Chapter 3: Phoenix tear.

The sky over Yidu darkened as a flying ship passed overhead, heading for the Long Clan estate. The hull of the ship was entirely covered with pale-blue jade and etched with glimmering frost patterns. The Frozen Lotus Palace's airship glided through the clouds like a swan over still water. A sharp chill spread in its wake, frost kissing the leaves of the Long Clan's vast gardens as the ship finally descended before the main gates.

It was a truly grand arrival. But the reception, by design, was anything but.

Only a minor steward awaited them at the landing platform. A Virdian realm cultivator, young, polite, but entirely unremarkable. No banners, no elders, no ceremonial welcome. The steward bowed with practiced grace. "Honored guests, please follow me. The Clan awaits you."

The Frozen Lotus Place disciples were not pleased and felt slighted.

"A reception of such... warmth."

"Hmph. The Long Clan does not respect us."

"They send a mere Virdian Realm expert to receive us? Laughable."

Lady Meiyun, an elder of the Frozen Lotus Palace, frowned slightly. Though displeased, she and the other sect's elders swallowed their pride, but did not attempt to stop their disciples from expressing dissatisfaction. 

"Be gracious," Baixue said calmly, descending last. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, her presence serene as falling snow. "We are here on important business, not pomp."

The disciples immediately quieted down, but still, the slight stung. The steward led them not toward the central audience hall, but to a side pavilion in the outer court, reserved for minor guests and visiting merchants.

The women of the Frozen Lotus Palace said nothing, but a quiet tension followed them like mist as their dissatisfaction increased.

Within the side hall, the atmosphere was thick.

Ryuji Long sat among the Long Clan elders, his arms crossed, jaw tight; he had witnessed countless prodigies rise and fall, yet none frustrated him more than his nephew.

By all accounts, Kieran should have been a genius. He had the flawless bone structure of a cultivator, a sharp mind, and a natural presence that commanded respect in the younger generation of the clan. And yet, despite everything, he could not cultivate.

Ryuji clenched his fists. If only I had been stronger... If only I had obtained a Root Enhancement Pill earlier... He had saved for years, gathering resources, hoping to one day help his nephew unlock his potential. But now, before he could act, humiliation was knocking on their door.

He heard the low whispers of several younger disciples seated just behind the elders, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Brother Kieran always gave me pointers on sword forms... even though he can't cultivate himself."

"He shared his spirit stones when I lacked cultivation resources."

"He has always helped us, lending us resources to improve our cultivation."

"I know, right? If only he could cultivate…"

"We might not be able to do anything, but at least we can stand with him."

The Frozen Lotus disciples heard them too, their expressions flickering between disdain and confusion.

"Why is he respected?" one of them whispered.

"He has no cultivation. Isn't he a disgrace?"

Ryuji's hand tightened into a fist. You don't understand... Kieran isn't weak. Not truly.

At the center of the hall sat Draco Long, the Clan Patriarch, unmoving as a mountain. His presence dominated the room even in silence. Across from him, Lady Meiyun sat with Baixue and the other palace elders.

"We thank you for receiving us," Meiyun began stiffly.

Draco offered no pleasantries. "We must keep the peace within Yidu. Formalities are unimportant."

Baixue bowed her head slightly. "I wish to speak with Kieran Long. In private."

Draco's gaze sharpened. "That will not be necessary. The Long Clan will handle matters of this engagement."

An elder of the Frozen Lotus Palace scoffed. "Handle it? Lady Baixue is a prodigy among prodigies. Soon to become the Saintess of our Frozen Lotus Palace. Do you truly think she should remain tied to a waste of a man?"

The Fifth Elder of the Long Clan slammed his palm on the table. "Mind your words!"

The temperature in the room shifted dramatically as spiritual pressure swelled. Draco Long's Emperor Realm aura surged like a rising tide. Stopping both parties before things could escalate.

One of the Frozen Lotus elders instinctively pushed back, but it was clear that her aura was nowhere near Emperor level.

"If you wish to end this engagement," Draco said coldly, "we will decide how to receive that insult. No need to trouble the boy."

Baixue frowned slightly, a flicker passing through her eyes.

They think I'm here to humiliate him...

She was just about to try and solve the misunderstanding when the hall doors creaked open. She found herself unable to take her eyes off the figure that just walked in.

Kieran Long stepped inside, clad in a simple gray robe. He walked calmly, head high, despite the countless gazes turned his way. He bowed first to the Long Clan elders.

"Patriarch. Elders."

Then, simply nodded in greeting to the guests.

Gasps rippled among the Frozen Lotus disciples.

"That's him?"

"He's... so handsome."

"Pity he's a waste."

Sindra lounged lazily on his shoulder, invisible to all but him. Her voice teased in his mind.

"Oh my... is that a blush I see on the Ice Princess's face? Master, your charm is truly great."

Kieran met Baixue's gaze and to his surprise, there was no scorn in her eyes. Only something quieter. Something almost gentle.

"I wish to speak with Kieran privately."

The entire hall fell into stunned silence. Even the Long clan elders who had been prepared to wage verbal war faltered.

Draco Long's brows furrowed. "What business do you have to discuss with him alone?"

Baixue met his gaze without hesitation. "If you will allow it."

Draco glanced at Kieran. "Do you accept?"

He hummed in thought, then shrugged. "I don't see why not."

He gestured for Baixue to follow him out of the hall; her expression unreadable, she slowly trailed behind him.

Behind them, a dozen thoughts churned, unspoken and electric.

The moment they were alone, Xue Ying raised her hand, throwing a disc with intricate seals in the air. A crystalline barrier shimmered into place, sealing the room from prying eyes and ears.

Long Chen leaned lazily against a wooden pillar. "Well, this is certainly dramatic. Are you going to kill me?"

Xue Ying exhaled sharply, her composed mask faltering for the first time. "I never intended to break our engagement."

Long Chen blinked. "Come again?"

"The palace elders wish to sever ties, but I do not. My family does not. This union was my father's wish, and I intend to honor it."

Long Chen ran a hand through his hair, digesting her words. "So you're saying… ?"

"I will be your wife." Xue Ying stepped closer, "And to prove my sincerity...."

She extended her delicate hand, revealing a luminous red fruit inside an intricately designed box.

"A Phoenix Tear Fruit?" Long Chen gasped, recognizing the legendary spiritual treasure with extreme yang properties. A key ingredient for the Rebirth Pill, a heaven-defying pill that gives cultivators the chance to reform their bodies and improve talent.

Kieran ate the fruit without hesitation, his actions dictated by instincts rather than reason. He sat cross-legged as his cultivation technique began operating to refine the Yang chi while the sphere in his chest rotated, absorbing the excess energy and helping to regulate the flow. The energy flowed to his dantian, repairing his spiritual roots while nourishing his body.

Baixue, who was shocked by his suicidal actions, quickly sat behind him, placing her palm on his back, hoping to help him control the overwhelming Yang chi, but was surprised to find that he was somehow able to refine the energy that could kill even an emperor realm cultivator.