As time went on, more and more people found out that Li Xun had been kicked out by Immortal Master Qingxu. The supervising elder also started loosening up—he didn't make Li Xun carry water up the mountain every day anymore, and sometimes he could disappear for a day or two without anyone saying a word.
Li Xun was secretly thrilled. He started pushing the limits, testing just how much freedom he could get away with. Once he was pretty sure no one was watching him too closely, he kicked his exploration of Zuwang Peak into high gear.
Seasons passed—spring gave way to autumn—and before he knew it, most of the year had slipped by. His first winter on Lianxia Mountain had arrived.
But Li Xun was confident: this winter wouldn't be his last.
One day, at the foot of Zuwang Peak, he climbed a massive boulder to get a better view of the area.
Standing there, looking up at the towering peak, he took in the surroundings. Nearby, the trees were twisted and bare. But off in the distance, just above the snowline, was a sliver of green—like some hidden life still clinging on in the cold.
Lately, all his focus had been on exploring what lay beyond that snowline. Only up there, he felt, would he start to understand the mountain's true nature.
The plants and animals there were bizarre—unlike anything he'd ever seen or even heard of. They didn't follow any pattern he could figure out easily. It had taken him a long time, circling the slopes and observing, just to gather a few rough ideas.
Now, his plan was to climb higher, test those ideas, and adjust along the way.
Once he reached the snowline, he checked his gear and took a deep breath—then stepped into a place no ordinary person could imagine.
The air was thin. He had to rely on his spiritual energy to keep going. His footsteps in the snow were so light, even a spirit-cat would've been jealous. The moment he passed, the wind blew away his tracks like he'd never been there.
At this point, Li Xun was practically a ghost in the snow. His white "cloud robe" blended in perfectly. The robe, a gift from Shan Zhi, was truly something special—not only resistant to blades, flames, and frost, but also giving off a faint mist that helped him conserve energy.
The snowy terrain was full of spirit beasts. Even though most weren't aggressive, Li Xun still kept his distance. He avoided trouble when he could, which slowed his progress a lot. By the time the sun was setting, he'd only made it about ten li farther than his last attempt.
Now he lay flat in the snow, hidden behind a pine tree, sweating and barely breathing. He'd been frozen in place for over half an hour.
About thirty paces ahead, a snow leopard was crouched low in the snow, just like him. But unlike Li Xun, the leopard was on the hunt—its eyes locked onto a massive bear not far away.
This bear was the biggest he'd seen yet—at least fifteen feet tall when it stood upright. Strong as hell, bad temper, and absolutely not something you wanted to mess with.
But the snow leopard wasn't ordinary either. It was lightning-fast, with deadly claws—and it looked like it had some kind of special ability too.
Li Xun had once seen it leap out of a tree and glide through the forest like a bird, pouncing on a rabbit mid-air. The sight had left him completely dumbfounded.
So the moment he realized how dangerous things were, he cut off all his spiritual presence, sealed his pores, and buried himself in the snow. Somehow, neither beast noticed him.
He didn't even dare to exhale loudly, just stayed laser-focused on his surroundings, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Sure, watching a fight from the sidelines was great—but not if you ended up as collateral damage.
The bear seemed to be sniffing around a dead tree, like it had picked up a scent. But soon enough, it noticed the snow leopard too and started growling low.
Then, in a flash, the snow leopard pounced.
Li Xun barely saw it move. One blur of white, and blood sprayed from the bear's head. The bear roared in pain, stumbling back.
But the leopard didn't get away clean. The bear's massive paw clipped its side. It wasn't a solid hit, but it was enough to leave the cat limping.
The two beasts circled each other, then lunged again, claws and fangs colliding in a brutal tangle.
From where he was hiding, Li Xun could only think: what a windfall! If these two kept fighting until they both died, he might be able to scoop up some serious loot.
He actually hoped they'd go at it even harder.
But just as he was plotting his next move, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air—fast, and getting louder. In a blink, it was right overhead. Two streaks of light zipped past, crackling like thunder. The force alone made Li Xun's blood churn.
He froze. Cultivators—real sword-riding experts—were here!
"Are they here for me?" he panicked.
Then he laughed bitterly at himself. "Guilty conscience. The old sayings don't lie."
As soon as those sword auras arrived, the two beasts who'd been fighting like mad suddenly dropped to the ground like scolded puppies. They didn't even twitch—just hugged the snow and stayed completely still. Li Xun couldn't believe his eyes.
The sword lights circled overhead, bright and intimidating in the dark sky.
Wave after wave of spiritual pressure rolled through the forest. The two beasts couldn't take it anymore. They howled once, then bolted in opposite directions, vanishing into the trees.
Li Xun nearly choked in frustration. The perfect chance had just slipped through his fingers!
