Gazing at the woman who bounded in with joyful expression, the moon-robed woman offered a gentle, composed smile—elegant yet reserved, neither cold nor overly distant. It conveyed warmth without demanding intimacy, and over the course of three years, the once-immature young girl had matured significantly. As the guests in the hall caught glimpses of the subtle smiles blooming across the moon-robed woman’s face, many found themselves momentarily enchanted. After the moon-robed woman entered, an elderly man in a similar robe also approached, smiling warmly. Standing behind her, his eyes occasionally sparkled with keenness, and the dry hands extending beyond his sleeves moved in a gentle, rhythmic tremor, like the sharp talons of an eagle. After greeting the moon-robed woman, Linglin turned with a sweet smile toward the elder behind her. "Mr. Ge Ye," she said. "Ah, it's been several years—Linglin has grown even more beautiful," the elder replied, nodding with a cheerful smile. A gentle blush rose on her rosy cheeks. The red-robed woman named Ling Lin affectionately held the pale, jade-like hand of the moon-robed woman, beaming with delight. "I didn't expect you to come all the way to Yunlanshan personally, Lan Nan sister," she said. "If Father and the others knew, they'd surely be delighted." "It was simply at my teacher's request, and I had planned to return home anyway," the moon-robed woman replied softly. Her bright eyes swept the hall as she added with a light jest, "From the way Ling Lin looked so crestfallen earlier, did it seem as though she'd been treated unfairly?" At the mention of this matter, Ling Lin offered a slightly embarrassed smile. Though she was naturally spirited and somewhat headstrong, she wasn't foolish. Observing the elder's demeanor toward Xiao Yan, she had already sensed that the younger boy—though seemingly a bit younger than herself—was absolutely someone who should not be taken lightly. Thus, she chose not to elaborate on the details, wishing to avoid unnecessary complications. "There's nothing special—just met an interesting person." Linlin waved her hand, yet her peripheral glance involuntarily drifted toward the rock sculpture that had turned into a liquid. A faint paleness crept over her delicate features, as the seemingly refined young man had shown no tenderness or grace in his actions. In that moment, swift thoughts flashed through both of their minds, quickly followed by a smoothing out of their expressions of surprise. Linglin's paleness had lasted only briefly before fading away. She turned her head, now gazing with eager longing at the group of young men who had previously gathered around her, eager to win her favor—now all fixated on the woman in the moon-colored robe behind her. One, in particular, whose composure had wavered, flushed deeply, his eyes blazing with warmth. Observing their embarrassed expressions, Linglin furrowed her brows, murmuring to herself, "A bunch of presumptuous younglings—your little influence is nothing compared to hers, just a pebble beneath her feet." Shaking her head, Linglin paid no further attention to these young, self-important men, and smiled warmly at the woman in the moon-colored robe, "Nalan sister, the evening is drawing in now. Why don't we rest here overnight? There's a special room reserved just for guests of your standing." "Thank you, Linglin sister." The moon-robed woman smiled and nodded, her gaze once again sweeping over the pile of rocky liquid, offering a thoughtful smile. "My teacher mentioned this very thing before we set out—how vast the Qi Continent is, and how countless wonders and unusual tales it holds. I never thought that just now, after only a short time outside, I'd already been so profoundly impressed." Hearing this, Linglin blushed slightly, smiled awkwardly, and said nothing, simply walking ahead, guiding the moon-robed woman and the elder up the stairs. As the group disappeared at the top of the stairs, the murmurs within the hall grew louder, buzzing like a swarm of flies. "Well, I never thought it—how come the direct disciple of Yunlan Sect's abbot has come all the way personally to celebrate Mu Cheng's birthday? This truly raises the prestige of the Mu family." "Indeed. She's so stunningly beautiful even at such a young age, and with my own strength, I still can't fully grasp her true depth. No wonder she's the abbot's own disciple." "Hehe, what a beautiful lady! Whoever marries her truly strikes gold—she’s not only the future abbot of Yunlan Sect, but also the princess of the