The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"I...I don't understand what you're talking about."

Shen Yan continued to feign innocence, her voice trembling, her eyes still brimming with tears.

If Yunmian hadn't already thoroughly investigated her background, she might have actually thought she had wronged an innocent person.

"Oh."

Yunmian chuckled lightly, her laughter containing three parts disdain, three parts mockery, and four parts impatience.

"It's fine if you don't admit it. Anyway, I'm not a judge, I don't need evidence."

"I'm a complete bad person."

Yunmian has never been one to follow the rules.

Rules are for those who obey, but she is the one who makes the rules.

As she spoke, the long sword in her hand was already extended.

The sword's movements were unhurried, like strolling and admiring flowers in spring, yet the killing intent gathered at the tip of the sword froze the surrounding air.

Cherry blossoms drifted down from the sword, one petal, two petals, three petals, each petal formed from sword energy. Their falling posture was extremely beautiful, yet each petal carried a chilling and deadly intent.

"I'm the kind of person who cherishes women the most."

Yunmian's voice was gentle, but her sword showed no mercy.

"I'll give you a flower burial. Dying amidst a shower of petals is a dignified way to die."

A shower of cherry blossoms, formed from countless sword energies, poured down, the crimson petals covering the sky and earth as if tearing the entire sunset apart and scattering it across the world.

The scene was breathtakingly beautiful, yet terrifyingly frightening.

Shen Yan had never felt death so close to her, so close that she could see the sharp, cold glint of the edge of each cherry blossom petal.

But then she suddenly smiled.

The smile spread from the corners of his mouth to the depths of his eyes, carrying an almost frantic certainty.

"You're not the only one who wants me dead."

She raised her eyes, and the pitiful look she had just given was like a mask being removed, revealing the coldness and stubbornness beneath.

"But I am protected by heaven. So what if you don't like me? Heaven won't let me die, so you can't kill me."

The Reincarnation Jade Pendant in her hand was completely different from that of ordinary Heavenly Dao Apostles.

It was entirely black, with dark gold patterns, and runes slowly flowing across its surface.

That was a gift personally bestowed by the Lord of Guixu Palace; it was a life-saving talisman that others would beg for but could not obtain.

Shen Yan raised the Reincarnation Jade Pendant high and then slammed it hard onto the ground.

"Click—"

The jade pendant struck the stone steps, producing a crisp cracking sound.

The air around them trembled as a result.

Torn apart.

Just before the cherry blossom rain fell, a burst of golden light suddenly shot out from the shattered jade pendant.

The light was dazzling and enveloped Shen Yan, like a golden cocoon.

On the ground, golden patterns spread rapidly like vines, outlining a complex and ancient teleportation array.

The array patterns spun, and golden light shot into the sky, blocking out all the cherry blossom sword rain.

That is the light of Heaven's guidance.

The light fell on Shen Yan's smiling face, illuminating the smugness in her eyes clearly.

A golden light bathed her eyebrows and eyes.

She rose slowly in that light, truly a favored child of heaven.

"I've said it before, Heaven won't let me die. No one can take my life away from me."

"There's nothing you can do, right?"

Yunmian raised an eyebrow.

She closed her umbrella and lightly tapped the air with her fingertip.

"See if I have any ideas."

A silver flame condensed from her fingertips.

That flame was unlike any other fire in the world, and the surrounding space began to distort and deform.

The flame detached from her fingertips, like a silver fish, tearing through the void and shooting towards the figure within the golden array.

A dark rift was torn open in the void, from which came a shrill whistling sound.

"ah--"

A piercing scream echoed from within the teleportation array.

The cry was sharp and short, as if something had bitten it hard.

The figure in the golden light swayed violently, then vanished into the void along with the formation, leaving only a few drops of scarlet blood that dripped onto the shattered Reincarnation Jade Pendant, hissing and emitting wisps of smoke.

Yunmian withdrew her finger, looked down at the remaining silver sparks on her fingertip, and smiled slightly.

