Above the sea, there lies a mystical mountain, shrouded in an ethereal mist, seemingly floating between reality and illusion.
This stretch of ocean, untouched by mortals, is where Dustless Island resides, hidden within the swirling clouds and fog.
Dustless Island is not just an island; it is the name of a cultivation sect, situated on the sea and composed of three islands and seven peaks.
At this moment, within the Punishment Hall of Dustless Island, a woman dressed in red knelt tremblingly before the assembly, listening to the judgment being pronounced against her.
"Xu Shulou, head disciple of Bright Moon Peak, has violated sect rules by harming her fellow disciples. She is to have her cultivation abolished and be expelled from the sect."
"I did not do it! Bai Roushuang framed me!" The red-clad woman suddenly raised her head, a tear hanging precariously at the corner of her eye. In that fleeting moment, her gaze shimmered like rippling water. Her beauty, even in tears, was almost picturesque, yet it elicited no sympathy from the onlookers. Their eyes were filled only with disdain.
She turned to her fellow disciples from Bright Moon Peak for help, but even the junior brother she had personally taught sword techniques couldn’t be bothered to look at her directly. He merely snorted coldly, "Even now, you refuse to repent. Bai Roushuang, on the other hand, pleaded for leniency on your behalf just this morning. The difference between you two is clear as day."
The red-clad woman screamed hysterically, "Do you really believe she pleaded for me out of kindness? She just wanted to show off her magnanimity! Why do you believe everything she says? Ever since Bai Roushuang joined the sect, all of you have been biased in her favor!"
"Bai Roushuang has suffered greatly in life and is alone in the world. It’s only natural that we show her some care. What’s wrong with that? You’ve held a grudge ever since we asked you, as her senior sister, to yield a few treasures to her. You’ve accused us of favoritism, but the truth is, you’ve brought this upon yourself!"
Xu Shulou found herself unable to defend against the accusations. As the disciples of the Punishment Hall approached with the tools to strip her of her cultivation, fear surged in her eyes. "I am the betrothed of Lu Beichen of the Lingxiao Sect. If they find out how you’ve treated me..."
Someone interrupted her with a cold laugh, "Who doesn’t know that Lu Beichen has long grown tired of you? Your engagement was only arranged as a political alliance between our sects, yet you’ve used it to torment both him and Bai Roushuang. If Lu Beichen learns of your expulsion today, he’ll surely applaud the decision!"
With no other recourse, Xu Shulou collapsed to the ground, sobbing, her luxurious red robes pooling around her like a river of silk. She could only watch helplessly as her fate unfolded.
The process of having her cultivation abolished was excruciating, as though her bones were being ripped from her body.
When Xu Shulou awoke from the dream, the lingering pain seemed to seep into her very bones, and the bitterness and sorrow from the dream clung to her like a shadow.
She sighed. This strange dream had been recurring for over half a month, each time growing more absurd.
The dream felt like a sensational novel centered around her betrothed, Lu Beichen. It depicted his journey to becoming a supreme powerhouse, gaining countless opportunities, treasures, and the affections of numerous beauties along the way.
Xu Shulou almost wondered if Lu Beichen had commissioned someone to write this novel.
In the story, she, Xu Shulou, was merely one of the many women infatuated with him. Unfortunately, Lu Beichen did not love her. Like everyone else in her sect, he favored her pure and flawless junior sister, Bai Roushuang.
The scenes in the dream were terrifyingly vivid, but Xu Shulou refused to believe it was a prophetic dream, that everything in it would one day come true.
Her betrothed, Lu Beichen, was the head disciple of another cultivation sect, the Lingxiao Sect. Their engagement had been arranged as a strategic alliance between the two sects.
Over the years, the Lingxiao Sect had grown in power, especially after one of their elders, Elder Changyu, ascended to immortality decades ago. The sect was now on the verge of becoming one of the top three sects in the cultivation world, and they no longer needed Dustless Island’s support. The engagement had become a mere formality. However, Xu Shulou’s exceptional talent in cultivation made the Lingxiao Sect hesitant to completely sever ties.
Yet, the novel suggested that Lu Beichen wanted to find a true love as his cultivation partner, not someone chosen for him by the sects. It claimed that Xu Shulou had clung stubbornly to the engagement, refusing to let go.
Xu Shulou found the dream utterly ridiculous. She and Lu Beichen had barely met over the years and shared no real affection. If not for the dream, she might have even forgotten about the engagement. The idea that she would one day become jealous of the women around him, resorting to cruel schemes to harm her junior sister, was something she simply could not believe.
Moreover, her sect was her home, filled with her mentors, close friends, and juniors who admired her. She could not fathom a future where all of them would turn against her.
Besides, prophetic dreams were the stuff of legends, said to appear only when the fate of the three realms was at stake.
