Li Yun's sharp crimson eyes remained locked onto the figure before him, his sword unwavering as its cold edge pressed against the woman's throat. The dormitory remained deathly silent, the other examinees oblivious to the tension crackling in the air.

  "Who are you? And why are you here?" Li Yun's voice was firm, controlled, but the subtle edge of irritation in his tone revealed his growing impatience.

  The woman before him, entirely unfazed by the blade poised to slice through her skin, merely chuckled. Her silver hair shimmered under the faint moonlight filtering through the dorm’s paper windows, and a playful glint danced in her eyes. "I am what the disciples call the Wandering Sky Elder," she said smoothly. "And as for why I am here?" She smiled mischievously. "I’m not quite sure myself. I suppose I found myself interested in you. Like when you find a particularly shiny rock and decide to collect it." She tilted her head, watching his reaction with clear amusement. "I want to collect you."

  Li Yun's grip on his sword tightened slightly. She must be insane if she’s laughing with a blade at her throat.

  Before he could decide his next move, the system chimed within his mind:

  [Host, if your wish is to kill this individual, I must express caution. Your current strength is insufficient. Attempting combat will result in immediate failure.]

  Li Yun sighed internally. He had expected as much. Someone who called themselves an elder of the sect wouldn’t be weak. That much was obvious. Yet, what unsettled him was her demeanor—completely unbothered, as if she had already claimed victory before a battle had even begun.

  The Wandering Sky Elder, seemingly entertained by his silent deliberation, finally spoke again, her voice carrying a melodic lilt that made her words feel oddly hypnotic. "I’d like to introduce myself properly. My name is Xui Peng, the Wandering Sky Elder of the Heavenly Cloud Sect." She gestured vaguely toward the sleeping disciples around them, her expression unreadable yet filled with an almost playful amusement. "And as far as I can see, your friends are still sound asleep. Let’s take this conversation elsewhere, shall we?"

  She took a slow step forward, the air around her shimmering faintly as if bending to her presence. The pressure of her aura was subtle yet undeniable, wrapping around Li Yun like a tightening vice. "You intrigue me, Li Yun," she continued, her silver eyes gleaming like stars behind misty clouds. "Not just because of your strength, but because you are different. I can feel it. There is something about you that even the heavens have taken notice of."

  A sly smile played at the edges of her lips, her presence both alluring and unsettling. "Come now, don’t look so wary," she purred. "I mean no harm. If I did, you would already know. But I do insist we take this elsewhere—somewhere we can talk without interruption."

  Before Li Yun could react, the space around them twisted violently, the air distorting as if reality itself was unraveling. A luminous formation burst to life beneath his feet, intricate symbols etched into the ground pulsing with an ethereal blue radiance. The ancient script, indecipherable yet strangely mesmerizing, shifted and rearranged itself like a living entity, glowing with an intensity that sent flickering patterns across the walls. Crackling arcs of energy slithered through the air, distorting gravity, making his body feel both weightless and unbearably heavy at the same time. His stomach lurched violently as the world around him fragmented into swirling light and shadow. The overwhelming sensation of being pulled through space clenched his gut like an iron vice, and in the blink of an eye, the dormitory dissolved into nothingness.

  When the world steadied again, Li Yun found himself standing on a mountain peak shrouded in pink-hued cherry blossoms. The petals drifted through the air, carried by a soft, fragrant breeze. The sight was breathtaking, but Li Yun was in no mood to appreciate it.

  His stomach churned. He swallowed hard, fighting the bile rising in his throat.

  Xui Peng giggled at his discomfort. "Long-distance teleportation takes some getting used to," she mused. "But welcome to my peak. Consider this your unofficial introduction to the Shadowmist Peak."

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  Li Yun took a deep breath, forcing down his nausea before responding. "Thank you for the welcome, Elder, but don’t get the wrong idea—I have no intention of joining your peak."

