Inside her room, Su Yin stripped off her bloodied robes and stepped into the bathroom connected to her quarters to wash the blood from her body.
"That girl landed a solid blow," Su Yin muttered to herself. "How many years has it been since I last saw my own blood, let alone had a hole torn through my chest?"
In her previous life, Su Yin had been an Immortal, standing near the pinnacle of cultivation. She had everything—beauty, power, and the envy of others.
Now, she couldn't even compare to a mere mortal at the Elementary Spirit Realm, her body marred by a grievous wound.
Of course, it was the previous Su Yin who had landed in this predicament, not the current one. Still, Su Yin didn't make excuses. This was her body now, and she took the blame upon herself.
After cleaning the blood from her skin, she applied medicine to the wound in her chest, wrapped it with cloth, and called it a day.
By the time Su Yin finished tending to her injury, news of her defeating Yan Mei in a deathmatch had spread like wildfire through the outer court.
"What? That useless Su Yin, who can't even please a partner properly, beat Yan Mei? Are you certain?" a disciple exclaimed.
"I saw it with my own eyes!" another insisted. "After Yan Mei stabbed her in the chest, Su Yin roared, and everyone around the stage spat up blood. Yan Mei herself collapsed, unconscious!"
"A mere shout caused everyone to vomit blood? Nonsense! I don't believe it," another scoffed.
"I don't blame you… I could hardly believe it myself," the witness admitted.
Such conversations echoed throughout the sect. Even Elder Sun, who had halted the fight, couldn't shake the memory of the terrifying pressure that had engulfed the stage.
"What happened between you two during the fight? Tell me everything!" Elder Sun demanded, glaring at Yan Mei, whom she had brought in for questioning.
"I… I don't know," Yan Mei said, rubbing her temples as a headache throbbed. "All I remember is stabbing Su Yin in the chest before a wave of killing intent overwhelmed me. Before that, it was like fighting a fool who didn't even know how to wield a sword. But after…"
Yan Mei shivered, recalling the look on Su Yin's face after the strike. "It was like I was facing a completely different person!"
Elder Sun fell silent, mulling over Yan Mei's words.
'The killing intent I felt from that girl wasn't something born from a single stab,' Elder Sun thought. 'It was the kind forged through countless near-death experiences and bloodshed. Who is this Su Yin, really? How have I never heard of her before today?'
Elder Sun looked at Yan Mei and said, "You may leave. Don't let me catch you on that stage without permission again!"
"This disciple wouldn't dare!" Yan Mei replied, hurrying away.
After Yan Mei left, Elder Sun began investigating Su Yin. Within minutes, she was stunned by what she found.
According to the records, Su Yin had been in the sect for nearly a year, yet her cultivation hadn't progressed due to her inability to find a partner.
Elder Sun couldn't fathom how someone as beautiful as Su Yin could fail to secure a partner, so she dug deeper.
What she uncovered left her speechless.
"Mental issues? Unable to perform properly in dual cultivation? No talent? Is this accurate?" Elder Sun asked Elder Mu, another sect elder who was providing the information.
"You don't pay much attention to the outer court, so you wouldn't know," Elder Mu replied. "But almost everyone there knows Su Yin and her… condition. The only reason she remains a disciple is because the Matriarch believes her beauty could still be of use to the sect."
"A pity," Elder Sun sighed. Su Yin's beauty was undeniable, even by the sect's lofty standards. But with her issues, it was a waste.
"However…" Elder Sun's eyes narrowed. "The girl I saw today didn't match that description at all."
"I don't know what else to tell you, Elder Sun. That's all we know about her," Elder Mu said with a shrug.
"I see. Thank you, Elder Mu."
"By the way, how's your grandson doing in the sect? Has he found a partner yet?" Elder Mu asked, shifting the topic.
Elder Sun's serious demeanor softened, and she laughed. "That boy is picky. It'll be a while before he settles on someone."
"How about introducing him to my granddaughter, Mu Gong, sometime?" Elder Mu suggested.
Elder Sun's lips twitched, but she kept her smile. "One of these days," she replied casually.
When Su Yin finally emerged from her room, she was greeted by Tang Hua, her roommate, and another figure—a handsome young man named Meng Jiao, Tang Hua's partner.
"How's your injury?" Tang Hua asked, noticing her.
"Just a bug bite," Su Yin replied.
"Bug bite, huh…" Tang Hua chuckled. Having shared quarters for nearly a year, she could sense something different about Su Yin.
The most striking change was the absence of the foolish expression Su Yin used to wear; now, she seemed composed, almost normal.
"Where are you headed?" Tang Hua asked as Su Yin moved toward the door.
"Just a stroll," Su Yin said, already stepping outside.
"But your injury…"
"Like I said—just a bug bite."
After Su Yin left, Meng Jiao spoke up. "She seems different today."
"You think so too? How so?" Tang Hua asked.
"She's… more beautiful, somehow," Meng Jiao said.
Tang Hua's eyes widened, startled by his words.
Meng Jiao laughed at her reaction. "Don't worry. No matter how beautiful she gets, you're my only partner!"
"That's not what I meant…" Tang Hua said, her cheeks flushing.
"Alright, let's go cultivate," Meng Jiao said, pulling Tang Hua toward her room, where they would soon embrace in the intimate practice of dual cultivation.