248: At this moment, they were unaware that they would one day avert the calamity of this world.

Ultimately, Feng Qingjue agreed.

Qin Wangchuan gave her two tasks.

First: infiltrate and control the Returnees and the Scavenger, prioritizing finding someone named Lü Yingxin.

Second: continuously seek out and absorb people with Heaven Subjugation ideals, carrying out activities with this as her destiny.

Feng Qingjue accepted the order, but as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped.

She stood sideways by the door, leaving only a cold silhouette, her voice echoing clearly within the room:

"Heaven Subjugation is not my wish, but for that favor, I will do it."

"Furthermore, I am not your subordinate, but a person of the same 'Dao'."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wangchuan's lips finally curved into an extremely faint arc. He looked directly into Feng Qingjue's clear eyes and responded frankly:

"Of course."

Feng Qingjue turned and left, her steps seemingly steady, until she had walked a considerable distance, completely exiting the range of that bedchamber.

Her tensed back suddenly relaxed, and she leaned against the cold corridor pillar, almost collapsing from exhaustion.

Cold sweat, belatedly, soaked her inner garment.

"Is this the real him? Just standing there... I almost couldn't breathe," she murmured to herself, her fingertips unconsciously tightening.

Qin Wangchuan's oppressive presence was far more terrifying than expected.

It wasn't an intentionally released pressure, but rather an absolute control deeply rooted in his bones, It is integrated into speech and behavior, weighing heavily on her heart.

Coupled with the scene from two days ago, where he fought nine Prodigies alone, like a True Immortal descending to the world, it resurfaced uncontrollably once more.

...Qin Wangchuan.

The name was softly uttered, mixed with an almost inaudible sigh, dissipating in the silent corridor.

Feng Qingjue slowly closed her eyes, a clear self-mocking smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

She knew all too well that she was, at best, a Cultivator with some looks and talent from the Middle Thousand Province.

The reason she had forced herself to maintain an equal stance in front of him just now... was to test him.

If Qin Wangchuan had shown the slightest arrogance, disdain, or regarded her as an ant to be manipulated at will... then the so-called Heaven Above Heavens, the existence lauded as supreme, might in its core be nothing more than another, more powerful quagmire.

But he did not.

In those imposing golden eyes, there was no contempt from beginning to end; he even acknowledged her status as a "fellow Daoist."

That almost perfect demeanor and breadth of vision, instead, made people... feel awe, and even a hint of imperceptible fascination.

Feng Qingjue took a deep breath of the cool air, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Heaven Above Heavens, it's truly terrifying."

Feng Qingjue murmured, this time, the emotions mixed in her words were far more complex than before.

"Controlling and integrating two organizations is no small feat, work hard!"

As her mind wavered, a shadow in the distant corridor suddenly flickered.

"Who's there!"

She let out a low cry, instantly becoming alert.

Although that person just now had not shown any covetousness towards her, Feng Qingjue knew clearly that not everyone was as noble as he was.

She also knew that her appearance in the Upper Thousand Provinces was like a shrimp entering a school of fish, requiring constant caution.

From the shadows in the distant corridor, a woman in a plain white dress slowly emerged.

Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her aura was ethereal and otherworldly, like a snow lotus blooming under the moon.

The newcomer first thoughtfully glanced at the courtyard Feng Qingjue had just exited, a hint of elusive profound meaning flashing in her eyes, and then she spoke softly, her voice clear and melodious like jade striking together:

"Are you also searching for your Dao?"

It was none other than the Saintess of Xuan Yin Immortal Pavilion—Luo Lingxi.

Feng Qingjue's gaze sharpened, her spiritual Qi subtly circulating around her as she stared at the white-clad woman slowly emerging from the shadows.

The other party's aura was ethereal and otherworldly, like a snow lotus under the moon, definitely not an ordinary Cultivator.

She did not relax her guard and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Luo Lingxi. Hearing what you just said..." Luo Lingxi's gaze turned to Feng Qingjue, her tone gentle but with a hint of imperceptible inquiry, "That Lord... seems to have entrusted you with some mission?"

"That doesn't seem to concern you," Feng Qingjue said, her tone distant, not letting down her guard.

At the same time, she keenly caught the complex emotions that flashed in the other party's eyes when she glanced at the bedchamber, and her heart suddenly stirred, a guess surfacing.

"You also owe him a favor?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Lingxi gently shook her head, a barely perceptible bitter curve appearing at the corner of her lips.

"That Lord, Young Master, he... asks nothing of me."

This tone and address made Feng Qingjue instantly understand her feelings.

If her guess was correct, she was probably a woman who had fallen for Qin Wangchuan.

Before she could respond, Luo Lingxi spoke again:

"I understand why you are wary. But you can rest assured, to be able to step into this courtyard, I am naturally also the Young Master's person."

"It's just..." She lowered her gaze slightly, her long lashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes, "Although I was enlightened by the Young Master and glimpsed the path ahead, I... am still somewhat lost."

"No, perhaps it should be said—greedy."

Luo Lingxi had previously been enlightened by Qin Wangchuan and entered the Dao of Ten Thousand Laws for cultivation, but the more she cultivated, the more she realized that if she were to be the Young Master's fellow Daoist, it would be impossible to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

This problem had troubled her for a long time.

Later, hearing that Qin Wangchuan had set up a challenge arena here, she specifically came to watch the battle, and even learned that he had personally brought back a woman from the Middle Thousand Province.

Out of jealousy, she then had the idea of making contact.

"The Young Master and I first met in a pavilion..." Luo Lingxi softly recounted her first meeting with Qin Wangchuan, her voice filled with an undisguised sense of recollection and wistfulness.

Feng Qingjue looked at the elegant Fairy before her, and unexpectedly felt a subtle resonance of shared suffering from the other party—they had originally walked their respective paths of cultivation with their own goals and ideals, but ultimately, they were both attracted by that dazzling figure and belief, like a scorching sun.

That light was too intense; the closer one got, the more one could feel its burning heat.

'Will I, in the end, also become like this?'

This thought had just arisen when she decisively crushed it.

'No, never.'

Feng Qingjue could change her stance, could abandon her ideals—but the domineering and resolute nature deep in her bones would never change.

Such behavior, where thoughts turned a thousand times but only resulted in a sigh, was useless and a sign of weakness.

Since she desired him, then she would fight for him, snatch him.

No matter what means she used, whether it was poisoning or scheming, even if they were despicable tricks despised by the world, as long as she could ultimately hold that person firmly in her grasp, it would be her own capability.

With her mind made up, Feng Qingjue showed no trace of it on her face.

She did not relax her vigilance because of Luo Lingxi's outpouring, nor did she rashly reveal Qin Wangchuan's plans and arrangements.

Instead, she first sought his instruction.

The answer she received was:

"It doesn't matter."

Feng Qingjue actually understood Qin Wangchuan's attitude by this point—he didn't care if Luo Lingxi joined, or rather, he didn't care if she could accomplish this task at all.

"This matter was assigned to me simply because I happened to be nearby."

A clear realization surfaced in her mind:

"Currently, I don't hold much weight in his heart. Only by proving my worth can I earn his true regard."