Xu Shulou’s dreams, however, were fragmented and inconsistent. She only saw snippets related to herself—chasing after Lu Beichen only to be rejected, competing with Bai Roushuang for his affection, and occasionally wallowing in self-pity over the perceived favoritism of her sect members. What kind of prophetic dream was this?
Xu Shulou stretched lazily and rolled over in her phoenix carriage. Having cultivated for many years, she was not one to let a dream disturb her Dao heart. She hadn’t read a novel in a long time and found this dream quite entertaining, treating it like a story.
Of course, it would have been more enjoyable if the increasingly tragic woman in the story wasn’t herself.
Xu Shulou, carefree as ever, was about to drift back to sleep when the phoenix carriage began its descent.
Had they arrived?
Those below had already recognized her carriage, adorned with a green bird holding a branch in its beak. As soon as the carriage landed, attendants respectfully lifted the curtain. Xu Shulou stepped out gracefully, her earlier laziness replaced with poise. She clasped her hands in greeting to the assembled crowd. "Xu Shulou of Dustless Island, greetings to all."
This was a cultivation competition. Dustless Island had remained reclusive in recent years, avoiding the power struggles of the cultivation world. However, this year, some of its disciples were participating, and the sect had sent Xu Shulou to lend her presence and support.
Though Dustless Island kept a low profile, Xu Shulou, as one of the most outstanding cultivators of her generation, was warmly received. As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, many approached to exchange pleasantries.
After greeting the others, Xu Shulou quickly spotted her betrothed, Lu Beichen, in the crowd. Standing beside him was a woman in a white dress, elegant and delicate, with a white spirit bird perched on her shoulder.
Though they had never met, Xu Shulou immediately knew this was her new junior sister, Bai Roushuang.
Bai Roushuang had joined the sect a year ago, but Xu Shulou had been away on various missions, only sending a gift when Bai Roushuang first arrived.
This was their first meeting, yet Bai Roushuang’s name had loomed large in Xu Shulou’s dreams.
According to the novel’s timeline, Bai Roushuang and Lu Beichen had already begun exchanging meaningful glances, with Lu Beichen even gifting her a beautiful spirit pet.
Xu Shulou glanced at the spirit bird beside Bai Roushuang. It was the one mentioned in the novel, the Nine Radiance Bird, gifted by Lu Beichen. The bird’s feathers were a pristine white, dazzlingly luminous, and its flight was said to be breathtakingly graceful. In the novel, Bai Roushuang’s possession of this bird had sparked envy among many female cultivators.
It really was quite beautiful. Xu Shulou suppressed the urge to reach out and pet it.
Sensing Xu Shulou’s gaze, Bai Roushuang’s expression turned slightly uneasy. Her appearance matched the novel’s description perfectly—pure, charming, and delicate, dressed in a simple white robe that accentuated her slender waist. She bowed gracefully to Xu Shulou, her smile soft and demure, with dimples appearing on her cheeks.
Her smile radiated innocence and gentleness. In the novel, this shy expression had instantly stirred a protective instinct in Lu Beichen.
Xu Shulou, however, harbored no ill will toward her junior sister, regardless of the dream’s veracity. She returned the smile warmly.
After exchanging greetings with the other sect members, Xu Shulou noticed that Lu Beichen and Bai Roushuang had quietly disappeared from the crowd.
Xu Shulou didn't mind much. If they truly had feelings for each other, she would simply nod and agree when Lu Beichen came to propose breaking off their engagement. She wouldn't cling on desperately like the characters in those melodramatic stories.
After watching a few matches, she arrived at the accommodations prepared by the Dustless Island for the participants of the trial competition. Before she could get close, she overheard a soft, gentle voice tinged with worry: "But I'm a little concerned. What if Senior Sister Xu doesn't like me?"
A male voice immediately comforted her: "Junior Sister Bai, you're so gentle and pure. Who wouldn't like you? Why worry about that? I heard you've gotten along well with everyone since joining Dustless Island a year ago. Even that Senior Brother Li from the Disciplinary Hall came specifically to support you, didn't he?"
The female voice chided lightly, "Senior Brother Li was just passing by."
"Alright, alright, he was passing by," the male voice chuckled softly. "Don't overthink it. Shulou is also from the mortal world, just like you. You two should have plenty to talk about."
This was undoubtedly Lu Beichen and Bai Roushuang, who had just disappeared from the crowd. The female voice continued, "But even among those from the mortal world, there are distinctions. I heard Senior Sister Xu was once a royal princess. When I saw her earlier, she stepped out of her carriage with such grace and grandeur, like a celestial goddess. She moved through the crowd with such ease, as if she were glowing... Senior Brother Lu, do you think someone like her... would look down on someone of my background?"
Her background? Xu Shulou paused, recalling a section from the storybook. Bai Roushuang's origins weren't particularly noble. She had been rescued from a brothel by Xu Shulou's master. The storybook Xu Shulou had dreamed of repeatedly emphasized that, despite her brothel origins, Bai Roushuang had managed to preserve her purity.
