Heavenly Wheel Ascension

Shen Ruolan, possessing sensory sharpness far beyond that of an ordinary practitioner, sensed the shift in emotion behind her. She glanced back briefly, her brow furrowing slightly as she studied Mo Chen. Her purple charm rippled gently, attempting to read the inner turmoil of her loyal follower.

"Mo Chen," Shen Ruolan called softly, her voice breaking the silence. "You look as though you’ve just seen your ancestors rise from the grave. What is the matter?"

The voice snapped Mo Chen back to reality. He immediately lowered his head, regulating his ragged breathing. "Forgive my impertinence, Holy Maiden. I was merely... entraded by the majesty of this peak."

Zhi Xuan remained silent as he walked alongside Bai Wuchen, yet the upheaval within him could not be entirely suppressed. The memory of a pure, tiny boy standing amidst the pile of corpses that was his family flashed through his mind. Now, that boy had grown into a Soul Transformation expert within a hundred years. Zhi Xuan suppressed a bittersweet smile as best as he could.

That little brat, Zhi Xuan thought, closing his eyes for a brief moment. The image of the blood-soaked Mo Family courtyard and a small boy holding a jade box with trembling hands resurfaced from the depths of his consciousness. He... he truly kept standing after that day.

Zhi Xuan dismissed the thought for the moment; now was not the time. He chose to unveil the destiny of that seed later, once the descendants of these Ancient Clans had departed. He cast his gaze toward the horizon, where the stars looked like pearls scattered across black silk. He stepped toward a stone table situated beneath an ancient pine tree.

"Holy Son Bai, Holy Maiden Shen," Zhi Xuan said, gesturing for them to sit with a fluid motion. "The Cang Hai Plains may look peaceful from this height, but we all know that beneath the surface, undercurrents are churning, waiting for the right moment to swallow anyone who lets their guard down."

Bai Wuchen sat upright, his aura like a sheathed sword that nonetheless radiated a pressing presence. "You are right, Brother Zhi. The destruction of the Thousand Lotus Valley and the Black Bamboo Sect is not something that can be easily ignored. The Han Ancient Clan has repeatedly challenged the authority of the Bai Ancient Clan here."

"A while ago, I kicked back several Weaver Transformation envoys from the Han Ancient Clan," Bai Wuchen hissed, his voice sharpening. "They are truly trying to provoke us, and the reason, it turns out, is your presence here in Cang Hai."

Zhi Xuan invited Shen Ruolan to sit on a silk cushion before turning his attention back to Bai Wuchen. "The Han Ancient Clan will pursue me even if I flee to the ends of the Nine Plains. Thus, they will only grow more furious because I have disrupted one of their pillars of authority here."

"At the very least, the Heavenly Path Pavilion has risen." Zhi Xuan poured wine into his cup once more. "I also do not wish for the Ancient Clans to be at odds simply because the Han Clan harasses every land I visit. Therefore, I intended the destruction of those two sects as a warning—a sign that the Han Ancient Clan cannot suppress me."

Shen Ruolan sipped her wine, the scent of her purple charm mingling with the warm steam. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she watched Zhi Xuan, as if wanting to peel away every layer of mystery surrounding the youth.

"A very bloody warning, Brother Zhi," Shen Ruolan remarked, her tone half-admiring and half-mocking. "Wiping out two major pillars in this region just to send a message to the Han Ancient Clan... you truly have nerves of celestial steel. However, you also know that Han Shanshan is not the type to take a slap to the face quietly."

Zhi Xuan raised his cup, letting the moonlight reflect off the clear liquid. "Let him come. If he wants my head, he must bring more than empty threats and useless messengers."

Bai Wuchen let out a low laugh, a sound like distant thunder. "I like your spirit. The Bai Ancient Clan will not interfere in your private affairs, but as long as you stand on the Cang Hai Plains, I will not allow Han Shanshan to lead a massive army across our borders. That is the pride of the Bai Clan."

