Li Hanguang did not move, only shifted his shoulder, neatly avoiding the blazing fireball.
He always carried himself with gentleness and grace, yet when it came to fighting, his temperament became inexplicably irritable.
Before he could even straighten, another attack struck. When he previously fought Ji Shaoyu, Li Hanguang had remained relaxed, calculating each move—knowing which to win, which to lose—crafting an unsuspicious draw. But the moment he faced Xi Jiuge, he knew instantly he would not be able to hide.
With Xi Jiuge’s stance and killing intent, if he still insisted on pretending to be weak, he would surely die on the stage today. He had no choice but to abandon his disguise and take action.
There were not many people in the world who could force Xi Jiuge to take a battle seriously. To this day, only Li Hanguang had ever made her tie up her hair before fighting.
Xi Jiuge remembered clearly—the day he silently appeared behind her, trapped her in Chonghua Palace, and bent down to apply lipstick to her. Even now, she still remembered the coldness of his fingertips.
Such strange humiliation. Such infuriating shame. How could Xi Jiuge possibly let it go?
She had always wondered: while Emperor Xuan kept Li Hanguang under strict watch, when did he accumulate such profound strength that even she could not see through him? Did he encounter some great chance in the past thousand years? Or had he already concealed his true power the moment he first entered the Heavenly Realm?
According to the law of causality, Li Hanguang should have no memories of his past cultivation in Heaven. Everything he used now should only come from the Demon Realm. Today, Xi Jiuge intended to test for herself—exactly how much he had hidden from Heaven.
Li Hanguang defended but did not strike. Yet after only a few exchanges, he found things difficult. Xi Jiuge could attack freely, but he could not reveal techniques from future generations. He was still too weak in this era, and drawing the attention of the Five Emperors would only bring trouble.
He needed to end this quickly.
Xi Jiuge specialized in fire, and her immortal techniques learned from the Queen Mother of the West were long-range and fierce. Her divine fire was wild and volatile, and today was a bright sunny day—she could replenish power from sunlight at any time. Fighting her at range would be unwise. He could only close in and restrain her through proximity.
Another wave of fire rained from above. Li Hanguang swayed lightly like drifting snow, slipping through the burning cascade without a single speck touching his white robes. Realizing his intention to close the distance, Xi Jiuge condensed a blazing fire dragon in her palm, attacking with crushing force.
If Li Hanguang wanted to dodge, he would have to retreat. Xi Jiuge was already prepared to follow up.
But instead of escaping, Li Hanguang charged toward the fire dragon, willingly enduring injury. With one swift step, he closed the distance and appeared right before her.
Xi Jiuge’s eyes widened. She immediately attempted to switch techniques. At such close range, fire was useless—only immortal arts could work now. But Li Hanguang did not give her the chance. He seized her wrist and injected a thin strand of icy energy into her acupoint, instantly disrupting her spell.
Li Hanguang had no intention of harming her. The cold air was minimal—barely a trace. Yet the moment it entered Xi Jiuge’s body, it awakened memories from her wedding night. The same cold touch… the very same sensation when his fingers brushed her lips.
Xi Jiuge rarely lost control of her emotions, but now—now she wanted to skin the man before her, burn him to ash, cast him into the sea, and then command Jingwei to fill the ocean.
Her attacks grew increasingly ruthless. But she had been trained for long-range spellcasting since childhood. She stood in the rear and attacked elegantly—physical combat had never been her domain. Thus she ended up being completely suppressed by Li Hanguang at close range.
She tried to widen the distance several times, using every footwork technique she knew, but each attempt was blocked.
Below the platform, the crowd grew restless. Feeling that the time was right, Li Hanguang judged he could finally find a chance to “lose.”
Just then—light exploded in front of him.
He could not avoid it. Ice instantly covered his forearm as he raised it for defense. Their powers collided violently, unleashing a shockwave that swept through the trial grounds. Many weaker spectators were pushed back repeatedly, stumbling in embarrassment.
Everyone stared upward, stunned.
The brilliant sunlight was swallowed by some unknown force—midair dimmed into an eerie twilight. In the shadows, two colossal powers clashed. Sunfire evaporated the ice instantly, filling the air with drifting water droplets. White light refracted through them, forming a rainbow amidst the mist.
The audience saw ice and fire merging—rainbows circling—on a high platform where a man and woman stood. The woman's robes fluttered in the wind, her expression cold. The man slowly wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his lips.