Xu Shulou thought to herself that this storybook probably wasn't a bestseller.
The storybook also mentioned that Bai Roushuang was gentle and innocent. Despite joining the sect relatively recently, she had quickly become well-liked. In fact, it seemed that Xu Shulou was the only one in the entire Dustless Island who didn't like her, believing that someone who had seen all sorts of people in a brothel couldn't possibly be as naive and pure as she appeared.
However, no one believed Xu Shulou. After she started opposing Bai Roushuang, she found herself constantly at odds with her sect. Everyone pitied the younger junior sister, while Xu Shulou's situation grew increasingly dire. She was ostracized, abandoned by her peers, and even her unparalleled cultivation was eventually destroyed.
The male voice immediately reassured her, "How could that be? You're pure and untainted, like a lotus rising from the mud. If she dares to bring up your background, I'll definitely have a word with her."
Xu Shulou felt a bit awkward. Her cultivation level was higher than both Lu Beichen and Bai Roushuang's, so she could hear their conversation clearly, while they remained unaware of her presence.
After a moment's thought, she deliberately increased the sound of her footsteps, almost stomping, to make her presence known.
Xu Shulou had come to find Bai Roushuang. The junior sister was participating in the trial competition, and Xu Shulou wanted to see if she needed any guidance or pointers.
The master of Bright Moon Peak, Elder Changyu, was the master of both Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang. However, he spent most of his time in seclusion and had only emerged once in the past year.
After taking Xu Shulou, a prodigy, as his disciple, Elder Changyu had realized he could pretty much hand over all responsibilities to her. The subsequent disciples he took in were all left to Xu Shulou to teach swordsmanship.
With Xu Shulou absent, Bai Roushuang's swordsmanship had been taught by other disciples of Bright Moon Peak.
Xu Shulou felt she had neglected her junior sister and wanted to fulfill her duties as a senior sister, as well as assess how Bai Roushuang's cultivation was progressing.
Upon hearing her intentions, Lu Beichen frowned and pulled her aside, whispering, "Shulou, have you heard something? I only took care of her because she's your junior sister. Don't overthink it."
The trial competition was for the new talents of the cultivation world. Xu Shulou had never participated in it before, so her presence today made Lu Beichen suspicious.
As the head disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, Lu Beichen was different from cultivators like Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang, who had come from the mortal world. His parents were renowned cultivators who had ascended decades ago. With his family background and early training under a famous master, his cultivation level was among the best of his peers. He was talented, handsome, and had always been successful, which had given him a somewhat inflated sense of self-importance.
Seeing Xu Shulou wanting to assess Bai Roushuang's swordsmanship, he assumed she had heard about his closeness to Bai Roushuang and was jealous, intending to make things difficult for her.
Xu Shulou was momentarily confused by his train of thought. "I just want to see how her cultivation is progressing," she explained.
As the head disciple of Bright Moon Peak, she felt responsible for her juniors.
Seeing her like this, Lu Beichen frowned and stepped in front of Bai Roushuang. "Junior Sister Bai is no match for you. Why make things difficult for her? Shulou, if you're upset, fight me instead. Let's have a real, proper duel. What do you say?"
Xu Shulou was silent for a moment, then looked at the man who, according to the storybook, would one day become invincible. "Do you know how much damage a real duel with you would do to me?"
Lu Beichen was taken aback, thinking she must still care for him. A duel with him would surely cause her emotional pain. Since their engagement, Xu Shulou had always been distant, never showing any affection. Now, seeing him close to Bai Roushuang, she had suddenly become jealous. He felt a little smug. After all, she was his fiancée. His tone softened as he asked, "How much?"
Xu Shulou replied, "None at all."
"..."
Xu Shulou continued, "Do you know how much damage it would do to you?"
Lu Beichen wisely chose not to respond.
There was no helping it. Despite his prestigious master, natural talent, and high cultivation level, he simply couldn't defeat his fiancée.
Among the younger generation of cultivators, Xu Shulou was undeniably the best. She had exceptional talent, insight, and dedication.
Lu Beichen had once been unwilling to accept this. He, too, was considered a genius, and it was hard to believe that a born cultivator couldn't surpass someone who had started cultivating later in life. He had even gone into seclusion to train harder, but no matter what, he couldn't defeat her. Every time he challenged her, he was swiftly defeated. Over the years, as the relationship between Dustless Island and Lingxiao Sect grew colder, they rarely interacted, which spared him the frustration of facing her.
Earlier, driven by his protective instincts toward Bai Roushuang, Lu Beichen had momentarily forgotten their past encounters and rashly proposed a duel. But if Xu Shulou decided to go all out, he would undoubtedly suffer a humiliating defeat in front of Bai Roushuang.
Xu Shulou, being considerate, had only reminded him to avoid embarrassing himself in front of his crush. She wasn't actually planning to fight him. Seeing his silence, she patted his shoulder gently. "Next time you challenge me, think it through first."