The high-level discussion continued, touching upon the balance of power in the Nine Plains and the movements of secret factions starting to eye the Heavenly Path Pavilion. When the moon reached its zenith, the talk concluded with the Bai Ancient Clan maintaining a neutral stance, refusing to meddle in Zhi Xuan’s business.

They would also await the day Zhi Xuan appeared before the Nine Ancient Clans to fulfill his twenty-year promise to fight Han Shanshan. As the night grew late, the Bai Ancient Clan took their leave early, leaving Zhi Xuan alone with Shen Ruolan and the motionless figure of the youth behind her.

Shen Ruolan rose, her charm flaring up again to form thin mists that enveloped the hill. She walked gracefully to Zhi Xuan’s table, waving her hand as she dropped onto the silk cushion directly in front of him. She rested her chin on one hand, letting her slender fingers trace the rim of an empty jade cup.

Her purple eyes locked onto Zhi Xuan’s with a depth capable of ensnaring the souls of the weak-willed. Behind her, the unleashed mist of charm created a wall of isolation, separating the two of them—and Mo Chen—from the noise of the outside world.

"Now that the monsters of the Bai Clan have returned to their den," Shen Ruolan whispered, her voice flowing like intoxicating silk. "Perhaps we... can start speaking more intimately?"

Zhi Xuan stared back coldly, projecting a pressure that struck against Shen Ruolan’s overwhelming charm. "Holy Fairy Shen," Zhi Xuan countered icily. "If you continue to provoke me, do not blame me for kicking you out of the Heavenly Path Pavilion."

Shen Ruolan tapped a finger to her lips with a soft smile, responding by pouring wine into Zhi Xuan’s cup. "Young Master Zhi... Ruolan only wishes to share this wine with you, as a greeting for our first proper meeting."

Her velvet mantle slipped intentionally for a moment, revealing the translucent fabric of her robe at her shoulder and arm. She reached for Zhi Xuan’s cup, offering it to him. "Young Master Zhi, please..."

Zhi Xuan merely stared flatly, not immediately reaching out for the cup. "You have been using your charm on me since the moment you arrived. Tell me, what is it that you want?"

Shen Ruolan let out a light laugh; this time it sounded more genuine, yet it still carried a vibration capable of shaking one's Dao Heart. She placed the cup back on the stone table with a slow motion, her eyes never wavering from Zhi Xuan’s frozen sapphire pupils.

"What do I want?" Shen Ruolan repeated, tilting her head slightly. "I want many things, Young Master Zhi. Perhaps, I am a little curious about the man who has become so close to three Holy Maidens of the Ancient Clans. A mortal, yet able to make Holy Fairies lose sleep every night."

Zhi Xuan choked for a moment, feeling a headache coming on from the weight of her words. Damn it, what is this now?! Zhi Xuan cursed internally. These women from the Ancient Clans... they always show up and bring up my connections to one of them. It’s always a curious woman.

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"Holy Fairy Shen," Zhi Xuan said flatly, clearing his throat to steady his voice. "You are exaggerating. Holy Maidens Zhu and Ye do indeed have Dao bonds with me. But as for Holy Maiden Feng, she is nothing to me in the way you imply."

Shen Ruolan covered her mouth with her palm, her eyes narrowing into crescents filled with playfulness. "Oh? So there truly are Dao bonds with Sister Zhu and Sister Ye? Young Master Zhi, you truly are the most masterly heart-thief in the Nine Plains. The rumors were true, and now Holy Maiden Feng? Young Master Zhi, you are quite greedy."

Damn! This fairy’s mouth truly cannot be locked! Zhi Xuan screamed in his mind. He felt as though his peak cultivation achievements were useless against the sharp tongue of the woman before him. How did she conclude that so quickly? I only said there was a bond, it doesn't mean I... ah, what a mess! And greedy?! Greedy?!

Zhi Xuan’s face remained as flat as a frozen lake, but inside his chest, his Dao Heart was churning like it had been hit by a lightning storm. He cleared his throat again, trying to maintain the dignity of an expert who had just leveled a major sect.

