Novice village

Lying together on the bed, Chu Yuechan and Yun Wuji were cuddling. A few beads of sweat clung to her hair, giving her a gently radiant and charming appearance. The light sheen on her skin made her look even more glossy and captivating.

"You're not mad at all?" Yun Wuji asked curiously.

"I'm not mad," Chu Yuechan replied softly, giving his head a gentle pat.

"Really?" Wuji asked, resting his head against her soft chest.

"Well, what you did was pretty despicable," she said, "but it did work out in the end." After a few days of calming down and reflecting, she had come to see through Wuji's manipulations.

Originally, she felt both angry and disappointed, and she even started to question if everything between them had been a lie.

Still, she decided to stay quiet and act like she didn't know anything. After all, she reasoned, even if he lied to her, it was because he cared about her.

That's what she kept telling herself.

But, unexpectedly, a few days later, Yun Wuji faced her and told her the whole truth.

To his surprise, Chu Yuechan didn't react as strongly as he'd expected. Instead, she forgave him and calmly said she already knew. She only warned him never to pull that kind of thing on anyone else again.

She felt that since he was still young, he had room to make mistakes, as long as he was willing to learn from them and make things right.

As for whether Yun Wuji had known how she'd react in advance, that's something we'll never really know.

*I Guess We'll Never Know.*

Yun Wuji stared at her beautiful face silently.

"What? Is there something on my face?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"I'm not used to seeing you act so mature," he said, shaking his head.

"Are you saying I was dumb before?" she asked, clenching her fist.

"No, no," he stammered, scratching his cheek. "I just thought you were sweet and cute before. Now you're acting like a mature big sister, and I'm still getting used to it."

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"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Yun Wuji asked, holding Chu Yuechan's hands.

It had been a week since Yuechan got her memories back, and now she wanted to head back to her sect after being away for so long.

"No, not right now," Chu Yuechan shook her head. "If my master sees you, it might cause some trouble. I'll explain everything to them first, and then I'll come back."

She knew her master had a strong aversion to men and preferred to keep her distance from them. Bringing Wuji along would almost certainly lead to a fight.

She wasn't worried about Wuji but about her sect.

Yuechan planned to go back to her sect first and show them her cultivation level and the upgraded Frozen Cloud arts. She hoped that by doing this, she might convince her master to make an exception to the sect's rules and allow her to stay with Wuji.

Of course, if her master still refused to accept their relationship, Yuechan was ready to walk away from the sect, no matter how much it hurt. She was determined to stay with Yun Wuji, whatever the cost.

"Sigh, alright, but if you stay away for too long, I'll come over and 'persuade' your master myself," Yun Wuji said with a resigned sigh, pulling her into a hug.

"Hmm~" Chu Yuechan nodded, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Go ahead," Yun Wuji said with a gentle smile. After holding her for a moment longer, he waved his hand, creating a space crack that led to the Snow Region of Extreme Ice.

"Goodbye," Chu Yuechan whispered, planting one last kiss on his lips before stepping through the crack, and disappearing from view.

Yun Wuji watched as the space crack closed behind Chu Yuechan, his gaze lingering on the spot where she had vanished. After a moment, he took a deep breath, turned away, and teleported.

-------

On this day, five men showed up in the busy capital of the Grand Asura Nation.

Four of them were middle-aged and all wore the same dark blue uniforms, looking neat and in sync.

Leading the group was an older guy in a flashy purple robe. His robe had fancy designs that made it clear he was someone important. With his silver hair combed neatly and a commanding presence, he gave off a wise and authoritative aura. As he walked in the air, his sharp eyes took in everything around him

"This is where the young master died," the old man said, his voice slow and steady as he looked down on the city.

Their Heavenly Monarch, Ye Meixie, had left his soul imprint on his son. When his son died, Ye Meixie was furious and ordered them to track down and bring the culprit.

"Lord Elder, should we head to the royal family first?" one of the men on his right asked.

"You two head to the royal family," the old man said casually, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out over the city. "If they don't cooperate, you know what to do."

People from the great sacred grounds generally looked down on all the major nations except the Divine Phoenix Nation. Even a regular disciple wouldn't give them much respect, let alone an elder like him.

"Right away!" The two men behind him responded promptly and took off toward the royal palace.