While he was fuming, a man's amused voice rang out from the sky: "Still so soft-hearted, junior sister? Beasts like those probably killed dozens of weaker creatures already. Now they've finally run into someone stronger—why not let them get what they deserve?"
The voice didn't sound familiar. Probably someone from the sect's inner circle, someone Li Xun had never met. Then a gentle woman's voice replied, "Bloodshed like that—it's a bad omen. Since we were passing by, it cost us nothing to break up the fight. Why not do a good deed?"
The man laughed again and landed lightly on a tree branch. The woman followed, touching down beside him—no more than twenty steps from where Li Xun was hiding.
Li Xun knew full well that even if those two found him, it wouldn't necessarily be a big deal—but still, he didn't want anyone seeing him in such a sorry state. So he did his best to stay hidden, even shutting his eyes in case they could somehow sense his gaze. Despite that, he caught every word of their conversation.
The man's voice was gentle: "Junior Sister, I asked you to come here today to apologize. I just received a directive from Master—I'm being sent down to the mortal realm. Looks like I won't be able to go with you to Mount Weiyu after all."
The woman sighed softly. "I understand. You're Second Uncle's chief disciple, always tied up with sect matters. It was selfish of me to keep bothering you before…"
Her voice was sweet and warm, full of sincere emotion. Even though it had nothing to do with him, and he wasn't trying to eavesdrop, Li Xun couldn't help feeling a little dazed listening to her.But he snapped back to reality quickly. The so-called "chief disciple of Second Uncle" must be Wen Hai, the proud disciple of Luo Nanchuan—the "Dark Sword of Xuanming," ranked second among the Lianxia Seven Swords.
Shan Zhi had mentioned him once. Wen Hai had been cultivating for over two centuries and was highly respected. Lin Ge—the top second-gen disciple known as the "Heavenheart Sword"— had never taken a disciple, Wen Hai held the highest status among the third-gen disciples.
As for the woman, her name was Qi Bi. She was the disciple of Ming Ru, the "Falling Sunset Sword" among the Seven. She and Wen Hai were a well-known couple on the mountain. Once they stabilized their Dao foundations, it was all but certain they'd become dual cultivation partners. Even the elders approved of their match.
Li Xun's heart sank. He'd accidentally wandered into a lovers' meeting spot. If they noticed him, it'd be more than just awkward—it might cost him his life!
While he was busy imagining worst-case scenarios, the couple continued murmuring sweet nothings to each other—half-flirtation, half-Daoist pillow talk that flew right over his head.
Honestly, Li Xun wasn't that young, and growing up in the imperial court, he was no stranger to affairs between men and women. But this kind of back-and-forth—soft voices and pointless chatter—how did people not get tired of it? These were cultivators, after all. Shouldn't they be above this kind of emotional entanglement?
He was still puzzling over it when a certain part of their conversation suddenly caught his attention.
Qi Bi asked, "Senior Brother, what are you going to the mortal world for?"
Wen Hai sighed. "Oh, it's just escorting the eliminated disciples back. We have to make sure none of them have any lingering memory issues. It's not difficult, just time-consuming. I'll probably be gone a few months."
"When do you leave?"
"Seven or eight days from now. The sect master will perform a ritual on each disciple to ensure their return is safe."
Li Xun's mind went blank. His heart skipped a beat—and then, in just a blink, he returned to calm, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
"So it's finally happening, huh?"
After that, he couldn't be bothered to keep listening. Once the couple flew off on their swords, and a full incense stick's time had passed, he finally rolled over and stood up. It was clear—no more going uphill. Time to pack up and head back.
He'd only gone a few steps when a sudden thought struck him. He ran over to the old tree where the bear had been circling earlier. After just a bit of digging, his fingers brushed against something solid.
It was a round stone, smooth like it had been polished by hand, but the texture felt naturally formed. Curious, he picked it up and began brushing off the dirt.
He'd only wiped it a couple times when the stone suddenly lit up, glowing with a soft, shimmering light that spread out in a hazy dome around him.
Startled, Li Xun quickly stuffed the stone into his robe. Strangely, once it was tucked away, the light completely vanished—even through his clothes, nothing leaked out. But when he pulled it out again, it looked just like a normal rock. Not a trace of the glow remained.
He frowned. "Definitely not an ordinary item."
Without another thought, he tucked it back into his robe and sped down the mountain.
As he raced through the trees, he mentally went over his belongings. One cloud robe, a few spirit pills, a dagger for protection—that was it. All gifts from Shan Zhi, carefully kept.
"If I make it out of this alive," he muttered to himself, "I'll call you 'senior brother' without a second thought."
He let out a hoarse little laugh, picked up speed again, and vanished into the darkness.
From that day on, no one on Lianxia Mountain saw Li Xun again—the prince of Fu, who had once come from the mortal world.