"Oh?" With a wave of her jade-like hand into the void, the palm—whiter than fresh-fallen snow—slowly unfurled.

Ding—

Four massive ice crystals erupted around Tian You, Hua Zhaoxue, and the others, trapping them at the center. The crystals dissolved from above, melting into countless tiny ice spikes. With a single swipe of her hand, frigid energy burst forth. In an instant, the spikes shot toward Tian You from all directions, each laced with sharp, murderous intent.

Yet Tian You stood utterly still. A faint silver glow shimmered over his sword-gripping hand, coating the blade. He pressed the tip firmly into the ground.

Whoosh—

Silver light flared from the sword tip, flooding the entire space in a flash. The four ice crystals and the incoming spikes vanished without a trace beneath its radiance.

"..."

Behind Tian You, profound shock flickered in every pair of eyes.

Hua Zhaoxue and Nie Wangqing had long known Tian You was extraordinary—but never imagined he could directly counter… the pinnacle of Sacred Dance cultivation… twice.

The veiled woman’s move was merely a test. Was Tian You’s reply not equally effortless?

Her brows slowly furrowed, then eased. Her gaze locked onto him. The prior disdain for men had vanished, replaced by measured appreciation—as an emperor might regard a capable, promising subject.

Her snow-white hand rose again. A faint blue luminescence flickered around her graceful form, flowing like conscious water toward her raised palm. Intensifying to brilliance, it shot dozens of zhang into the void, then compressed. As it condensed, the azure deepened—finally forming a slender beam of radiant light.

The chill in her snow-pale eyes softened into curiosity. She tossed the beam downward. It arced through the air, slashing straight toward Tian You.

His long hair whipped in the gale, white robes fluttering. Tian You closed his violet eyes, held the sword horizontally, and with a single thought, silver light swirled around the blade.

The azure beam was now less than ten zhang away. The veiled woman’s brows tightened—she moved to recall it.

Tian You’s eyes snapped open. His pupils remained a vast, clear violet.

Simultaneously, the silver light around the sword blazed. Everyone behind him instinctively shut their eyes.

The radiance condensed into a single thread—slicing cleanly through the azure beam. *Crack.* The beam shattered at the cut point.

The deep blue dissolved back into ice crystals, drifting apart as delicate snowflakes in the void.

"..."

Her jade hand remained frozen mid-motion. On her faintly visible celestial face, uncertainty flickered for the first time.

Behind Tian You, every face was locked in awe—a shock none had ever known.

"Men… men, long deemed weak on this continent… actually countered a top-tier Qi Cultivator’s techniques… twice…"

While Li Yilin stood in disbelief, Li Rui stared at that peerless back, eyes burning with fervent admiration.

*So men, too, can stand proudly against the world.*

The iron sword in Tian You’s hand crumbled from tip to hilt, leaving only the bare grip.

...

The veiled woman gazed at Tian You’s unshaken calm, silent for a long moment. Then, lips parting softly, she murmured toward his flowing white robes:

"Your name."

"Tian You." He stepped forward, gripped the hilt with both hands, bowed slightly—replying with quiet grace, neither proud nor rushed.

"Tian… You…" Her eyes closed. After a pause, she recalled no male Qi Cultivator by that name on the continent.

"I have remembered it."

With a whisper, she flicked her snowy sleeves. They dissolved into drifting snowflakes, vanishing into the void.

Celestial Phoenixdance—nestled at the heart of the Shengwu Empire. Viewed from above, its terrain flowed like a freely dancing phoenix, stretching hundreds of thousands of miles in all directions, embodying Phoenixdance itself.

At the center of Phoenixdance City rose forty-eight colossal palaces, majestic and boundless. The grandest—the Sacred Dance Empress’s residence—crowned by a lifelike phoenix with wings spread wide, radiating divine majesty that stirred reverence in all who beheld it.

Within the throne hall, a woman of ethereal beauty reclined upon the imperial seat. Her ink-black hair cascaded over a white gown. Crossed jade legs traced an elegant curve; bare feet revealed delicate, flawless toes like polished jade. She opened her eyes, gaze drifting toward the Sacred Dance horizon—a faint, hazy curiosity gleaming within.

"How interesting…"