Su Bai stepped forward.

The second floor of Thousand Fragrance Pavilion fell quieter.

All eyes moved between him and Tang Ziyan.

At first, most of the young cultivators had only been curious.

A sickly young man with no aura had walked upstairs. That alone was strange.

But the moment Tang Ziyan stood up, the situation changed.

Tang Ziyan was not someone who reacted easily.

She had a fierce temperament, sharp eyes, and a reputation that made many younger-generation cultivators hesitate before approaching her. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Yet now, she had stood so abruptly that her chair had scraped against the floor.

Because of this aura-less young man.

The gazes in the room changed again.

Some became curious. Some became cautious. Some immediately began creating stories in their minds.

Then someone remembered something.

Tang Ziyan had been lost in the mortal world for many years.

The Tang Clan rarely spoke of that matter, but among major clans, some fragments had still spread.

Now, a sickly mortal-looking youth had appeared.

Tang Ziyan recognized him.

In an instant, many people thought they understood.

This young man must have some connection to Tang Ziyan from her years outside the clan.

The atmosphere became subtle.

Su Bai ignored the gazes.

But then...

He had only taken two steps when someone moved.

A tall figure blocked his path.

The man was broad-shouldered and muscular, with dark red robes embroidered with sunfire patterns. His skin had a bronze color, and his aura carried a scorching pressure that made the air around him dry.

Yan Lie. A disciple of Scorching Sun Valley.

Scorching Sun Valley cultivated Overbearing Extreme Yang Fire. Their techniques were fierce, direct, and domineering. Their disciples often carried the temperament of burning furnaces.

Yan Lie was one of the more famous young cultivators among them. He was currently at Golden Core Stage Three.

More importantly, everyone on the second floor knew one thing.

Yan Lie liked Tang Ziyan, and he did not bother hiding it.

The moment he stepped forward, many young cultivators became quiet.

Most looked at Su Bai with pity.

A mortal-looking youth blocking Yan Lie’s mood?

That was not a good thing.

Yan Lie’s aura alone could probably make an ordinary person collapse.

But not everyone thought Su Bai was in trouble.

A few observant cultivators noticed the Tang Clan token at his waist.

Then they noticed the dark shard beside it.

One curious cultivator quietly sent a strand of spirit sense toward the shard.

The moment his spirit sense touched it, his face turned pale.

A brutal killing intent rushed back like a blood-colored blade.

He withdrew instantly.

Even so, cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Another cultivator noticed and immediately stopped his own probing.

Then their gazes moved again.

The manacle on Su Bai’s wrist gave off a bleak aura.

The dark thumb-ring on his hand seemed quiet, but the more they stared at it, the more they felt as if their spirit was being lightly pulled toward it.

The aura-less youth was not simple. No. He was very strange.

Most people thought Su Bai was in trouble.

The clever ones quietly leaned back. To them, the one in danger might not be Su Bai.

Yan Lie did not notice this. Or perhaps he noticed and did not care.

He looked down at Su Bai.

The difference between the two was striking.

Yan Lie was tall, hot-blooded, and full of pressure.

Su Bai was pale, calm, and had no aura at all.

One looked like a furnace.

The other looked like snow that had forgotten to melt.

Yan Lie spoke in a rough voice.

"You do not belong here."

The words were direct. The room became even quieter.

Tang Ziyan’s eyes immediately turned cold. Behind her sleeve, a thin needle slipped between her fingers.

Tang Sisi’s expression changed slightly. She reached out and gently held Tang Ziyan’s wrist.

"Sister Ziyan."

Her voice was low.

Tang Ziyan did not look away from Yan Lie.

"Let go."

"If you throw that here, the City Lord Mansion will come."

"Then let them come."

Tang Sisi’s mouth twitched.

The young cultivators nearby heard that and felt their scalps tighten.

Tang Ziyan was really about to attack. For this sickly youth.

The stories in their minds became even more complicated.

Su Bai noticed the needle in Tang Ziyan’s hand.

He almost laughed.

It seemed Tang Ziyan’s fierce personality had not weakened. If anything, it had become sharper.

But this matter did not need her to act.

Su Bai looked back at Yan Lie.

He rubbed his temple lightly.

He was a little irritated.

He had just been about to greet an old acquaintance.

He had not even asked about poison yet.

Then someone blocked his way.

This feeling was unpleasant.

It reminded him of certain people from his previous life.

The kind who stood in front of a doorway, spoke as if they owned the building, and somehow expected others to thank them for being inconvenient.

Yan Lie frowned when Su Bai did not answer immediately.

His face reddened slightly.

Being ignored in front of Tang Ziyan made his chest burn hotter.

"I said, you do not belong here," Yan Lie repeated. "Leave now. Do not bring trouble to others. With your body, you might not even know how you die if you stay among cultivators."

Some people frowned.

