Chapter Forty-Nine: The Imperial Princess Outsmarts the Goddess of War

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"That's right."

The woman answered without the slightest hesitation. "That silent lake you saw is actually a Mirror of Heart Reflection. Anyone harboring inner demons will be trapped within, never able to emerge, unless a disciple from our Temple of the Return to Ruins comes to their rescue."

"But you are an exception."

"I saw you just now, clearly ensnared by your inner demons in an illusion, yet you slipped out of the Mirror of Heart Reflection with ease. And when I called out to you casually, you awoke instantly. This alone proves you are no ordinary person."

"Mirror of Heart Reflection?"

Hearing these three words, Bai Mu's doubts surfaced once more. Could it be that the Crown Prince of Siyou, Xiahou Qingyang, is the inner demon haunting me?

But ever since he could remember, he had always lived atop Mount Dongwang, and he could not even say in which direction the Kingdom of Siyou lay. How could he possibly be entangled with their Crown Prince Qingyang—a man with whom he shared nothing in common?

"Stop overthinking. What appears in the Mirror of Heart Reflection is the truest image of your subconscious."

"Even thoughts buried for years will be laid bare before that mirror."

The woman in white stood at the edge of the cliff, letting the mountain wind caress her graceful face, her black hair whipping about her head. Her elegant and transcendent silhouette was beautiful to the point of breathtaking.

But Bai Mu cared little for such things at the moment. Death was a small matter; the loss of the Azure Dragon Sword was a catastrophe.

If the Azure Dragon Sword were to fall into the hands of someone with sinister intentions, it would threaten countless lives.

"Immortal Maiden, please return the Azure Dragon Sword to me!"

Bai Mu fixed a somber gaze on her. His tone made it clear this was his final ultimatum.

"Very well."

The woman in white shrugged her fragrant shoulders and turned calmly around. She stretched out a slender, jade-like hand, and with a flicker, the ancient and imposing Azure Dragon Sword materialized in her palm, pure as snow.

"Returning your sword is not out of the question. But first, I must test the strength of its master."

"If I find you cannot protect this sword, then abandon the idea of reclaiming it. With your current cultivation, how could you guarantee its safety?"

"Hmph!"

Bai Mu's handsome brows arched in anger, and he snorted coldly. "This sword is mine by right—why should you test me?"

"Why?"

"By strength, if you must know."

The woman in white smiled faintly, her spirit undaunted as she retorted, "In this wild and savage land, strength is the only law!"

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"Fortunately for you, it is I who stand before you today. Even if I seize the Azure Dragon Sword, you still have a fair chance to win it back."

"Had it been someone from the demon or fiend clans, not only would they not reason with you, they would kill you to eliminate any future threat. You should count yourself lucky!"

"Shameless!"

A crisp, disdainful voice suddenly rang out overhead. In the next instant, a green light flashed, revealing a stunning figure with enchanting beauty.

She was clad in a translucent green gauze that wrapped her exquisite curves. Sword energy surged around her, and her hair was slightly tousled—evidence, perhaps, of a fierce battle in the realm of illusions just moments before.

Yet her composed expression suggested all was well.

Bai Mu could finally breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a stroke of good fortune—Ling Yan had arrived, a timely rain after a long drought.

With her here, no matter how profound the cultivation of the woman in white, she could not possibly be Ling Yan's match.

"So, it's you?"

The woman in white stared ahead in disbelief. Her eyes betrayed a complex mix of fear, resentment, and the joy of seeing an old acquaintance.

Ling Yan's own expression was equally clouded, mirroring the other's uncertainty, though her face bore an added hint of pride.

Bai Mu could no longer make sense of their exchange.

From their words, it was clear they knew each other. But if so, why such animosity in their eyes?

Were they enemies?

Yet if they were, why did their glances also hold the thrill of meeting a friend in a distant land?

As Bai Mu pondered, Ling Yan's clear voice sounded again.

"Xi Yan, it's been a while."

"Ling Yan, don't tell me you're here to fight me again?" The woman in white raised her delicate brows and replied with a mixture of nostalgia and challenge.

Only now did Bai Mu understand that this otherworldly beauty bore a name as exquisite as herself—Xi Yan.

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Her name was indeed profound.

In the wild lands, only at the moment when the sun sets does the sky blaze with the most splendid colors. Yet such a magnificent sight exists only fleetingly, before the darkness devours it all.

The setting sun is infinitely lovely—only, dusk comes all too soon.

The woman in white bore a most evocative name. Xi Yan—her parents must have hoped she would be as breathtaking as the last rays of sunset, hence bestowing her a name as fleeting and dazzling as a moment of glory.

But perhaps they had not foreseen that such beauty, like fireworks, is but an instant’s marvel—like the bloom of the otherworldly Manjusaka, seen once and remembered for ten thousand years.

"This time, I'm not here to fight. Just give the sword back!"

Ling Yan instructed with a mischievous grin, her eyes alight with mirth. Her playful expression only deepened Bai Mu's curiosity about their past.

"No!"

Xi Yan refused without hesitation. "The Azure Dragon Sword is an ancient sacred artifact. How can it be entrusted to an ordinary boy? Besides, with his weak cultivation, he cannot possibly protect it!"

"So what?"

"Whether he can or cannot protect the Azure Dragon Sword is his own business. Why should a young woman like you meddle so much?"

Ling Yan pressed on undaunted, taking two steps forward, making it clear she was prepared to seize the sword by force if necessary.

"Stop!"

Xi Yan quickly raised her slender finger to halt her. "If you want a fight, we can find another time for it. But today, the Azure Dragon Sword is mine!"

"This sword belongs to Bai Mu—how can you justify seizing it by force?"

"If your father, the Immortal Brahma, were to hear of this, he would surely give you a severe scolding!"

At this, Ling Yan could not help but cover her mouth and laugh, evidently recalling some amusing incident from the past.

Xi Yan's brows knitted in anger, and she was rendered speechless, her beautiful face flushed with fury. Clearly, Ling Yan’s words had touched a sore spot from her past.