Standing silently upon the tree trunk, Xiao Yan coldly gazed at Yun Yun at the forest exit. With a flick of his hand, his massive Xuanzhong Chi-Staff materialized, sweeping through the air with a sound that sliced through the atmosphere, pointing directly at the beautiful woman. Raising his head slowly, Yun Yun's gaze fixed on the black-robed young man on the trunk, a complex expression flickering across her cheeks. She murmured softly, "Are you all right?" "Thanks to you, I was on the verge of dying right here," Xiao Yan smiled slightly, yet the words that escaped his lips were cold, devoid of warmth. "I... I had no choice. As the Master of Yunlan Sect, I must shoulder certain responsibilities," Yun Yun sighed, as if trying to explain. Xiao Yan glanced at her with a detached air, asking, "Do you intend to capture me and have Yunshan publicly execute me?" Her face paled slightly, and she whispered, "Master won't kill you." "Heh, perhaps indeed they won't kill me—but with your Yunlan Sect's many tactics, just a simple seal and then lock me up for life within your sect, that would be even more devastating than death!" Xiao Yan scoffed. "No, as long as you come with me, I'll guarantee your safety! Alright, Xiao Yan, let's not make this any worse." Yun Yun stepped forward, speaking urgently, her voice carrying a clear plea. "Do you really think there's still any chance for reconciliation between me and Yunlan Sect? You're the head of a sect—can't you see this simple truth? Once I'm in their hands, I have only one path: death. There's absolutely no other choice!" Xiao Yan said coldly. "Can you really change Yunshan's decision?" "Yun Yun's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, yet she found herself unable to utter a single word of encouragement. With her wisdom, she naturally sensed the likely fate awaiting Xiao Yan after his arrival at Yunlan Sect. Yet, caught between the two parties, she still harbored a naive hope that a miracle might unfold. "No more words, then—act. If you insist on blocking me, then..." Xiao Yan tilted his heavy staff, his voice calm. "You may take my body back." Yun Yun bit her red lips tightly, vigorously shaking her head, her voice slightly hoarse. "As you know, I would never dare to strike you down." Xiao Yan maintained his cold expression, leapt down from the tree trunk, and stepped steadily toward Yun Yun, his powerful qi bursting forth, forming a flaming armor on his body. Her bright eyes fixed on the black-robed young man walking steadily toward her, Yun Yun's slender frame trembled gently. The usually dignified gaze, now brimmed with struggle; her hands clasped tightly within her sleeves, then loosened, repeatedly, reflecting the difficulty of her inner decision. As his footsteps crunched softly upon the grass, Xiāo Yīn stared intently at Yun Yun, his hands gripping the Xuan Zhong Chi, his internal Qi flowing like a river, ready to surge at any moment. The distance between them closed slowly, an eerie atmosphere enveloping the small grove. "Shh... shh..." The soft sounds continued until finally, Xiāo Yīn reached within five meters of Yun Yun. With her face lowered and her body still trembling slightly, Yun Yun suddenly went still—then a terrifying aura began to rise from within her, instantly freezing the very space of the grove. There was a slight tremor at the corner of his eye, and slowly, Xiāo Yīn tightened his grip on the Xuán Zhòng Chǐ. He knew deep within himself that if Yun Yun truly intended to seize him now, he would have little strength to resist. Taking a gentle step forward, Xiāo Yīn finally stopped in front of Yun Yun, inhaled the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from her body, and said with calm detachment, "Are you ready to act?" At the sound of Xiāo Yīn's words, Yun Yun's body shivered once more. She slowly lifted her face, etched with traces of bitterness, her gaze fixed steadily on the young man's refined features, and whispered, "Are you truly not coming back with me?" "You may take my body back," Xiāo Yīn repeated his earlier words with a cold smile, then without hesitation, turned his body to make room for her and strode steadily toward the forest's edge. As his feet barely touched the ground, a surge of overwhelming power erupted behind him, and a wave of force burst directly against his back. Feeling the assault coming from behind like a lightning bolt, Xiao Yan's heart instantly chilled, as if plunged into an ice cellar. With a self-mocking shake of his head, he murmured, "Well, it seems I was right to act after all..." Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, his hand gently brushing against his sleeve. He knew clearly that if Yun Yun insisted on killing him, with his current state, he had absolutely no strength to resist—only the Sky-Consuming Python could possibly offer any resistance. The powerful energy surged toward Xiao Yan in the blink of an eye, yet just as he was about to unleash the Python, the energy suddenly transformed into a soft, gentle force, lightly striking his back. Instantly, Xiao Yan was gently pushed backward. Under the vast expanse of stars, the young man opened his eyes in mild astonishment. After the energy impact, he could clearly sense that the energy trace left behind by Yun Shan was gradually dissolving. Turning around, Xiao Yan gazed at Yun Yun, who was weak and leaning against the tree trunk, her voice slightly trembling. "What... exactly do you mean?" "Go. Leave the Jima Empire. Never return. Otherwise, your teacher will never forgive you, nor will Yunlan Sect." Yun Yun waved her hand, her voice low and weary, barely audible amid the tension between the two—so exhausted that it felt as though she were carrying the weight of it all. Xiao Yan stared deeply at the woman with her graceful curves, pausing for a long while before softly saying, "Thank you... but I will return. I will definitely come back!" "You...?" Yun Yun raised her brows, slightly angered by Xiao Yan's stubbornness. With a sharp gesture, she swept her sleeve aside. "Next time we meet, I'll make sure not to be lenient! Whether you live or die, I don't care!" "Next time we meet, you might not even have the chance to be lenient," Xiao Yan added, "because I have no idea when—or even if—I'll return." Xiao Yan shrugged, gazing at Yun Yun's flushed, angry face. For some reason, the heart that had already grown cold began to warm once more. Perhaps the "Yun Zhi" from the cave back then had never truly vanished. With this thought, a feeling he couldn't quite name stirred within him. He stepped back a few paces, standing before Yun Yun, their eyes meeting. "You still don't leave?" Under the steady gaze of those dark eyes, Yun Yun found herself involuntarily shifting her gaze, her tone tinged with restrained frustration. Her emotions now felt as tangled as an unraveled bundle of threads—rationality urged her, as someone of her standing and authority, to immediately seize this challenger of Yunlan Sect and bring him back. Yet some peculiar emotion stood in the way, thus causing her to alter her initial palm strike. "I believe," he said, "that you are now truly the Yun Zhi from that cave all these years ago." Gazing at that face—once so noble and composed, now slightly fluttering like a little girl’s—Xiao Yan suddenly recalled the tender, warm days he had spent in the mountain cave. His previously reserved voice softened. "I didn’t know you were so nervous," Cloud Yun said, startled, her heart suddenly racing. She struggled to suppress the fluttering sensation in her chest, maintaining a composed demeanor. "Cloud Yun is Cloud Chi, and Cloud Chi is Cloud Yun—this should have been clear to you from the beginning. And during our time at Yunlan Mountain, didn’t you say that from then on, you would have no connection with either Cloud Yun or Cloud Chi?" "I don’t particularly admire the abbot Cloud Yun, but I hold Cloud Chi in high regard. Those days in the cave—those memories will never fade from my mind," Xiao Yan smiled softly, then suddenly extended both arms, slowly embracing the sturdy waist of Cloud Yun, who, wrapped in her abbot’s elegant robe, seemed barely within reach. Cradled in Xiao Yan's arms, Yun Yun's cheeks instantly turned as crimson as a sunset, her delicate ear tips flushing with warmth. With her strength, she could have easily sent Xiao Yan reeling with a mere release of her aura—yet at this moment, she felt utterly numb, unable to summon even a single drop of qi, as if a young love-struck girl, newly embraced by her beloved, was greedily absorbing the unfamiliar, refreshing sensation. Though she was warm and soft in his arms, Xiao Yan's eyes held no trace of desire. Clear as a quiet spring stream, his dark gaze remained steady. After holding her for half a minute, he gently released her and stepped back. "I actually regret it," he said, a touch of irony in his smile. "I regret having to suppress all desire back then, in that cave, and remain a detached, unyielding sage. I think—if I had done something then…" As he stepped back, Xiao Yan suddenly smiled, his expression laced with playful amusement. "Then you'd have been killed right then and there. That would have spared me all this trouble today." As Xiao Yan stepped back, the rosy hue on Yun Yun's cheeks gradually faded. Upon hearing his words, her eyes narrowed in quiet displeasure, and she scolded. "Hah, the farewell ceremony is over..." Smiling lightly, Xiao Yan sighed softly and bowed slightly to Yun Yun, saying, "I'll have Cloud Mountain know that I, Xiao Yan, will return. And when I do, I'll settle every account from today—one by one!" With that, Xiao Yan finally made no further stay, turned abruptly, and strode steadily toward the distance, gradually fading into the darkness after a while. Standing in place, Yun Yin watched the figure fade into the distance. The smile on her cheeks slowly faded, a bitter taste climbing up her face. In a soft, murmured voice, she said, "Though my heart aches, I still hope you won't return. Time will dissolve all the hatred. Only... perhaps, as the master said, I shall have to live alone... "