would have a much stronger claim to the position of Clan Leader!

To become the Clan Leader of the Celestial Plum Divine Clan was to stand above all others, a supreme existence. How could such a prospect not be alluring?

“Young Master Mei, I’m sorry, but I am not interested.” Shi Xueyun’s expression remained unchanged, her composure as still as a tranquil lake. She was utterly unmoved. She wouldn’t have been swayed even if a Divine King stood before her.