A day had passed.

Xu Mo had already reached the fifth level of the Golden Core Realm, and with his Ninth Grade Core and his Dao of Silence having stepped into the Second Stage, even he was no longer sure how powerful he truly was. Was he already strong enough to take on a protagonist?

The mysterious headaches that had tormented him on the second day of the second week every month had also vanished entirely after his breakthrough—gone as if they had never existed in the first place.

At present, Xu Mo sat firmly on the throne of the strongest disciple within the Hidden Dragon Sect. Though he rarely showed his face, his name echoed throughout the sect like a legend. Many new disciples had joined in recent months, but Xu Mo had withdrawn from worldly affairs, dedicating himself solely to cultivation and assisting with sect matters whenever the Sect Master was absent. Because of this distance, he had not yet clashed with anyone inside the sect—or at least, not yet enough to be considered a villain.

That peace, however, was not likely to last.

"Little Xu, I have something important to tell you. Meet me at the back of the mountain."

Ancestor's voice echoed within his mind. Xu Mo didn't flinch. He had sensed the presence approaching long before the divine sense reached him. His mind, fortified by the Dao of Silence, was immune to ordinary mental intrusions. Unless someone forcibly tried to break through, they wouldn't be able to disturb his inner world.

He walked through the air, step by step, as though ascending an invisible staircase. There was no spiritual energy being used—only pure will. The Golden Core Realm was where true cultivation began. A cultivator in this realm could finally begin to resemble the immortals of ancient legends.

He arrived at the back of the mountain—a restricted area where only the Sect Master, True Successor, and Ancestor were permitted. This sacred land housed the graves of the past Ancestors of the Hidden Dragon Sect.

"Ancestor, you called?"

Without a word, something shot toward him at lightning speed. Xu Mo's body moved instinctively. He caught it just in time—had he been a second late, it would've smacked him square in the face.

"What is this?" he asked, looking down at the token in his hand.

"Your engagement," the Ancestor said, smiling.

Xu Mo blinked. "...What?"

"I found you a companion."

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"Ancestor… why so suddenly?" He wanted to say, 'Old man, you could've at least asked me first!'

"No need to worry. She's the granddaughter of an old friend. Her talent is quite decent—almost on par with yours. Not only that, she's considered a top beauty in the region. Oh, and she's a direct disciple of the Supreme Elder of Verdant Sky Hall."

Xu Mo's mind blanked.

Was the Ancestor serious?

Even if he wanted to matchmake, couldn't he have discussed it first? And why go after the direct disciple of the Supreme Elder of Verdant Sky Hall?

Wait a minute—if she was that highly placed, then wouldn't Long Chen already have his eyes on her? And now he was engaged to her?

This meant if things went wrong, and she complained to her master, wouldn't Xu Mo be first in line for execution?

Meanwhile, inside Verdant Sky Hall—

"Master, what are you saying? I told you I'm not interested in marriage. I just want to focus on my cultivation," Shui Qingyi said, frowning.

"I know," her master replied, rubbing his temple. "But your grandfather insisted. He already sent the engagement token. That said, you don't have to go along with it. It's just an engagement—not a marriage."

"And who exactly am I engaged to?"

"Let me see… Xu... Xu..."

"Xu Mo?" she interrupted, her tone flat.

"Yes! That's it. Wait, you know him?"

"We met inside the Secret Realm."

"Ah, then it must be fate," the master chuckled. "Perhaps he fell for your beauty and used his connections to make your grandfather arrange it. Xu Mo from Hidden Dragon Sect... Wasn't Long Chen also from that sect before? He should know Xu Mo. Why don't you ask him about it? Or you could go to Hidden Dragon Sect yourself since you already know each other."

Shui Qingyi clicked her tongue in irritation.

How could she explain that Xu Mo had already dumped her? He definitely wasn't chasing after her—this had to be a coincidence. Still, a smile tugged at her lips as she imagined him pulling out his hair after hearing about this engagement.

"Master, you're right. No need to rush. Let's wait a few months—or years—before we talk about this again. And please, don't mention it to anyone. Especially not Long Chen... that pervert. I'll handle this myself."

With that, she turned and left the hall.

Her master's cheerful expression vanished the moment the door closed behind her. A twisted look spread across his face.

Far to the North, in the icy mountains—

Shu Xueyin, elder sister of Shui Qingyi, had just received the news.

Her grandfather had found a "suitable" partner for her younger sister and had already exchanged engagement tokens.

The mountain she sat on cracked and exploded under the pressure of her fury. Even the void itself began to fracture as waves of raw killing intent surged from her.

"Grandfather... how dare you use my sister like a bargaining chip," she muttered, her voice low and dangerous.

She had long angered her grandfather by rejecting every arranged match he threw at her. Now that she had slipped from his control, he had set his eyes on her sister.

"Find out everything about this Xu Mo," she growled. "Every. Single. Detail."

The moment she spoke, several shadowy figures darted across the snowy landscape, their movements swift and silent. The tremors shaking the North ceased. Calm returned—but it was the calm before a storm.

"Xu Mo…" she whispered, her gaze piercing through the clouds, "If I find even a speck of evil within you, I will erase you from this continent without a second thought."

Her voice carried far, slicing through the howling blizzards like a blade made of pure killing intent.

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