Li Lian walked through the military camp, weaving past rows of tents as she thought about all the things she wanted to tell Xiao Fang. Only a few days had passed, but it felt as if something new was happening everyday.
The thoughts continued until she reached the southern inner perimeter. A red tent stood apart from the rest, its surroundings unusually quiet pared to the bustle elsewhere.
She stopped when she saw it, and the first person she recognized was Xiao Hei.
Sitting cross-legged atop a supply crate, Xiao Hei impatiently chewed on something sweet, but the moment Li Lian turned the corner, Xiao Hei’s ear twitched before she turned to face her. Seeing who it was, Xiao Hei stuck her tongue out at her mockingly before turning her attention back to her sweets in her hand.
Li Lian sighed before walking up to the tent, to which she eventually saw Xun Wei standing outside of the tent’s entrance as if she was guarding it.
Her arms were folded, her face was as hard to read as ever, but the moment she saw Li Lian, her eyes lit up just a bit.
"Lian, you’re here," Xun Wei said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"I would’ve arrived sooner," Li Lian replied with a faint, wry smile, "but I ran into a bit of a setback."
"What kind of setback?" Xun Wei asked.
Li Lian gave them a brief account of her clash with Chen Li back at the Black Paradise sect.
Xun Wei frowned. "To think someone like that was hiding in the Inner Court... Do you really believe she’s connected to this war?"
"The Song Family Clan has been causing trouble for us for quite some time," Li Lian said slowly. "But for them to suddenly grow this aggressive... I have a feeling she played a part in it."
"We ran into trouble too," Xiao Hei interjected half-heartedly. "They attacked us not long after we left the sect."
Li Lian raised a brow. "Who did you fight?"
"Someone far stronger than Chen Li," Xiao Hei replied dismissively as she hopped down from the supply crate. "I’m going to look around the camp. Let me know when Fang es out."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and wandered off.
Li Lian shifted her attention back to Xun Wei.
"Did the three of you really fight someone?" Li Lian asked, unmistakable interest lacing her voice.
Xun Wei sighed softly. "We did. On the way here, we were attacked by three Heavenly Fate disciples—two Divine Realm, and one Heavenly Realm."
Li Lian’s expression stiffened. "Then the bodies found outside the Black Paradise Sect..."
"...were because of us," Xun Wei confirmed.
Li Lian had suspected as much—but hearing it aloud still sent a chill through her body. The Heavenly Fate sect had been the rulers of this country for thousands of years, it was said that not even the bined strength of the Chaos sect and Divine Sword sect could challenge them. Their abilities were still a mystery to her, but she knew they couldn’t have been easy opponents to go up against.
Li Lian felt it again—that quiet, unsettling sense that the distance between her and Xiao Fang was growing faster than she could chase.
"To defeat a Heavenly Realm cultivator from the Heavenly Fate Sect... just how strong has he bee?" she murmured.
Thinking back, the last time they had fought, he hadn’t even broken a sweat. Forcing him to draw his sword had taken everything she had.
"I know it’s hard to believe," Xun Wei said, her voice pulling Li Lian out of her thoughts. "But I saw it myself. He defeated the Heavenly Realm cultivator in a single breath."
Li Lian’s brows knit tightly. "How?"
"Do you remember the spear he told us about?"
"The Dragon Dynasty Spear he obtained in Jadepeak City?"
Xun Wei nodded. "That’s the one."
She went on to explain the battle in detail—how Xiao Fang baited his opponent, manipulated their assumptions, and struck at the one moment they least expected it.
As she listened, the tension in Li Lian’s chest slowly eased.
So he hadn’t won through brute force alone.
It wasn’t raw power that decided the oute—it was judgment, preparation, and insight.
That realization didn’t erase the gap between them... but it made it feel a little less insurmountable.
Li Lian exhaled slowly. "So that’s what happened..."
Most of what she knew about the Heavenly Fate Sect came from rumors—stories exaggerated by fear and distance. Yet now, hearing this from someone she trusted, she understood how dangerous they truly were.
Confidence in her own strength had never been something she lacked, but the Heavenly Fate Sect was no ordinary opponent.
She clenched her fist, a flicker of frustration passing through her eyes. She wished more than anything that she could’ve been there to fight alongside them.
Unexpectedly, Li Lian heard Li Xianyu’s voice again from deep within her soul sea.
"This Xiao Fang they speak of is quite remarkable," the ancestor said thoughtfully. "I would like to meet him."
Li Lian nodded inwardly because she was itching to see him again too.
"Is Xiao Fang inside?" she asked.
"Yes," Xun Wei replied, "but he asked me not to let anyone disturb him. He’s in seclusion right now."
Li Lian frowned slightly. "Now of all times...?" She exhaled, then shook her head. "I’ll wait."
She remained beside Xun Wei, and the two soon fell into quiet conversation. As time passed, Xun Wei began recounting their encounter with Yu Qiuyan—what she had taught them, and the truths they had learned along the way.
"Fascinating," Li Lian murmured, absorbing every word.
Before long, a deep war horn echoed across the camp, its sound rolling over the tents like a wave.
Xun Wei looked up, "What was that for?"
"It’s the call to assemble," Li Lian answered. "They’re gathering everyone."
Turning to leave, Li Lian paused before saying,
"My father wanted me to tell Xiao Fang to e to the assembly, he probably wants him to lead a small team. Can you tell him when he gets out, that my father is waiting for him."
Xun Wei nodded. "I’ll tell him."
"Thank you, Wei."
Seeing Li Lian begin to leave, Xun Wei hesitated, a question forming in her mind.
"What’s the point of dividing everyone into teams?" she asked herself aloud.
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