When Qi Hao arrived at the location where Lu Xueqi had previously gone into seclusion, he looked around carefully, searching in detail—but failed to find any trace of Lu Xueqi.
However, Qi Hao did not lose heart. His figure flickered, and he flew toward the next possible location.
The last time he had come to Xiaozhu Peak, he had taken the opportunity to inquire in detail with the junior sisters there about the terrain in the rear mountains, and had learned of several spots suitable for secluded cultivation.
Therefore, if Lu Xueqi wasn’t found here, there was surely a chance she could be found elsewhere.
At that moment, Lu Xueqi was indeed cultivating in seclusion—not far from where she had last secluded herself.
It was a quiet bamboo sea. In the center of that sea of bamboo, a winding path led to a refined bamboo pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, Lu Xueqi sat calmly on a stone bench, leisurely savoring this year’s freshly brewed tea.
Most of her attention was focused on the chat group, where she was engaging in conversation with the other members.
However, her spiritual sense remained vigilant at all times, constantly scanning her surroundings to ensure her safety.
After a round of searching, Qi Hao finally discovered Lu Xueqi’s location.
He stood not far away, eyes wide with astonishment as he looked at Lu Xueqi sipping tea in the pavilion.
Within the bamboo sea shrouded in mist, Lu Xueqi wore a light cyan Daoist robe. The dark bamboo-leaf patterns embroidered with silver thread flickered subtly with each breath she took.
Her profile, lowered slightly as she sipped tea, rendered her snow-like skin nearly translucent.
Her brows, like distant mountains brushed with ink; the ends of her eyes held a hint of cold elegance. Her delicate nose was sculpted and upright, and her lips bore the faint hue of peach blossoms just beginning to bloom. She was like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting.
A mountain breeze swept through, causing the myriad tear-bamboo to rustle softly. A few strands of her long, silky black hair were lifted, and the jade bamboo-leaf hairpin in her hair refracted a gentle, warm light.
Strands of hair brushed across her cheek, bringing with them a subtle orchid fragrance.
She raised a hand and tucked the hair behind her ear. That unintentional gesture was like a celestial maiden from the moon palace accidentally wandering into the mortal world, exuding an aura entirely untouched by earthly concerns.
Qi Hao stared at Lu Xueqi in that moment, his eyes filled with unabashed awe.
He realized that in less than half a year, Lu Xueqi’s beauty had surpassed even what he remembered from their last meeting—so breathtaking that it was impossible to look away.
Unconsciously, he began comparing Lu Xueqi to all the other women he had seen within the Qingyun Sect, only to find that none could match her.
Even Tian Ling’er, whose beauty he had once greatly admired, now seemed lackluster in comparison—completely eclipsed.
At the same time, just over a hundred meters behind Qi Hao, Lin Jingyu had also caught sight of Lu Xueqi sipping tea in the pavilion.
The moment he saw her, Lin Jingyu’s eyes first flashed with astonishment. Then, an overwhelming possessiveness surged up like a tidal wave.
A thought began to grow wildly in his heart.
‘This woman is destined to be mine— and mine alone.’
He turned his head coldly and looked toward Qi Hao, who was staring intensely at Lu Xueqi.
His eyes blazed with undisguised killing intent.
Both being transmigrators, Lin Jingyu’s hostility toward Qi Hao had already reached its peak.
At that moment, Lu Xueqi remained completely unaware of the danger approaching her.
With her cultivation at the Fifth Level of the Upper Purity Realm, under normal circumstances, she should have sensed the intruders the moment they stepped into her spiritual awareness.
However, both Qi Hao and Lin Jingyu possessed systems with a stealth function that concealed their auras.
It was as if they were cloaked in invisibility, allowing them to approach silently and undetected.
Qi Hao stared at Lu Xueqi, momentarily entranced, before suddenly snapping back to reality.
Now was not the time to be captivated by beauty.
His top priority was to complete the system binding. He firmly believed that once his strength grew powerful enough, Lu Xueqi would naturally fall into his grasp.
And not just Lu Xueqi—every notable woman within Qingyun Sect would eventually come under his control.
With that thought, Qi Hao’s gaze turned cold and ruthless. His figure shot forward like a specter, darting toward Lu Xueqi with terrifying speed.
He had calculated that, as long as he caught her off guard and made physical contact, the system’s binding process would activate.
Thanks to the stealth feature of his system, even as Lu Xueqi’s spiritual sense swept past his position multiple times, she found nothing.
It was as if Qi Hao didn’t even exist in this space.
Just as he was about to get within reach of Lu Xueqi’s back—at the critical moment—Lin Jingyu, some hundred meters away, was growing increasingly anxious.
Through sheer intuition, he vaguely sensed that Qi Hao’s system likely involved binding with or “collecting” women.
If Qi Hao succeeded now, not only would he lose this peerless beauty, but the other man’s power would also be greatly enhanced—leaving no chance for him to ever catch up.
“Junior Sister Xueqi, watch your back!”
Lin Jingyu finally couldn’t hold back and shouted in warning.
Lu Xueqi’s entire body trembled as she heard the unfamiliar voice. She spun around sharply.
And in that instant, she saw Qi Hao already mere inches away, his right hand reaching out, eyes gleaming with triumphant anticipation.
Her heart jolted in alarm. A volcanic surge of spiritual energy erupted from her body in an instant.
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion rang out. Just as Qi Hao’s hand touched her spiritual shield, it was like slamming into a storming tidal wave.
He was blasted back by the overwhelming force, sent flying through the air.
Blood spurted wildly from his mouth, and the elation on his face instantly froze into stark terror.
Seeing Lu Xueqi escape the crisis at the last moment, Lin Jingyu quietly let out a breath of relief.
With a flicker of his figure, he withdrew into the distant forest, once again going into hiding.
As Qi Hao was sent hurtling through the air, his face twisted in disbelief. He mumbled in shock.
“How could this happen…?”
Recalling the voice that had ruined his plan at the most crucial moment, his shock turned to fury.
“Who was that?! Who dared ruin everything?!”
He roared.
When he realized the voice had been a man’s, his jealousy and rage threatened to consume him.
A terrifying suspicion crossed his mind.
“Why would there be another man in the rear mountains of Xiaozhu Peak? Could he already have some secret relationship with Lu Xueqi?”
The thought only deepened his fury, though he soon forced himself to calm down.
For now, what mattered most was figuring out who had ruined his plans—and how he could get close to Lu Xueqi again to complete the system binding.
But Qi Hao’s immediate concern was…
How was he going to clean up this mess today?
After being blasted dozens of feet through the air, he finally stabilized himself midair using his deep cultivation.
With a sharp turn, he landed back on the ground in a steady motion.
Lu Xueqi still felt a lingering fear. Her eyes flashed with alarm—she hadn’t expected that she had nearly been ambushed by Qi Hao.
As the terrifying implications of that sneak attack settled in, her gaze snapped toward Qi Hao.
She shouted angrily.
“Qi Hao, it’s you again! What exactly are you trying to do?!”