"Holy Maiden Shen, do not twist the facts. The bond I refer to is a bond of destiny on the path of cultivation, not... the worldly things you imagine," Zhi Xuan said with a voice as hard as stone, though his ears warmed slightly.

Shen Ruolan leaned in closer, her floral fragrance washing over Zhi Xuan’s senses as she whispered coquettishly, "Then, what about me? Do I also have a place in your bond of destiny, Senior?"

Senior?! Who gave you permission to call me that?! Zhi Xuan nearly wanted to jump off his cushion. One fairy from the Zhu Clan was enough of a headache, now this crazy woman too? Why do women always come uninvited!

"I ask that you watch your words, Holy Maiden," Zhi Xuan snapped, staring intently at his wine cup to avoid eye contact. "My cultivation is a path of silence. I have no time for these word games."

"A very crowded silence, it seems," Shen Ruolan teased, now openly enjoying Zhi Xuan’s stiff expression. "Senior, you truly are a snarer of women. How wicked and naughty of you..."

Zhi Xuan nearly choked on the air he breathed. The words "wicked and naughty" coming from the lips of an Ancient Clan Holy Maiden felt more destructive than any technique he had ever faced. He felt his usually ice-cold expression cracking under an invisible celestial palm.

Shen Ruolan smiled thinly and rose for a moment, lifting Zhi Xuan’s wine cup again. But this time, she deliberately leaned closer, releasing the cup even before Zhi Xuan’s hand had caught it. Zhi Xuan reacted instantly, moving his hand to catch the cup while his other hand supported Shen Ruolan as she let herself fall into his lap.

Zhi Xuan lifted the cup to his mouth and took a sip. "Good wine." He shifted his gaze to Shen Ruolan. She turned her face slightly to the side to avoid his direct gaze, a thin smile still blooming on her lips.

"You... what do you actually want?" Zhi Xuan whispered right beside her ear, his voice low and cold as he probed for the true intent of the woman constantly provoking him.

Shen Ruolan did not answer immediately. She allowed the silence of the night and the roar of the pine wind to envelop them for a moment. Their proximity created an odd contrast; Zhi Xuan with a freezing chill, and Shen Ruolan with a burning warmth of charm. The Holy Maiden's slender fingers traveled upward, touching the edge of Zhi Xuan’s brown robe with an almost imperceptible motion.

"I only wanted to confirm something," Shen Ruolan whispered, her purple eyes losing their playful spark, replaced by a sharp clarity. "Why did the Ancestral Hall of the Shen Ancient Clan issue a decree to invite you there? Even my brother, Shen Jiuxiao, said you were being hunted by the Han Ancient Clan. Yet, the hall still gave the order to invite you."

"The Ancestral Hall of the Shen Ancient Clan?" Zhi Xuan repeated, his brow furrowing. "What exactly is inside the Ancestral Hall of an Ancient Clan?"

"The Ancestral Hall is a sacred hall that houses the Emperor Monument, one of the paths to the Upper Realm belonging to the Ancient Clans," Shen Ruolan’s voice sounded distant now, as if she were reciting a sacred ancient script. "There, the traces of the Great Emperor ancestors remain eternal even after they have fallen. Therefore, any decree or guidance given by the Ancestral Hall is something we of the Ancient Clans never dare to deny."

Shen Ruolan rose from Zhi Xuan’s lap, waving her hand toward Mo Chen to signal the youth to move further away for a moment. Once she was sure Mo Chen was at a distance, she turned back to Zhi Xuan.

"And... the Ancestral Hall of the Shen Ancient Clan invited you," Shen Ruolan continued, her voice sharpening with secrecy. "The sign was clear; it happened just as Brother Jiuxiao and I returned from the Secret Realm. At that time, the Great Elder told us that a person with the mark of the eclipse and the eyes of a dead star was invited by one of the pillars of the Emperor Monument."

"The mark of the eclipse... I have never heard of such a thing," Shen Ruolan said. "But the eyes of a dead star—that must be you, Senior. Only your blue eyes possess such a gaze in these Nine Plains."

