The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Within the Shanheque Palace, nine imperial palaces stand majestically, named after the nine provinces.

The solemnity of the Purple Extreme Palace, the ethereal beauty of the Azure Heaven Palace, the fiery brilliance of the Burning Lotus Palace, the dreamlike charm of the Flowing Firefly Palace, the serene chill of the Misty Mist Palace, the enchanting beauty of the Floating Dream Palace, the profound depths of the Nine Nether Palace, the dazzling brilliance of the Silver Dust Palace, and the ethereal clarity of the Mirror Water Palace.

The nine palaces, like nine stars, embrace the Qiong Island in the center of Mirror Lake.

"jingle--"

The clear, ethereal sound of silver bells grew louder as they approached, like ice crystals gently tapping in the moonlight.

A magnificent carriage, its entire body sculpted from ice and snow, slowly made its way down the snow-covered palace road by Mirror Moon Lake.

The carriage was not pulled by ordinary horses, but by four strange beasts that were pure white with ice crystal patterns on their foreheads, leaving no trace on the snow.

The carriage passed through the long white marble bridge spanning Mirror Lake and headed towards the Mountain and River Pavilion on the central island.

Inside the car, a figure with snow-white hair sat quietly.

Her hair reached her waist and was half-tied up with a silver ornament shaped like an ice-carved butterfly wing. A few stray strands of hair fell down her cheeks, making her skin appear even paler, like fresh snow.

Her eyebrows resembled distant mountains covered in frost, her eyes were like stars reflected in a cold pool, and her whole being exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.

At the registration desk in front of the Tianchen Ninth Hall, Pei Yanchuan, a handsome young man in a blue robe, was diligently recording the names of envoys from various countries.

While other students at Lintai spend their holidays returning home to reunite with their families, his holidays are spent shuttling between various jobs.

For him, every job was an opportunity to see the world and save money.

"May I ask your name and where you come from?"

A boy's clear, spring-like voice rang out. He looked up, but froze on the spot the moment he saw who it was.

"The divine realm on the other shore, where thin clouds drift."

The sound seemed to drift down from the highest peak of snow and ice, so cold and devoid of warmth, like an echo coming from the depths of a snow-capped mountain that had been frozen for millennia.

Just like his head of frosty silver hair, which shimmered with a cold luster in the sunlight.

Pei Yanchuan snapped out of his daze and quickly wrote down, "Wait a moment, I'll register the Holy Son."

He sighed inwardly, realizing that this was the legendary Holy Son of Moon Brahma—truly like a celestial being descended to earth, untouched by the mortal world.

"Your Holiness, please follow me." The guide bowed and led the way.

Yun Boyan merely nodded slightly and followed along.

He wore a long sword at his waist, its scabbard as solidified as ice crystals, with a string of silver bells tied to its end. With each light step, it emitted a delicate, crisp sound, like ice shards striking each other.

The sound of the bell was ethereal yet lonely, much like the man himself—beautiful yet aloof.

"Your Majesty," the accompanying sword attendant, Wuya, dressed in a silver robe, reported in a low voice, "I have ascertained that His Majesty Xingze is residing in the Silver Dust Palace. Shall we send a summons now to request an audience?"

"Hmm." Yun Boyan responded, his expression unwavering, as if nothing in the world could catch his eye. "You make the arrangements."

"Yes." Wuya accepted the order and hurriedly left with it.

Yun Boyan's trip to the Nine Extremes Alliance was not for diplomatic matters, but specifically for one person.

Si Xingxuan, the Divine Physician of the Xingze Empire.

He wanted to ask that miracle doctor to save someone, but Si Xingxuan was eccentric and wouldn't listen to reason.

After extensive investigation, he learned that the divine physician still harbored some affection for his elder brother, Emperor Xingze Si Xingzhou.

Therefore, he planned to negotiate directly with Si Xingzhou, hoping to exchange a price for Si Xingxuan's help.

Little did he know that Si Xingzhou was not in the Silver Dust Palace at that moment.

The top floor of the Seven Generations Pavilion is the Moon-Folding Pavilion.

Seven crystal windows that reach to the sky surround the building, allowing visitors to watch the clouds drift by during the day and admire the starry sky at night.

A soft couch with flowing clouds was placed in the center of the pavilion. Si Xingxuan was leaning lazily on it, his slender fingers flipping through the account book. His pale face appeared even more translucent and fragile in the soft light shining through the crystal window, as easily broken as glass.

"Ah Zhe, I specially searched for fire lotus seeds in the Burning Lotus Flame Continent this time."

Si Xingzhou sat in front of a small stove, the sleeves of his dark blue star-patterned robe rolled up, personally watching the fire.

"Try it after I cook it; it might be good for your health."

The small purple clay pot on the stove gurgled and released a faint lotus fragrance.

Si Xingxuan looked up from behind the account book, glanced at the small red clay stove, then covered his face with the account book again, his voice muffled:

"Brother—I'd rather eat raw than cook with your skills. Even if I'm immune to all poisons, I don't want to test your unique poisons every day."

Si Xingzhou's handsome face stiffened slightly, and his fingertips unconsciously tapped the silver spoon in his hand:

"Is my cooking... truly that terrible?"