Silence. Then someone began clapping—soon, applause erupted.
Ji Shaoyu forced his way to Xi Jiuge’s side, brows furrowed. “Jiuge, are you alright?”
On the other end, Chang Ju rushed up and supported Li Hanguang anxiously. “Brother Hanguang, are you okay?”
Li Hanguang shook his head weakly. He looked so pale—so fragile—his blood staining his lips like crushed petals. Xi Jiuge looked at him expressionlessly. Inside, she wanted to slap him again.
They had taken the same hit. Based on their earlier exchange, she knew he wasn’t injured—not seriously, not even close to her own condition.
Xi Jiuge had forcibly drawn too much sunfire, causing her meridians to burn painfully. She endured without revealing anything. Meanwhile this despicable man pretended he was gravely injured, even coughing up blood.
She suffered in silence—but he flamboyantly played the victim.
Still, Xi Jiuge refused to admit her injuries. She answered calmly, “I’m fine.”
Ji Shaoyu studied her face, anxiety growing. He said little in front of the crowd. “Alright. Then let’s return.”
He escorted Xi Jiuge away. Chang Ju did the same for Li Hanguang. The crowd watched the two childhood sweethearts leave together, exchanging meaningful glances.
Xi Jiuge had always ranked first in Yongtian Palace. They knew she was strong, but only now did they realize how much she had concealed. And the demon race…
To withstand one of Xi Jiuge’s full-force strikes with bare hands—it was astonishing.
Everyone suddenly realized—Yongtian Palace was likely heading toward another shift.
—
Ji Shaoyu brought Xi Jiuge back to Chonghua Hall. She sat calmly, still composed.
He examined her closely. “I’ve never seen you use divine fire on such a large scale… Are you truly alright?”
Xi Jiuge would never allow anyone to know her limits. “I’m fine,” she said lightly.
“Are you really?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What exactly do you want to ask?”
Ji Shaoyu realized she misunderstood. He felt helpless. At times she seemed wise beyond her years; at others, childishly stubborn.
He feared she had overdrawn her sunfire and injured herself. But she thought he was probing for weakness.
She didn’t understand that not every inquiry came from hostility.
Ji Shaoyu sighed inwardly. If he pressed further, she would become suspicious. Better to let her rest. Perhaps, over time, she would learn to believe in someone’s sincerity.
He rose. “As long as you’re fine. Rest well, Jiuge. I’ll come see you tomorrow. If you need anything, send word.”
Xi Jiuge nodded. She tried to stand to send him off, but he stopped her. “There’s no need for formalities between us. Rest. I’ll leave.”
Once outside, Ji Shaoyu’s expression changed—worry deepening. She would never agree to visit a divine healer. He should find gentle, mild remedies himself.
He hurried away to gather herbs.
Xi Jiuge sat quietly, mending her meridians. She had pulled sunlight directly into her body during the fight—far beyond what she could safely hold. Her meridians were damaged. A few days of rest would fix it, but she couldn’t use spells for now.
And the culprit who forced her into this state… had the audacity to pretend weakness.
Xi Jiuge’s face remained serene as a carved jade statue—but in her heart, she was already planning how to kill Li Hanguang.
Thanks to him, she now knew what “hatred” felt like.
Meanwhile, the man she resented so deeply was resting in his palace. Chang Ju sat at his bedside anxiously. “Brother Hanguang, are you sure you’re alright?”
He was fine. He had suffered wounds in the demon world thousands of times worse—faced death repeatedly and survived. Compared to that, this was nothing.
But he needed to pretend to be seriously injured.
Li Hanguang coughed weakly. “I’m alright. Chang Ju, it’s late. Staying will cause gossip. Go back.”
“But you—”
“I’m really fine. I just need to rest. You’ve been busy all day—go back and sleep.”
Chang Ju finally left after a few more worried reminders. The moment the door closed, the gentleness on Li Hanguang’s face vanished instantly.
With her here, he couldn’t cultivate properly.
He glanced at the sky, calculating. By now, Xi Jiuge’s meridians should be warming. He needed to go to Chonghua Palace and draw out the cold for her. His cultivation was born from groping and survival in the Demon Realm, completely different from Heaven’s orthodox techniques. If his cold qi lingered in her meridians, it might affect her future progress.
He hoped she wasn’t still furious—otherwise she might truly kill him.