Zhi Xuan was stunned; Shen Ruolan's explanation felt like a strike to his soul. The eyes of a dead star, the mark of the eclipse... these were things he possessed. Specifically, the eclipse mark was a symbol of his Ancient Heaven lineage, a symbol found on his baby basket long ago. However... he felt a surge of curiosity as to how the Ancestral Hall of an Ancient Clan could know, even vaguely.

"The Emperor Monument... is it?" Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice sounding like cold metal scraping. "My origins are unknown, but if the Shen Ancient Clan has the will of an ancestor inviting me..."

He stood, towering before Shen Ruolan. "Holy Fairy Shen, I have heard the name of the Chi Di Plains several times. When do you plan to return there?"

Shen Ruolan offered a smile that no longer held a hint of teasing, but rather a profound recognition. She saw the turmoil behind Zhi Xuan’s sapphire eyes—a ripple from an untouched past.

"In three days. I still have other business in Cang Hai," Shen Ruolan replied as she stepped back, letting the night wind sweep the remnants of her charm from Zhi Xuan’s presence. "The Shen Ancient Clan's flying ship will pick me up at the border of the Cang Hai Plains. If you are willing, the seat beside me is always open for you, Senior."

Zhi Xuan remained silent, letting the question hang in the air. He gave no definitive answer, but in his mind, the pieces of destiny were beginning to align. The Chi Di Plains, the domain of the Shen Ancient Clan, was now an inevitable destination. "I will think about it," Zhi Xuan said curtly.

Shen Ruolan nodded understandingly. She turned and waved her hand toward the mist of charm enveloping the hill. Instantly, the wall of mist dissipated, revealing the figure of Mo Chen still standing motionless in the distance with his head bowed. "Mo Chen, we are returning," Shen Ruolan commanded.

"Wait," Zhi Xuan interrupted, looking at Shen Ruolan. "That youth... let him stay here. I will guarantee his safety until we meet again."

Shen Ruolan stopped in her tracks, her body tensing slightly at Zhi Xuan’s sudden request. She turned slowly, her purple eyes shimmering. Her gaze flickered toward Mo Chen, whose shoulders were trembling violently after hearing Zhi Xuan’s words.

"You want my favorite junior to stay here?" Shen Ruolan laughed softly, though her tone now held a layer of wariness. "Senior, you just rejected my charm so coldly, yet now you want to keep my person? Are you starting to take an interest in the Shen Clan’s talent, or are you hiding something?"

"He is not just 'a person of the Shen Clan,' Holy Fairy," Zhi Xuan replied in a tone that Brooked no argument. His eyes remained fixed on Mo Chen’s back. "I share a red thread with that youth."

"A red thread, is it?" Shen Ruolan whispered, taking a deep breath. She smiled thinly, a look full of hidden meaning. "Then... Ruolan will not block Senior's request. Besides, shouldn't there be a fair exchange? Ruolan will be quite sad if Senior doesn't provide a fitting substitute."

Zhi Xuan did not answer immediately. He paused before speaking. "What do you want in return?"

Shen Ruolan stepped closer, her movements as light as a petal falling on water. She stopped right in front of him, letting the edge of her velvet robe touch his boots. A playful glint returned to her eyes, but this time it was mixed with a deeper ambition.

"A token from Senior," Shen Ruolan said, her slender fingers playing with a strand of her own hair. "Ruolan wants something that will allow her to always remember Senior. You must bring it three days from now... this gift for me. If not... Ruolan will be sad and truly consider Senior a wicked man."

Zhi Xuan exhaled a long breath, a gust that carried enough cold to freeze the dew on the pine needles instantly. "I do not care for your opinion of me, Holy Fairy. But very well. In three days, you shall have what you desire."

Shen Ruolan smiled with satisfaction, a small victory showing in the curve of her lips. She gave a final, graceful salute before bolting away like purple lightning through the dark of night. Her departure left a suffocating silence, leaving only the faint scent of lotus and the two men standing upon the quiet peak.