"It's more than unbearable," Si Xingxuan said, lifting a corner of the account book to reveal half an eye. "After drinking that bowl of Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup last time, I lay in bed for three whole days. Brother, please let me go, and let those rare medicinal herbs go too."

Si Xingzhou coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed, but still insisted:

"This time, I only added spring water from Xuezhou, nothing else. Ah Zhe, trust me this once."

He devoted himself entirely to his younger brother's ailing health.

Originally, the Nine Extremes Alliance had not yet officially started, so he did not need to arrive so early. However, a few days ago, he received a secret report from Qi Zhu saying that Si Xingxuan's health had been deteriorating and that he was coughing up blood frequently. So he immediately put aside state affairs and rushed over.

Sure enough, seeing his younger brother's pale, haggard, and seemingly fragile appearance, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, and even the fake smile on his lips was hard to maintain.

"Here, while it's hot."

He carefully scooped out a bowl of lotus seed soup and handed it to his younger brother, staring intently at him, determined to see him finish it bite by bite.

Si Xingxuan had no choice but to accept the jade bowl.

The lotus seeds were cooked until soft and tender, the soup was clear and bright, and it actually had a slightly sweet taste.

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more, and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

Just then, Qi Zhu, dressed in green, strode in, his expression unusually grave: "My lord, something has happened at the Asura Platform on the second basement level."

"What could possibly happen on the Asura Platform?"

Si Xingzhou asked calmly, his gaze still fixed on the bowl in his younger brother's hand.

"A young man has arrived, registered as number nine on the ruler. Last time, he won ten consecutive matches, even defeating the reigning champion of the Hundred Arena, 'Mountain and Sea Roaring Forest.' Tonight—he's gone completely berserk, fighting his way up from outside the top ten thousand to the top one thousand, and now he's broken into the top one hundred of the Asura Ranking!"

Qi Zhu spoke very quickly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Oh?" Si Xingxuan put down the bowl, a hint of interest appearing on his pale face. "Sounds like a good talent."

Si Xingzhou also raised his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing across them.

"My lord, please don't be so happy..." Qi Zhu smiled bitterly, "This young man... he's gone mad! He bet five million gold coins, all on winning!"

The rule of the Asura Platform's life-or-death arena is that the winner takes all.

If one party bets more than the other, they can collect all of the other party's bets.

This young man bet heavily in every battle and won every single one. Tonight, he fought ten battles in a row, all against well-known champions of the Hundred Arena. Yet, his white robe was completely spotless!

"The judge is panicking. If he keeps winning like this..." Qi Zhu's voice was hoarse. "Tonight, the Asura Platform will probably end up with nothing and a huge loss."

Si Xingxuan and Si Xingzhou exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness and interest in each other's eyes.

"Heh," Si Xingxuan scoffed lightly, tapping the edge of the couch with his pale fingertips, "Which arrogant young master dares to come and disrupt my Seven Generations Pavilion's business?"

He stood up, and although he was thin, he exuded a formidable aura. "Brother, let's go down and take a look."

"Okay." Si Xingzhou nodded, his eyes a deep blue like the night sea. "Sounds like an interesting little guy."

"Send word to the Lord of the Thousand Arena to prepare for battle. The reputation of my Seven Generations Pavilion is not something anyone can trample on."

As Si Xingxuan walked out, he coldly gave his orders.

The two went through a secret passage directly to the Shura Terrace Pavilion on the second basement floor of the Seven Worlds Pavilion.

The moment I pushed open the door, a deafening roaring sound rushed towards me.

The circular arena, forged from black iron, is surrounded by nine tiers of spectator seating, and is now packed with people, creating a deafening roar.

All eyes were focused on the two people facing off on the central arena.

Si Xingxuan leaned against the window, his gaze sweeping over the arena, and suddenly raised an eyebrow: "Oh, it seems we don't need to send our people."

On the arena, a figure in black robes stood like an abyss.

The subtle floral pattern on his robe shimmered under the lamplight, and the sword at his waist was simple and unadorned, with a plain tassel tied to the end of its scabbard.

The man was extremely handsome, with slightly upturned phoenix eyes that should have been captivating and affectionate, but at this moment they were filled with a cold, sharp gaze like that of iron.

It was none other than Qi Wang, the God of War of Yunchuan.

"Qi Wang is a battle-obsessed madman," Si Xingxuan commented lazily. "He consistently ranks in the top ten on the Shura List. He's usually taciturn, but once he wields a sword, he's like a completely different person."

Indeed, Qi Wang at this moment was completely different from his usual self.

When he stood still, he was like a black jade tablet; when the wind passed, his clothes and silver tassels fluttered lightly, as if the night was breathing around him.

But when he looked up at his opponent, his eyes shone with a terrifying light, as if flames were burning at the bottom of a frozen pool.

"Number Nine, you're very strong," Qi Wang said, his voice deep yet clear. "Therefore, I challenge you."

His opponent was dressed in snow-white robes, his face covered by a half-silver dragon-patterned ghost mask, revealing only his beautifully shaped jawline and a pair of clear eyes.

With her hair bound by a silver crown and her posture upright, she exuded an ethereal, otherworldly aura despite standing on the bloody arena.

It is the snow in Tangxi.

"If you want war, then let's fight."

Tang Xixue's voice, lowered, was as clear as a spring.