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"Let's see what we have here," After parting ways with Chu Yuechan, Yun Wuji finally had the time to check his loot. He pulled out the storage rings he had 'picked' from Ye Xinghan and his concubines and began examining its contents.

Inside the storage ring, Yun Wuji found a variety of items, a pill of money, a selection of clothes, a few strange pills and powders, and, several manuals. The manuals were clearly Ye Xinghan's cultivation techniques and focused entirely on dual cultivation.

"Aphrodisiac? Of course, it's just what you'd expect from a 'young master'," Yun Wuji chuckled, fiddling with the pill for a while before tossing everything into his Sky Poison Pearl.

"It feels strange being alone again," Yun Wuji said, rolling a cigarette he'd made himself between his fingers. Even though he'd spent more than five years on his own, the emptiness now felt oddly new. He lit up the cigarette and took a deep drag, letting the smoke curl up as he leaned back and let his mind wander.

"So this is Floating Cloud City," Yun Wuji muttered, puffing out a cloud of smoke as he gazed at the scene before him.

It was a typical novice village for any novel's protagonist, small, unassuming, and nestled in the most insignificant corner of the world. The smallest city in the smallest country, and likely in the tiniest planet in the lowest realm.

Finishing his cigarette, Yun Wuji flicked it away and soared toward the city.

------

Floating Cloud City was a tiny, almost forgotten part of the Blue Wind Empire. Located in the Far East, it was so small and isolated that it barely qualified as a city. With the lowest population, economy, and Profound Strength in the empire, no one from here had reached the Sky Profound Realm in centuries. The locals often joked about their city being a forgotten corner of the empire.

The biggest clan in Floating Cloud City was the Xiao Clan. It was established by Xiao Bieli, a discarded disciple from the Xiao Sect, more than 160 years ago. Driven by his ambition to earn recognition and eventually rejoin the Xiao Sect, the clan carried forward his dream.

In short, their whole existence revolves around trying to curry favor with the Xiao Sect.

Today, a crushing aura descended upon Floating Cloud City, suffocating every inch of the space. The air itself seemed to press down on everyone, like an invisible force was squeezing the life out of the place.

People gasped for breath, feeling like the very atmosphere was being crushed. The buildings seemed to tremble, and even the breeze turned stifling. The usual buzz of the city died down as everyone felt this intense pressure like they were all caught in a giant, invisible grip.

"What's going on?!"

"I can't move!"

"Look up!"

"Someone's flying!"

"It's someone at the legendary Sky Profound Realm!"

Panic spread quickly through the city as the heavy aura pressed down on everyone. People's faces turned white, and their voices were filled with alarm. Parents grabbed their kids, trying to keep them close, while merchants and vendors hurriedly abandoned their stalls.

In the chaos, some people just froze, unable to handle the crushing pressure, while others ran around in a panic. Their eyes were locked on the young man floating high above, who seemed to be radiating a power that made the air feel thick and oppressive.

The once-bustling city now felt like a ghost town, with the oppressive atmosphere turning every breath into a struggle. The sight of the figure floating effortlessly in the sky was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Meanwhile, in the Xiao Clan, everyone gathered in front of the central hall, their eyes fixed on the man floating above them. Fear was palpable in the air; some clan members were trembling so violently that their knees buckled, and they collapsed to the ground.

The clan leader Xiao Yunhai, was visibly pale and shaking, and struggled to maintain his composure. He cleared his throat, but his voice came out shaky and strained. "W-What do we owe this honor, my lord?" he stammered, desperately trying to sound respectful despite his visible terror.

"No need to be afraid," Yun Wuji said, his voice calm and steady. "I'm here because I need your help to build a palace for me on the east side of the city." As soon as he spoke, the overwhelming aura he had released vanished.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the city as the pressure lifted, and the residents, who had been frozen in fear, began to relax. The once-panic-stricken crowd now exchanged relieved glances.

---------

I've realized I've been inconsistent about Yun Wuji's battle strength, my apologies for that.

Thanks to those who pointed that out.

Yun Wuji's battle strength is around the 1st or second level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. 

However, his spatial power allows him to escape easily, which is where his confidence comes from.

This does not include the Sky Poison Pearl.