—
Xi Jiuge sat cross-legged, guiding her aura. Yet something felt off—her spiritual energy seemed sluggish. Before she could continue, a palace maid called from outside.
“Mingjing Goddess.”
She didn’t open her eyes. “What is it?”
“There is a guest requesting an audience.”
Without thinking, Xi Jiuge replied, “No.”
The maid hesitated. “But the visitor said… if the goddess hears his name and still refuses, he will leave immediately.”
Troublesome.
“Who?”
“He said… his name is Li Hanguang.”
For the first time in both his lives, Li Hanguang was allowed inside Chonghua Palace. Walking through the halls, he marveled at how Empress Xuan spared no expense—the palace looked exactly like her chambers on Kunlun Mountain.
He stopped before the door, composed himself, then knocked gently. “Mingjing Goddess, Li Hanguang requests an audience.”
He expected to wait.
But the door opened almost immediately.
Li Hanguang blinked in surprise. Xi Jiuge stood there in simple white robes, the gold ornaments removed. She looked softer—less untouchable.
She stared at him. He remained calm, even slightly dazed under her gaze. “Mingjing Goddess?”
He was, after all, only a “proton.” To avoid offending her, he had to be humble.
Xi Jiuge smiled politely. “So it is Shao Siyou. What brings you here so… late?”
It was not truly late, but she deliberately phrased it that way. Testing him.
He understood. Fooling her would not be easy.
Lowering his eyes, he played the obedient hostage perfectly. “It was dark when I woke. I feared the goddess was uncomfortable, so I came to apologize. I did not notice the time. Forgive my thoughtlessness.”
Xi Jiuge studied him quietly. His current restrained demeanor was nothing like the arrogant man who had broken into her bedroom. Hard to believe both sides belonged to the same person.
She stepped aside. “So it is for that matter. Shao Siyou is courteous. Come in.”
He thanked her and followed. She led him to a quiet low table by the window. After pouring tea, she placed a cup before him.
The tea was clear, the jade cup flawless—but nothing was as striking as the faint pink tint on her fingertips.
Li Hanguang recognized that the tea set was carved from Kunlun jade—a priceless treasure in the outside world, but here… treated like common porcelain.
He sipped the tea, acknowledging her noble life, her mountain of treasures.
“Excellent tea,” he said with a smile.
Xi Jiuge returned a graceful smile. “Shao Siyou vomited a great deal of blood today, yet you are already up and walking. Are you truly alright?”
“No problem at all.”
Li Hanguang’s gaze was dark and lucid, his expression earnest to the point of innocence. “The goddess is breathtaking—my admiration is sincere. I would never dare behave improperly toward the goddess. As for what happened during the day…” He paused, as if genuinely afraid she might have misunderstood. “The moment I woke, I hurried here to apologize.”
“Please.” Xi Jiuge lifted her refined goddess’s fan with languid grace. “Shao Siyou’s cultivation is extraordinary. If another bout were to occur, I doubt I could even win. How could I accept your apology?”
Li Hanguang lowered his eyes, striking the perfect balance between humility and trepidation. “The goddess flatters me—I am undeserving.” He hesitated. “I came here today for another matter as well. I hope the goddess will forgive my boldness.”
“Oh?” she asked calmly. “What is it?”
Li Hanguang blinked slowly. His vision had begun to blur—her figure seemed to waver and overlap, her features dissolving into softness. Only the pale line of her neck remained sharp in his sight, white as new snow and impossibly slender.
A faint smile touched the corners of his lips. Before the last thread of consciousness slipped away, he forced out the rest of his explanation:
“When we competed today, I had to use my full strength to protect myself. My cold energy is unlike others’. If not circulated in a particular way, it easily seeps into another’s meridians. I feared the goddess might have been tainted by it… so I came to warn you. I hope the goddess won’t blame me.”
The final word left his mouth—and he collapsed onto the low couch.
Xi Jiuge’s expression changed at once. She shot to her feet and grabbed him by the shoulders. “What did you just say?”
But Li Hanguang’s eyes were already closed, his breathing soft, his body limp—fainting with the helplessness of a man posing absolutely no threat.
To be precise, he had been knocked out by the tea Xi Jiuge herself had poisoned.
Author’s Note (polished but still playful):
A sweetly unhinged interaction:
Xi Jiuge: I am gentle and elegant.
Li Hanguang: I am delicate and frail.
Xi Jiuge: I poisoned you.
Li Hanguang: Ah. I may have left a tiny issue in your meridians.
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