In the blink of an eye, spring had passed and autumn had arrived.

Atop Profound Island, the most famous location in the Mysterious Land!

Spiritual Qi was dense, and the scenery was as beautiful as a celestial paradise.

If one were to stand atop a great mountain and gaze into the distance, they would discover that the entire topography of Profound Island resembled a giant turtle.

The island’s highest peak formed the head, with landmasses resembling four complete claws. Far in the distance, a long, narrow strip of land formed the great turtle’s tail.

Cyan Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise.

The "Xuan" in Profound Island’s name came from "Xuanwu," the Black Tortoise.

Countless other marvels could also be found upon Profound Island.

Among them, the Four Seasons Valley, home to Shangguan Shiyu’s Sect, was certainly one of Profound Island’s most unique features.

The rest of Profound Island remained evergreen, perpetually basking in a spring-like ambiance.

But in the Four Seasons Valley, the four seasons were starkly distinct.

In spring, all life was reborn amidst a sea of fresh green, followed by a breathtaking bloom of a hundred flowers. In summer, the weather grew hot, and the sun made one feel lazy and unwilling to move as all living things pulsed with vibrant energy. Come autumn, the mountains and fields exploded in a riot of color, the waters grew still as a deep pool, and falling leaves ushered in the desolation of the coming winter. Throughout all of Profound Island, only in the Four Seasons Valley could one see snow—great goose-feather flakes drifting down, blanketing the world in silver, leaving nothing between heaven and earth but the purest white.

Many people from all over Profound Island would even make a special trip to the Four Seasons Valley in winter just to see the snow. For those of formidable strength, the biting cold was a source of enjoyment rather than a hardship.

Shangguan Shiyu’s Sect was called the Four Seasons Sect. On Profound Island, it wasn’t large, but it wasn’t exactly small either—a mid-sized sect. All told, it had about a thousand members, consisting mostly of women, with very few male disciples.

Shangguan Shiyu’s master, Ye Qianyu, held a high position within the Four Seasons Sect. She was one of its six Elders, and the youngest among them. After returning to Profound Island three years ago, she had successfully broken through to the Celestial Shattering Realm and had now reached the Celestial Integration Realm.

The Sect Leader of the Four Seasons Sect had been in seclusion for many years. It was rumored that she might now break through the Celestial Embracing Realm and achieve the Venerable Realm. However, not even Shangguan Shiyu’s master, Ye Qianyu, could be certain what level of power the formidable Sect Leader had truly reached.

Ever since coming to Profound Island, Shangguan Shiyu had never smiled. She kept her face veiled all day long. Even though her skin was now as smooth as jade, she had not wavered from her original decision: ’As long as he doesn’t come for me, my veil will not be removed!’

Even so, her graceful figure, her cascading black hair, and her cold, noble aura—especially the veil on her face—sparked an irresistible urge in others to see what lay beneath.

Almost everyone on Profound Island who had seen Shangguan Shiyu was left with a deep impression of the indifferent girl. The male disciples within the Four Seasons Sect treasured her, while the female disciples were all jealous of this "Little Junior Sister" from the secular world who was so doted upon.

But Shangguan Shiyu didn’t care about any of this. She had never cared at all.

For her, as long as there was one person in this world who cared for her, worried about her, and remembered her, that was enough.

Ye Qianyu sat down gently beside Shangguan Shiyu, smiled, and said casually, "A few days ago, a disciple who went to the secular world for training returned. When he left, I asked him to inquire about Qin Li’s whereabouts. And guess what? That boy seems to be having a grand time in the secular world. He went from Yellow Sand City to the Imperial Capital and made a huge name for himself. I hear he’s surrounded by beautiful women; even the princess of that little kingdom is entangled with him..."

Ye Qianyu spoke as if it were a casual matter. In truth, she wasn’t sure if the legendary Qin Li of Cyan Dragon City was the same person she knew. ’But that’s not important, is it?’

Shangguan Shiyu lifted her head and glanced coolly at her master. "Master," she said, her voice frigid, "if you have something to say, just say it directly."

Ye Qianyu had always felt helpless when it came to Shangguan Shiyu. On the one hand, the girl’s talent was simply astounding, the likes of which was rarely seen. Whatever she learned, she progressed at an incredible pace. In just three short years, she had gone from a Profound Level Martial Artist to a Celestial Level master, and was now at the second rank of the Celestial Level!

Even the Sect Leader, who had been in seclusion for years, had specifically inquired about Shangguan Shiyu and designated her level of strength a sect secret, forbidding anyone from speaking of it freely.

Sometimes, even she, her master, felt a twinge of jealousy. On the other hand, Shangguan Shiyu was utterly stubborn. Profound Island was filled with countless super-geniuses, next to whom the so-called geniuses of the secular world were nothing but trash. Many of the gifted young men from families on good terms with the Four Seasons Sect had taken a liking to Shangguan Shiyu. But as for her, it was as if every man in the world besides Qin Li had dropped dead.

She had eyes for no one else.

And yet, no one dared to pressure this girl, who was quite possibly the most brilliant prodigy in the history of the Four Seasons Sect. Because this year, she was not yet sixteen, but had already reached the Celestial Level!

Even the so-called geniuses of Profound Island couldn’t compare to her!

