Xia Ningbing seemed to sense the disturbance in his emotions.
After a brief silence, she spoke calmly.
"You needn't worry."
"With us here, even if you tear up the marriage contract, no one will dare trouble you."
Her tone remained cold and indifferent.
Yet beneath those simple words lay unquestionable confidence and authority.
For a brief moment, the bearing of an Immortal Empress seemed to emerge from her.
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Mo Yu cupped his fists respectfully.
Just as he turned to leave, Xia Ningbing's voice rang out once more.
"Wait."
Mo Yu paused and looked back.
"Is there something else, Senior Sister?"
Xia Ningbing slowly raised her slender hand.
With an elegant motion, she removed the jade hairpin securing her hair.
Instantly, her silky black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, flowing behind her in a breathtaking display.
The hairpin left her fingertips and transformed into a streak of golden light.
In the next instant, it landed in Mo Yu's hand.
A cool sensation spread across his palm.
The hairpin carried a faint fragrance that seemed uniquely hers.
Mo Yu examined it carefully.
Soon, surprise flashed across his eyes.
This wasn't a hairpin at all.
It was a Flying Sword.
A Mid-Grade Spirit Treasure.
Moreover, it contained a strand of Xia Ningbing's personal Sword Qi.
When activated, it could unleash a strike comparable to a Body Integration Realm cultivator's full-power attack.
Its destructive power was astonishing.
Xia Ningbing offered no explanation.
Nor was one necessary.
Mo Yu immediately understood her intentions.
This was her way of protecting him.
A faint warmth rose in his heart.
He carefully stored the Flying Sword away before bowing deeply.
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Only then did he turn around and leave.
The mountain peak soon returned to silence.
Only Xia Ningbing remained seated upon the bluestone, surrounded by drifting clouds and mist, her figure as cold and distant as ever.
Yet for some reason, after Mo Yu's departure, the frost-like aura surrounding her seemed to soften ever so slightly.
She slowly opened her beautiful eyes and gazed at the endless sea of clouds before her.
A gentle breeze stirred her long black hair, causing it to flutter lightly.
Her soft voice drifted through the mist like an orchid blooming in an empty valley.
"Golden Core Stage, Eighth Layer... Pure Yang Saint Body... breaking and rebuilding his cultivation..."
A trace of contemplation flashed through her eyes.
A moment later, a translucent panel appeared before her.
[Name: Xia Ningbing]
[Realm: Body Integration Stage, Ninth Layer]
[Comparison Target: Mo Yu]
[Cumulative Victories: 198]
[Rewards will be multiplied by 100 after reaching 200 cumulative victories]
[Comparison Countdown: 0]
Destiny Comparison System.
This was her greatest secret.
A mysterious existence that even she, a former Immortal Emperor, could not fully comprehend.
Ever since Mo Yu joined Verdant Mist Peak, the System had appeared within her consciousness and designated him—the Child of Destiny of this world—as her comparison target.
As long as she defeated Mo Yu in battle, she would receive abundant rewards.
Over the years, relying on the System's rewards, her cultivation had advanced at an astonishing pace.
Not only had she rapidly increased her strength, but she had also obtained numerous treasures and even several Immortal Artifacts.
Because of this, she possessed absolute confidence.
In this life, with both the System and the foundation accumulated from her previous life, she would shatter the shackles of the Immortal Realm and step into the supreme domain that countless experts had sought yet never reached.
Xia Ningbing slowly closed her eyes.
"Begin."
She gave the command silently.
[The 199th Comparison Battle is commencing.]
One breath later.
She opened her eyes again.
The calmness within them remained unchanged, like an ancient well untouched by the passage of time.
No joy.
No excitement.
No sense of achievement.
Everything was simply natural.
[Comparison Victory.]
[Cumulative Victories: 199]
[Reward Obtained: One Wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi]
[Next Comparison Available In: One Month]
A faint strand of purple qi quietly appeared within the System Space.
It looked almost transparent.
Yet it radiated an ancient and mysterious aura that seemed capable of suppressing heaven and earth themselves.
Even Xia Ningbing's unwavering state of mind couldn't help but fluctuate slightly.
Grandmist Purple Qi.
A supreme treasure born during the creation of heaven and earth.
Its uses were endless.
Among them, the most famous was its ability to forge Emperor Weapons.
One could say that possessing a strand of Grandmist Purple Qi was equivalent to holding the foundation necessary to create an Emperor Weapon.
In her previous life, as an Immortal Emperor who ruled the Immortal Realm, such treasures were not particularly difficult for her to obtain.
But in her current state, it was undoubtedly an invaluable treasure.
Just then, another notification appeared.
[The Newcomer Welfare Period has ended.]
[Starting from the next comparison, your cultivation realm will be forcibly suppressed to the same level as the comparison target.]
Xia Ningbing's expression remained indifferent.
She had to admit that Mo Yu's talent was extraordinary.
After all, having his cultivation drained by the remnant soul hidden within that mysterious ring should have completely ruined his future.
Yet in such a short amount of time, he had rebuilt his cultivation and reached the Eighth Layer of the Golden Core Realm.
Even within the Immortal Realm, such talent would qualify him as a top-tier genius.
Unfortunately...
There were levels even among geniuses.
And she was not merely a genius.
In her previous life, she had been the Supreme Immortal Emperor who suppressed an entire era.
Countless heaven-defying prodigies had been forced to lower their heads before her brilliance.
Even if her cultivation were suppressed to Mo Yu's level, defeating her Junior Brother would still be as effortless as turning over her hand.
A trace of confidence flashed through her cold eyes.
Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, her brows furrowed slightly.
There seemed to be...
A penalty for losing.
For the first time, Xia Ningbing directed her attention toward that particular section of the System.
After all, throughout the past one hundred and ninety-nine battles, she had never once considered the possibility of defeat.