Na Lan family. Combined, these two powerful lineages—how could anyone in the Jiamai Empire possibly match them?" "Ah, I recall hearing once that the third son of the Xue family from Wutan City was her fiancé." "Hmph, when did you hear that? As far back as three years ago, the Na Lan lady herself stormed straight into the Xue household, demanding and successfully dissolving the marriage alliance with the Xue family’s head." "Really? Then didn’t the Xue family lose face?" "Lost face? What’s more, can the Xue family even stand a chance against the Na Lan family and Yunlan Sect? After enduring such a blow, they had no choice but to swallow it quietly. Besides, the Xue family’s third son was once considered a well-known underachiever—how could he possibly match the outstanding talents of the Na Lan lady?" "Hmph. Completely ignorant of the facts, yet always making up stories. A man seated in the corner gave a dismissive glance toward the two who were speaking loudly, only when they stared at him in anger did he lazily continue, "Indeed, three years ago, Lan Lan Miss did dissolve her engagement with the Xiao family. However, she didn't receive the formal engagement release—instead, she received... a divorce decree. Yes, that's right. The Xiao Lord directly divorced his fiancée, a woman whose status was nearly on par with an imperial princess." To ask for a divorce from a bride whose status is not only noble but also exceptionally beautiful—well, that truly requires courage. At least, upon reflecting on themselves, many of those present realized they themselves lacked that very courage. Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled. "Well, let him go. The Mo family hasn't yet uncovered our secrets. Right now, we need to stabilize ourselves. These days of continuous travel have nearly pushed me to my limits... Ah, once we're in better shape, we'll head into the Mo family tomorrow to find Qinglin." Stretching lazily, Xiao Yan walked toward the room, speaking as he went. Watching Xiao Yan's back, Hai Bo Dong nodded in agreement and rose to walk toward another room as well. The days of travel had taken their toll on his spirit as well. Upon entering the room, Xiao Yan blinked slowly, his eyelids heavy with fatigue, and fought hard to resist the urge to fall asleep. With a gentle touch on his storage ring, a faint green glow rose steadily, eventually forming into a floating lotus seat suspended in midair. With a gentle tap of his toes on the ground, Xiao Yan settled steadily onto the Qinglian seat. The warm energy flowing through his skin gradually dispelled the fatigue hidden within his body. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Xiao Yan extended his palm. A streak of emerald flame flickered slightly hesitantly at his fingertips, and after a while, he shook his head slightly, sighing, "Though the energy is indeed powerful, it's not as easy to control as I had imagined." After practicing the manipulation of the Qing Fire for a few minutes in his palm, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes and entered his meditative state. As Xiao Yan settled into his meditation, the surrounding celestial energies subtly rippled, and visible streams of energy coalesced into streaks of textured bands—absorbing at a pace far exceeding previous levels. Clearly, the benefits of the evolved technique were now beginning to manifest. A slightly weathered energy swiftly pierced through the seal of the Qinglian Light Shield, underwent initial purification, and then flowed into Xiao Yan's body. Within him, the energy, glowing with scattered points of jade-green light, surged rapidly along the meridians. The meridian walls, resembling living cells, subtly pulsated, while during these pulsations, the weathered energy rapidly became more refined—impurities were absorbed and consumed by the meridian walls, then gradually excreted through the skin pores. After completing one full circulation through the intricate meridians, the energy had become notably pure. Subsequently, subjected to the refining heat of the Qinglian Earth Heart Fire, the energy shrank visibly in size, condensing into a steady stream. After a while, it completely vanished, replaced by a droplet of jade-green liquid, shimmering with an unusual radiance, which gently fell into the vortex. As Xiao Yan entered his state of focused meditation, Li Lin was just stopping opposite their room on the corridor outside, opening the door and walking in gracefully with the delicate, beautiful woman dressed in a moon-colored robe.