  A strange, almost hurt expression flickered across Xui Peng’s face, quickly replaced by something more unreadable. She took a step closer to him, then another, each footfall echoing like a phantom drumbeat in the quiet air. With every measured step, her aura surged, an invisible force crashing down on Li Yun like a celestial tide. The very space around them seemed to ripple, bending under the sheer weight of her presence. It was as if the world itself acknowledged her authority, the gravity shifting, thickening, forcing him to bear an unbearable burden. His breath hitched as his muscles screamed in defiance, straining as if he were supporting the weight of a collapsing mountain. Yet, through sheer willpower alone, he forced himself to remain upright, even as beads of sweat traced slow, burning paths down his spine.

  Still, he refused to kneel.

  Then her voice changed.

  "You’re mine… mine… mine… mine… forever…" Her voice was a breathless whisper, each word dripping with unshakable certainty. Her silver eyes glowed with an eerie obsession, unwavering, unblinking, as if engraving his very existence into her soul. It was not just a declaration—it was a verdict, an unchangeable truth in her mind. The intensity of her presence bore down on Li Yun like a celestial force, suffocating yet intoxicating, her very aura weaving around him like invisible chains tightening with every beat of his heart.

  Her soft, almost possessed whispers sent a shiver down Li Yun’s spine. Her piercing gaze bore into him with an unnatural fervor, as if she were etching his existence into her soul. He had no doubt that, in her mind, she had already claimed him.

  Li Yun exhaled sharply, refusing to waver. "I never said I wouldn’t consider joining your peak," he admitted, his voice steady. "But for now, I won’t join any peak. No one’s peak. Understood?"

  For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with tension, as though the very air held its breath, awaiting the next move. Then, like a switch had been flipped, Xui Peng’s eerie intensity vanished. The gleam in her eyes softened into something more playful, and she let out a lighthearted laugh, clapping her hands together with almost childlike delight.

  "A wise choice, young one," she mused, her voice carrying a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. "After all, the sect leader has his eyes on you. That alone makes you quite the prized existence." Her lips curled into a teasing smirk, but there was something beneath her words—something deeper, a possessiveness that hadn’t entirely faded. "I suppose I shouldn’t be too greedy... just yet."

  She tilted her head, gazing at Li Yun with the faintest trace of intrigue, as if mapping out his future before her very eyes. "But be warned, Li Yun. The stronger you become, the more people will want to claim you. And not all of them will ask first."

  Li Yun clenched his jaw. The mention of the sect leader’s attention made his stomach twist uncomfortably. It was one thing to gain recognition—it was another to be a target.

  "Now then," he said, forcing himself to refocus. "How do we get back? Where the hell even are we?"

  Xui Peng giggled again, her silver hair swaying as she tilted her head, a glimmer of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Simply teleport again, my dear. It's quite simple once you get used to it."

  She raised a delicate hand, her fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air, leaving behind shimmering trails of azure light. As she moved, the symbols interlocked like puzzle pieces, forming a luminous array that pulsed with an unseen power. The swirling energy coalesced into an ethereal gateway, its edges flickering like a mirage against the backdrop of the mountaintop.

  The air around them vibrated with an otherworldly hum, the pressure making Li Yun's skin tingle. The very fabric of space seemed to tremble as the formation solidified, casting eerie shadows against the cherry blossoms swaying in the wind. Xui Peng's gaze lingered on him, playful yet knowing, as if she were revelling in his unease.

  "Step through," she murmured, her voice velvety smooth. "Let's see if you handle it better this time."

  Before Li Yun could protest, she snapped her fingers. The space around him warped once more, and he barely had time to curse before the nauseating sensation of teleportation overtook him.

  Li Yun reappeared in his dormitory, collapsing onto his bed with a groan. His stomach twisted violently, and within seconds, he bolted to the washroom, vomiting into the basin. The sensation of being yanked through space was far worse the second time around, and he made a mental note to never, ever get used to it.

  As he rinsed his mouth and wiped his face, he scowled at his reflection. That woman is dangerous.

  He had no time to dwell on it, though. The sky outside was already tinged with the golden hues of dawn. The final exam was approaching.

  Still feeling the lingering effects of nausea, Li Yun staggered back to his bed, exhaling slowly. He needed rest. He needed to be prepared.

  Because whatever the final exam was, he had a feeling it would be far more difficult than anything he had faced before.