The Six Rivers and Four Islands lie southeast of Dragon Abyss Marsh, collectively referring to ten Blessed Land Cave Mansions. The southernmost river is Bai Zhuo River, where the True Disciple Sun Xian resides. She belongs to the Li Liang Sun Family and has been cultivating in the Upper Court for twelve years, reaching the Xuan Guang Second Realm in cultivation.
Today, Sun Xian was entertaining distinguished guests in her Cave Mansion.
Seated across from her was an elegant young woman with her hair styled in a single coiled bun and clothed in a pale-yellow ruqun. She appeared to be around twenty, her face devoid of makeup yet still strikingly beautiful, with crimson lips and fair skin that captivated the eye.
After chatting casually for some time, the topic gradually shifted to their relatives. The young woman smiled faintly and said, "Sister Sun, by bringing Jiulang back this time, you might have taken a risky gamble. If the deacon disciples of Zhengqing Institute were to find out, a reprimand might be inevitable."
Sun Xian flicked her jade-like wrist dismissively and said, "Junior Sister Huang, you don’t understand. Jiulang has returned under a different name and is only referred to by his familial nickname. Who would risk offending the Six Rivers and Four Islands to expose this secret now? Surely, the junior sister wouldn’t be the one to speak up, would you?"
Junior Sister Huang maintained her serene smile and said, "I heard that the one who forcibly drove Jiulang and others out of the Mountain Gate was the True Disciple Zhang Yan. Are you not worried that he might learn of this and come looking for trouble with you all?"
Sun Xian snorted coldly, "Junior Sister Huang, could it be that you are unaware? Zhang Yan is already struggling for survival, a man on the brink of death. This time, it was your esteemed mentor, True Master Qin, who targeted him, leaving him with no retreat. Even Dean Zhou cannot shield him. He is about to venture into the deadly array, a fate that will force him into reincarnation and a complete restart of cultivation. Such a man—what courage would he have to meddle in the affairs of the Six Rivers and Four Islands? Would he dare court death even more hastily?"
Junior Sister Huang sighed softly, understanding full well that reincarnation meant losing all memories of one’s prior life. The person would essentially cease to exist, and thus, cultivators avoided taking such a step unless absolutely desperate. Zhang Yan, at mere twenty years of age, was known as an outstanding True Disciple highly valued by influential figures like Qi Yuntian within the sect. A promising future lay before him, yet now he faced this dire path—a clear sign he had been pushed to a breaking point.
She thought to herself, "Junior Sister Feng, you are the one who doomed this man. If not for your candid confession of affection to the mentor, how would he have ended up in such a plight?"
At that moment, a maid suddenly rushed in without prior notice, her face flustered as she blurted, "Mistress, something terrible has happened! Something terrible! Wan Zhang, Sixth Son of Red Sun Island, is being relentlessly pursued by an unknown assailant. He’s heading straight toward us, crying out for your protection..."
This maid was one of Sun Xian’s trusted attendants. Seeing her panic-stricken entry, Sun Xian initially intended to scold her. But upon hearing those words, the tea cup she was holding trembled, spilling a few droplets of tea. Stunned, she turned to look at the maid and demanded sharply, "What did you say?"
The maid replied anxiously, "Sixth Son Wan is being pursued. His life hangs by a thread. The disciples of the island have been trying to block the attacker, but many have already been injured by that fierce adversary. They’re now incapacitated, Mistress, hurry..."
Sun Xian’s delicate brows knitted into an angry frown. With a loud "smack," she hurled the tea cup to the ground and snarled, "Who dares to run amok on Six Rivers and Four Islands?"
The Sun Family and Wan Family were bound by marriage ties, and Wan Zhang counted as one of her own relatives. Setting familial relations aside, to have the audacity to assault someone from her island was a direct challenge. Flames of fury ignited within her. Without further ado, she abandoned Junior Sister Huang, tapped her toes lightly against the ground, and within moments, floated out of the Cave Mansion. Her figure transformed into a streak of white radiance that soared into the sky.
Upon reaching the clouds, she surveyed the area. Ahead, a red tunneling light fled frantically like a dog that had lost its master. Behind it, an awe-inspiring, radiant blue gleam pursued relentlessly. More than ten disciples from the island were piloting their Flying Boat Magical Artifacts in an attempt to intercept the blue gleam, yet their cultivation levels were too feeble. They were struck down even before making contact and fell to the ground, their fates uncertain.
Seeing this, Sun Xian’s rage surged further. Her red lips parted as she rebuked, "What rogue dares come to Bai Zhuo River to provoke us? Do you think we have no one to defend our honor?"
Wan Zhang, terrified by the ruthless slaughter Zhang Yan had unleashed earlier on Spiritual Paper Island, had long lost his courage. He no longer questioned why Zhang Yan, seemingly much faster, had purposely delayed catching him. Now, catching sight of Sun Xian was like clasping a straw that offered salvation. He screamed hysterically, "Sister Sun! Sister Sun! Save me! Save me!"
Sun Xian furrowed her brows, muttering inwardly, "Wan Zhang is supposed to be one of the Wan Family’s talented younger cultivators. In the past, I always found his demeanor poised, a charming and refined young man. Why does he appear so disgraceful today?"
Though she harbored such thoughts, she still intended to protect him. Her slender fingers picked up a White Handkerchief. With a flick against the wind, she unleashed a streak of white Xuan Guang, which swept the exhausted Wan Zhang over toward her. Glancing at him, her expression shifted abruptly with astonishment.