Because of this, some of the more powerful disciples of the Four Seasons Sect had begun frequently entering the secular world for "training." In reality, the training was just a cover; the main reason was to enter some of the forbidden lands in the secular world to gather Spiritual Medicine for Alchemy, producing Elixirs to provide the best possible support for Shangguan Shiyu’s advancement. This showed just how highly Shangguan Shiyu was valued within the Four Seasons Sect.

"Shiyu, do you think... it’s still possible between you and him? In just three short years, you’ve already attained the strength of the Celestial Level, but he... he’s just an ordinary mortal. Here on Profound Island..."

Shangguan Shiyu coolly interrupted Ye Qianyu. "Master, please don’t bring this up again, alright? Right now, Shiyu only wants to focus on cultivation. In my heart, there is only him. There may be as many excellent men in this world as fish in the sea, but they have nothing to do with me. As long as he hasn’t said he doesn’t want me, I will wait for him. I’ll wait ten years, I’ll wait a hundred! As for how many women are by his side... heh, what does that have to do with me?"

Ye Qianyu stared dumbfounded at her precious disciple, unsure whether to praise her for her devotion or curse her for her obstinance.

"But... but if he’s surrounded by women, he’ll forget all about you! When a man is lost in the arms of beauties, how could he possibly spare a thought for you?" Ye Qianyu deliberately avoided mentioning Qin Li’s earth-shattering battle where he defeated the young master of the great Xiahou Family from Profound Island, fearing it would only make the stubborn girl even more resolute.

But she never expected that the extent of Shangguan Shiyu’s stubbornness was far more severe than she could have possibly imagined.

"As long as he says he wants me, I will marry only him! If he no longer wants me, then I will never marry! Isn’t that exactly what you hoped for, Master?" A faint, mocking smile touched the corners of Shangguan Shiyu’s lips before quickly vanishing. As if remembering something, she added in a low voice, "Besides, I believe in him."

Ye Qianyu shook her head. At this point, she didn’t know what to say. She had originally intended to disparage Qin Li and then take the opportunity to introduce her to a few young men from prestigious Noble Families on Profound Island. These weren’t some useless profligates; every one of them was an outstanding talent, exceptional in both character and Martial Arts—true heaven-sent geniuses!

’I’d better just forget it,’ she thought. If she pushed any further, she would likely earn Shangguan Shiyu’s disgust.

Ye Qianyu sighed softly, stood up, and left.

Shangguan Shiyu sat there in silence for a long time. She bent down, picked up a withered yellow leaf, closed her eyes, and murmured, "See? I resisted their pressure again. I don’t believe a word they say! And even if it’s true, so what? I don’t care, I really don’t care..." As she spoke, a single, crystal-clear teardrop fell from the corner of her eye and splashed onto the ground.

"Qin Li, where are you? Please, come and take me away! I don’t like it here, I don’t like it at all! I miss you, so much!"

...

A bright moon hung high in the sky. Qin Li stood alone and motionless in the rear garden of the Marquis Mansion, his body shrouded in a haze of purple qi that seemed to veil him in mystery.

But Qin Li’s mood seemed rather grim. For some reason, his longing for Shangguan Shiyu was especially intense today. He thought of her every day, of course; he had never forgotten her. But today, inexplicably, his mind was filled with nothing but her image, her every frown and every smile. In the end, it all melted away, leaving only that pair of lively eyes, as pure as autumn waters, gazing at him with deep affection.

It had left Qin Li completely unable to get into the right state of mind for cultivation all day.

Cyan Dragon City was currently very peaceful. The Crown Prince’s faction had temporarily ceased their activities. Elder Yi had entered seclusion to attempt a breakthrough into the Celestial Shattering Realm, and every expert in the Imperial Capital was eagerly awaiting the day he successfully broke through to the Celestial Level.

At the same time, Elder Yi had also expressed his admiration for Qin Li to a certain circle of people. It was precisely because of this that the Crown Prince Zhao Xinghe’s faction dared not make any rash moves against Qin Li. Everything would have to wait until after Elder Yi emerged from his seclusion.

Before entering seclusion, Elder Yi had already stated that the outcome of his retreat would be known in one to three years. He had been preparing for this day for a very long time and was almost certain of his success.

Watermelon’s power was also growing rapidly. With the help of some veterans from the Daqing Gang, he had quickly stabilized the situation among the Imperial Capital’s underground forces. He had now become another legendary figure in the capital.

Alongside Qin Li—one in the light, one in the shadows—he was regarded as a hero of the younger generation.

Although Watermelon’s strength was far inferior to Qin Li’s, his methods were by no means lacking. Now, the mere mention of the name "Xi" struck fear into the hearts of everyone in Cyan Dragon City’s underworld.

The reason was simple: Xi was even more ruthless and merciless than the former Dragon Head, Leng Ping!

Even though he now controlled the Daqing Gang and was not short on money, Qin Li’s shop was still being diligently managed by Bu Yunyan. Under her care, business was booming.

Leng Yao’s grasp of Alchemy had grown even stronger. Moreover, in just a few months, she had already rushed to the ninth rank of the Profound Level! Her progress was truly astounding.

Hu had successfully broken through to the Earth Level, and Bu Yunyan had reached the third rank of the Profound Level.

As for Watermelon, he had also reached the ninth rank of the Profound Level! 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

It could be said that while Qin Li’s team was small, their overall strength was growing by the day.