The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Deep within the passageway, the footsteps were steady and cold, each step seeming to tread on the gaps in everyone's heartbeats.

The long, dark gold robe trailed across the cold stone slabs, its hem billowing like splashes of thick ink, dimming the dark blue array of light on either side.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace walked slowly, yet with an undeniable sense of oppression, as if the entire passageway trembled slightly under his footsteps.

His face was covered by half a golden mask, revealing only a pair of narrow eyes.

Those eyes were usually half-closed, as if nothing in the world was worth his time.

At that moment, those eyes were wide open, and suppressed anger surged deep within their pupils.

"It alarmed the great formation."

His voice wasn't loud, but it sent a chill down the spines of the two attendants behind him, their knees nearly buckling.

"A few outsiders are not worth his personal attention."

"Please calm down, Your Majesty."

The attendant's voice was tense, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks without him daring to raise his hand to wipe them away.

"The Pavilion Master... perhaps he has other considerations. That Fate Weaver is no ordinary person; even the Xuan Tian Pavilion's Fate-Seizing Array couldn't suppress her..."

"There are other considerations."

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace sneered, the laughter coming from behind the golden mask, carrying a metallic, icy echo.

"He's been the head of the pavilion for so many years, when has he ever considered this?"

"I've always been someone who doesn't care about things that don't concern me."

His gaze swept over the flickering array patterns on both sides of the passageway, and his narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

"In the past, getting him to do something was harder than climbing to heaven. The dignified Master of Xuantian Pavilion was just like a decoration."

"Now look what's happened, a usurper has entered the Guixu Palace, and he's more eager than anyone else."

The attendant dared not respond, and could only follow behind him with his head down, his steps quick and hurried, and he even deliberately kept his breathing light.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace did not speak again.

His gaze fell on the faint blue light emanating from the depths of the passageway.

Light without a pond.

That was the deepest part of the Guixu Palace, a forbidden area that even he wouldn't easily access.

He did the opposite; he just brought the person inside.

"A hero rescues a damsel in distress. He personally leads the way."

"What is he trying to do? Turn Guixu Palace into a charity hall?"

The attendant cautiously raised his head, his voice tinged with a hint of probing.

"Palace Master, shall we now..."

"You stay here."

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. His hand had distinct knuckles, and his fingertips gleamed with a cold, white light.

"I will go in alone."

"Yes."

The attendants silently retreated into the side path.

The passageway fell silent again.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace walked forward alone, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

He took a few steps and suddenly stopped in front of a stone wall.

There is a very shallow engraving on the stone wall, which is almost invisible unless you look closely.

It was left many years ago; it was a small flower that a boy secretly carved when he was building this passageway.

The flower has only five petals, and its lines are clumsy and awkward, a stark contrast to his later exquisite mechanical skills.

He stretched out his finger and gently ran it over the engraving.

My fingers were cold, and the stone wall was even colder.

"...Nine directions know."

He murmured the name, his tone carrying a complex meaning.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Then he withdrew his hand, resumed his cold demeanor, and strode towards Wuchi.

Without a pond, the deep blue water remains as tranquil as ever.

Feng Zhuo was the first to notice something was wrong.

His fingers, which were resting on the hilt of his sword, suddenly tightened. He turned around abruptly, like a wolf that had sensed danger, and looked toward the stone gate.

"Someone's coming."

A cold glint flashed deep within Mu Liang's pupils, like a thin blade drawn from its sheath in the dark night.

The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master did not move.

He remained standing by the pool, his back to the stone gate, as if he had anticipated all of this.

The long black robe remained motionless in the pool's shimmering light.

"It is the Palace Master."

His tone was flat.

Feng Zhuo's pupils suddenly contracted.

"The Palace Master of Guixu Palace".

His hand had already drawn the sword three inches out, the blade rubbing against the scabbard with an extremely sharp hiss.

"You notified me."

What do you think?

The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master turned his head to the side, his gaze beneath the mask sweeping indifferently over Feng Zhuo.

There was no anger or guilt in his eyes, only an indifference born of a long-standing habit of being misunderstood.

Feng Zhuo gritted his teeth and pushed the sword out another inch.

"Burn it."

Tang Xixue spoke up.

"It wasn't him."

Just three words.

Feng Zhuo's hand paused.

Mu Liang gently pressed down on his wrist and shook her head.

Feng Zhuo's chest heaved violently a few times before he finally withdrew his sword by half an inch.

The lights on the stone gate began to flicker.

That wasn't a sign that the seal had been forcibly broken from the outside, but rather that someone was using the most orthodox methods to break the seal.

The array patterns faded away layer by layer, each one precise and flawless, as effortlessly as unlocking a lock with a key.

Then, the stone door opened silently.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace stood at the entrance, his long black-gold robe fluttering slightly behind him.

The golden mask covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

His gaze swept over the Xuan Tian Pavilion Master, carrying the unique pressure of a mortal ruler who embodied the Heavenly Dao, as if he wanted to nail the entire grotto into the ground.

Feng Zhuo's breath suddenly tightened.

He had fought on the battlefield for many years and had never been afraid of thousands of troops, but when those eyes swept over him, he felt a cold sweat seep down his back.

Tang Xixue looked up and met his gaze without flinching.

The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master faced them, and the two sides stood in silent confrontation.

"Palace Master."

He only said two words, his tone devoid of respect or fear, but rather one of extreme indifference.

It was like two long-lost old acquaintances unexpectedly meeting in a narrow alley, and having nod to each other in greeting.

"Lord Xuantian, are you going to personally create the puppet? Or—are you planning to betray the Heavenly Dao?"

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace stared at him for a long time.

So long that Feng Zhuo began to feel that the silence was more suffocating than swords and spears.

He finally spoke.

Do you know what you're doing?

"Know."

Do you know who she is?

"Know."

The voice of the Palace Master of Guixu Palace suddenly turned cold, each word like an ice blade pulled from a bottomless abyss.

"As the master of Xuantian Pavilion, not only did you fail to capture her, but you also personally led her into the Wuchi Forbidden Land and set up a protective array for her—"

His gaze held an incredulous scrutiny.

"What are you doing?"

"Do what I want to do."

The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master's voice remained calm.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace's pupils contracted slightly.

"What did you say?"

"I said, do what I want to do."

The Xuan Tian Pavilion Master repeated it, his tone unchanged.

He stood there, his long black robe fluttering slightly in the pool's light, his figure as straight as a pine tree.