"Auntie, something feels off up ahead!" Li Ao called out, rushing to knock on the door of a quiet chamber on the flying boat.0

The door slid open, and Li Yixian stepped out with her usual grace. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she lifted her slender chin, gazing toward the distant plateau where towering stone pillars rose like coiled dragons—each one vivid, lifelike, and ominous.0

Moments later, the sky was split by the thunderous roars of battle.0

Li Yixian’s brow furrowed, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Luo Chen and his people… are in trouble?"0

Li Ao hesitated. "Should we go help them?"0

She bit her lower lip lightly, and her gaze swept across the Li family cultivators still setting up camp nearby. Tents remained half-raised, defensive arrays were not yet activated. They were not prepared for sudden battle.0

After a brief moment of silence, Li Yixian drew a deep breath and turned to him. Her voice was steady and resolute. "You remain here. Keep the others on alert. No one is to grow complacent. I’ll go check it out myself."0

"Yes, ma’am!" Li Ao responded immediately.0

Without another word, Li Yixian rose into the sky, her figure slicing upward with practiced ease. As she flew, her figure began to blur, gradually fading from sight under the effect of a profound secret technique.0

The Shadow Yin!0

The Shadow Yin! It was one of the Li family’s three great second-tier techniques, passed down only to those who possessed the rare and elusive Shadow Yin physique. Li Yixian was one such individual.0

Due to it, she had reached Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining by the age of forty-two. However, the very nature of the technique made breakthroughs difficult and time-consuming. It had taken her years just to barely enter the Foundation Establishment Realm.0

And after that, her cultivation had become even more demanding. Despite her remarkable physique, her spirit roots were average at best. Several years had passed since her breakthrough, and she was still only at the second stage of Foundation...0