Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the roar of cannons from the martial arts stage on the Jousting Skiff vibrated through the air, drawing nearer from a distance. From time to time, Star Skiffs would soar across the sky.
The peerless Swordswoman of the Xianzhou had shed her Cloud Knight armor and changed into a pure white palace-style dress, both elegant and alluring.
The ethereal garment was tailored to perfection, clinging to her ice-and-snow-like skin. Her figure was statuesque, her waist so slender it could be encircled by a single hand, and the dress only served to accentuate her magnificent physique.
The Swordswoman's hair was naturally moon-white, like the flowing moon in a clear, frosty night sky.
At this moment, her hair was tied up and held in place by an exquisitely carved white jade hairpin. The swaying tassels and her crimson lips were the most eye-catching highlights of her entire attire. Far from looking gaudy, they only served to further perfect the beauty's temperament and features.
"You are truly beautiful, Honored Master."
The classical style of Shenzhou was carved into Ye Feng's very bones.
This attire gave him a feeling unlike any other.
Ye Feng gazed at Jingliu's refined and otherworldly appearance, the magnificent body wrapped within the snow-white long dress stirring his emotions.
The two locked eyes for a moment.
Jingliu gently lowered her head. She knew her fate and awaited his words and his judgment.
"Kneel."
Jingliu froze, a look of struggle flashing across her serene, fairy-like face.
Kneel...
Those who wield the sword have always been aloof and proud. Her status was noble, and the man before her was one who called himself her disciple. How could a master kneel before a disciple?
In this place that had once been filled with her honor, a place where she had once held great hopes, ripples finally disturbed the calm of Jingliu's heart.
She had originally thought that it would be nothing more than lying on a bed, closing her eyes, and steadying her mind. A "nap," and it would all be over.
But she was wide awake.
In the face of this trial, even the Mara Corruption... seemed insignificant.
Ye Feng's expression was no longer gentle and cheerful, but as cold as the "Outer-Realm Heavenly Demon" he was playing. He asked sternly, "Why have you not moved, Honored Master?"
Jingliu hesitated for a moment, then let out a soft breath of clear air. Her head drooped, her hair falling forward, and her body, once as straight as a sword, gradually softened.
She bent her knees and began to slowly kneel towards the floor.
"Too slow!"
Before she could touch the ground, Ye Feng, seeing her sluggish movements, reached out and pressed down on her shoulder. With a forceful push and a soft thud, the peerless Swordswoman whose skill was unmatched on the Xianzhou fell with a thump, kneeling before him.
At this moment, Jingliu's graceful body, wrapped in her snowy robes, was like warm and fragrant jade, carrying an otherworldly aura far removed from the mortal world.
Ye Feng looked down upon the once high and mighty Swordswoman, revered by the countless people of the Xianzhou, and a cruel smile touched the corners of his lips.
"Seen like this, your bearing is even more otherworldly, Honored Master."
"..."
Before this man who stood ramrod straight, Jingliu kept her head lowered in silence, her temperament as cold as ever.
If any of her other disciples or the old Cloud Knight veterans were to see this posture, their jaws would surely drop in shock.
Ye Feng extended a finger and gently lifted Jingliu's chin, raising her beautifully refined and exquisite face.
Jingliu was forced to look up, her snow-white neck craned, at the man who had made her kneel. He called her "Honored Master" with every other word, yet his actions were so outrageously rebellious. His movements were flippant, yet the gaze he directed at her was like that of a strict teacher punishing a misbehaving disciple.
Ye Feng held her chin, studying her for a moment before extending his forefinger to trace her soft, cherry-like lips. Jingliu's lip color was pale and elegant, like the moon in early spring. They were soft and supple to the touch, and incredibly smooth.
Ye Feng's finger pressed lightly against them, applying a slight force as if to pry them open.
Jingliu subconsciously pressed her lips tightly together, blocking his entry.
"Does Honored Master still not understand her current situation?"
Jingliu knelt on the floor, the snowy robes clinging to her skin, outlining a beauty full of tension. The slightly wide sash only served to accentuate her bust, making it appear even fuller.
She bore it all in silence, her sword-heart like profound ice. She told herself that no matter what she was subjected to, she would not react.
In that case, why resist? What am I even resisting?
If the heart is as pure as ice, one remains unshaken even if the heavens fall.
Jingliu slowly relaxed her lips, but Ye Feng's finger moved away.
"There's no rush for this part of you, Honored Master."
Ye Feng chuckled slyly, walking around her to stand behind her.
The peerless, otherworldly fairy knelt on the floor. A pair of jade-like feet peeked out from under her skirt, wearing neither silk stockings nor cloud-patterned slippers. They were like a young lotus bud just peeking into view, and that glimpse of smooth, snow-white skin was more stunning than her greatsword forged from moonlight.
Ye Feng crouched down, his rough fingertips gently stroking those feet that could captivate all of creation.
At the same time, the fireworks outside the window exploded once more.
"Cloud Knights! Cloud Knights!"
"As clouds that shield the sky, guarding and sheltering the Xianzhou!"
"Jing Yuan! Jing Yuan!"
A tidal wave of sound washed over them, and Jingliu, kneeling by the floor-to-ceiling window, trembled slightly.
Jing Yuan, in whom all the major powers of the Xianzhou had placed their hopes, the one unofficially designated as the "future general," had taken the stage.
That was her disciple.
However, with Baiheng dead and the Mara having taken hold, Jingliu had long since lost the heart to distinguish right from wrong.
She had severed her ties to the Xianzhou, seeking only to erase the "stars" from the sky.
And yet... her disciple was out there, fighting for the honor of the Xianzhou, while she, his master, was kneeling in the VIP box, allowing herself to be debased...
No, this is all fake.
Everything here is a 'simulation.'
It is merely a [Script] prepared by Ye Feng to shake my sword-heart.
"—!!"
Suddenly, Ye Feng's fingers slipped between the toes of Jingliu's jade-like foot.
The atmosphere of the Xianzhou's [Martial Demonstration Ceremony], combined with the Cloud Knights' shouts of "guarding and sheltering the Xianzhou" from outside, stirred a unique emotion within Jingliu.
Ye Feng could feel Jingliu's body trembling almost imperceptibly.
"Honored Master, you seem to..."
"Shut up!" Jingliu snapped coldly.
"Hm?"
Ye Feng forcefully tightened his five fingers, which were wedged between her toes, squeezing them like a pair of pliers and causing Jingliu a sharp pain.
"Honored Master, I do not like this tone of voice."
"..."
"You don't want the Xianzhou to be destroyed, do you, Honored Master? Have you forgotten? Only I can save the Xianzhou."
"...S-sorry."
Almost trembling, Jingliu uttered the word.
Of course, this was not from her heart, but was compelled by the [Script].
Jingliu's heart was filled with sorrow. She had truly underestimated this "game."
Only then did Ye Feng smile with satisfaction. "There is no one else here. As for humiliation, if no one sees it, it may as well not exist. With your high level of cultivation, Honored Master, do you really need me to tell you how to overcome such a small mental obstacle?"
Jingliu remained kneeling, her long, moon-white hair cascading down her back. Her voice was cold as she said, "I understand."
Ye Feng relaxed his grip. His fingers pushed her skirt up slowly, revealing a section of her snow-white calf, her skin as clear and radiant as crystal. He shifted her body slightly, then suddenly grabbed her ankle, causing her cold, jade-like foot to tense up.
"Hm?"
"It seems Honored Master likes to be treated roughly?"
"No..." Jingliu softly refuted.