The words were harsh. But Yan Lie’s background and strength made many remain silent.

Su Bai looked at him quietly.

Then he asked, "Are you finished?"

Yan Lie’s expression stiffened.

The female cultivators nearby also froze slightly.

Su Bai’s voice was gentle, clear, and almost melodious.

It did not carry anger.

That made it sound even more piercing.

Yan Lie narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

Su Bai looked at him politely.

"Can you please move?"

The second floor became silent.

Tang Sisi blinked.

Tang Ziyan’s cold eyes shifted slightly.

Yan Lie stared at Su Bai.

Then he laughed angrily.

"You think I am joking with you?"

Scorching aura flared from his body.

Overbearing Extreme Yang Fire surged outward.

The temperature on the second floor rose instantly.

The air became dry.

Several weaker cultivators felt their breathing grow heavy.

The tea in a few cups began to tremble.

Yan Lie did not attack. He only released pressure.

To most people, that was already enough.

A sickly mortal should have fallen to his knees.

But Su Bai did not move.

The scorching aura rolled over him. Then it passed.

His pale face remained calm. His robes did not burn. His breathing did not change. Even his hair barely moved.

The room’s atmosphere changed.

Yan Lie’s smirk slowly faded.

The observant cultivators’ eyes sharpened.

Tang Ziyan’s fingers loosened slightly around the needle.

Su Bai felt the scorching aura. Compared to the golden Yang sun burning inside his Black-Ice Core, Yan Lie’s aura was like warm tea pretending to be wildfire.

’Not bad. Just not enough.’

Su Bai sighed softly.

"Your fire is loud."

Yan Lie’s eyes darkened.

Su Bai continued, "But loudness is not strength."

The words were not shouted.

They were not mocking in tone.

But because they were spoken calmly, they sounded even worse.

Yan Lie’s anger surged.

"You—"

Before he could finish, Su Bai moved.

No one saw when the needle appeared.

One moment, Su Bai’s hand was empty.

The next moment, a thin black needle rested between his fingers.

His step was quiet. It was as if Su Bai had simply skipped the distance between them.

A faint thread of cold Qi wrapped around the needle.

The Tang Clan Needle Manual moved through his hand.

The needle touched Yan Lie’s side, slightly below the ribs, at the Yang-Gate Locking Point.

This acupoint was not a common mortal acupoint. It was one of the spiritual channel junctions described in the Tang Clan Needle Manual.

For cultivators who practiced strong Yang techniques, it connected the side meridian to the lower fire channel.

If struck violently, it could injure the meridians. But if sealed precisely, it would temporarily trap the rising Yang fire inside the outer circuit and force the body to lock itself for protection.

Su Bai pressed lightly.

Yan Lie’s body froze.

His scorching aura collapsed inward. The Overbearing Extreme Yang Fire that had filled the room vanished like someone had closed a furnace lid.

Yan Lie’s eyes widened.

He tried to move. He could not.

He tried to circulate Qi. His meridians refused.

He tried to speak. Only a stiff breath came out.

The entire second floor fell dead silent.

Yan Lie, a Golden Core Stage Three disciple of Scorching Sun Valley, had been frozen in place by one needle.

Su Bai withdrew his hand calmly.

Then he looked around and found an empty chair.

He picked it up, placed it behind Yan Lie, then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, he politely adjusted Yan Lie’s frozen body and seated him on the chair.

The movement was careful, almost considerate.

Yan Lie sat down stiffly. His eyes were bloodshot with humiliation.

Su Bai patted his shoulder once.

"Be careful next time."

His tone was gentle.

"If you do not manage your anger well, it can easily lead to paralysis."

No one spoke. The words echoed in everyone’s mind.

If you do not manage your anger well, it can easily lead to paralysis.

The younger-generation cultivators looked at Yan Lie, who was sitting rigidly on the chair, unable to move.

Then they looked at Su Bai.

For a moment, they did not know whether this was advice, mockery, diagnosis, or threat.

Perhaps it was all of them.

Yan Lie’s face turned bright red.

His eyes burned with fury.

But his body remained obediently seated.

That made it worse.

Su Bai did not look at him again.

He continued walking forward.

This time, no one blocked him.

In fact, the crowd seemed to create a path without realizing it.

Tang Ziyan watched him approach.

Her fierce expression returned, but there was something different in her eyes now.

Su Bai stopped before her.

He remembered her poison.

He remembered the taste.

He remembered how she had looked at him before.

Then he smiled.

It was the most beautiful smile he could make.

Several young female cultivators froze.

A few young male cultivators also froze, though their expressions were more complicated.

Tang Ziyan’s fierce expression cracked slightly.

Her ears reddened faintly as if she remembered something embarrassing.

Then she gritted her teeth.

"You..."

Su Bai cupped his hands.

"Miss Tang."

His voice was soft.

"It has been some time."