"You ran pretty fast. Next time we meet, it won't be so easy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sky suddenly changed color.

Silver lightning, like an angry dragon, poured down from the top of the sky.

That was divine punishment, a retribution for the arrogant who recklessly used power that did not belong to this realm.

"Ouch."

Yunmian slowly opened the umbrella, the movement of the umbrella ribs opening as lightly as picking up a flower.

The umbrella bloomed like a cherry blossom in the thunder, its crimson petals unfurling in the lightning, delicate and beautiful.

Silver lightning struck the umbrella, exploding with a thunderous roar and scattering sparks everywhere.

"Is your little brother a bit stronger this time?"

She looked up at the sky, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"You've made progress, which makes me very happy. But it's still a little lacking."

Before he could finish speaking, three more bolts of lightning struck down in succession.

Each one is thicker and more rapid than the last.

"You're getting anxious, look at you."

Yunmian turned the umbrella handle, and a faint halo of light swirled around the umbrella surface, completely dissipating the three bolts of lightning without even the umbrella ribs trembling.

"He gets angry after just a few words; with such a bad temper, how will he ever find a wife?"

The lightning in the sky suddenly stopped, as if it had choked.

Immediately, even denser bolts of lightning poured down, far more ferocious than before.

"Oh dear, oh dear, you've got a temper."

She laughed so hard that the cherry blossoms on the umbrella seemed to tremble.

"Alright, alright, I won't rub it in. You're just a single dog nobody wants anyway."

"Come on, keep going, I'm watching your performance. Show me what other tricks you have up your sleeve. It's a rare opportunity to meet you, don't hold back."

She strolled leisurely through the thunder, holding an umbrella.

His demeanor was so composed that it didn't seem like he was being punished by heaven, but rather like he was taking a stroll and admiring flowers in spring.

"Don't stop, or I'll be disappointed."

Silver lightning wove a dazzling curtain behind her.

She hummed a little tune softly amidst the lightning, a tune that was the laziest cloud song from the heavens.

It was as if the world was turned upside down, and it was nothing more than a passing shower.

Beneath the umbrella, her silver hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall.

Each strand of hair shimmered with a faint moonlight amidst the lightning, like brocade woven from moonlight.

The cherry blossoms on the umbrella trembled gently with her steps, and the dewdrops on the petals reflected the lightning, refracting into tiny, colorful patterns.

Like countless tiny stars.

The lightning struck for quite a while.

At first, they were aggressive, attacking her one after another, as if they wanted to chop her into dust.

But no matter how much you chop, the umbrella is still the same umbrella, and the person is still the same person.

She didn't even hum the tune out of tune, and not a single cherry blossom petal fell from her temple.

Lei Guang began to hesitate.

"What? Are you tired already?"

Yunmian glanced at the dark clouds overhead, her tone full of mischief.

"So many eyes are watching from above. You'd better hold on a little longer. Don't let them laugh at you for not being able to handle a weak woman."

As soon as these words were spoken, the final bolt of lightning struck.

In the end, he lost his temper.

A sliver of azure sky peeks through the crack.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds and fell on her shoulder, like a bouquet of flowers quietly handed to her.

"You're leaving already?"

Yunmian raised her chin at the dissipating dark clouds.

"Remember to bring something new next time you come. I'm tired of the same old thing."

The dark clouds surged one last time, like a silent retort.

Then it vanished without looking back.

Yunmian slung the umbrella over her shoulder, the tip of which held a wisp of lingering silver lightning, like a small lantern.

She stepped lightly on the last wisp of lingering lightning.

The lightning shattered into countless stardust fragments, flickered a few times, and then reluctantly went out.

"The next scene..."

She tilted her head, her pink, crystal-like eyes gazing into the distance, her gaze traversing mountains and rivers before settling on a shimmering expanse of sea.

"Let's go see the Moon-Weaving Sea Kingdom."

"It must be incredibly interesting."

She held up the umbrella, her figure gradually fading away.

Like a drop of ink falling into water, like a cloud being blown away by the wind, it seems as if it had never existed.