The banquet stretched deep into the night. Musicians still plucked their zithers, dancers still swirled in silken robes, and the guests drowned themselves in wine. Yet beneath the flow of merriment, Lin Xueya felt the tension like a drawn bowstring. Her instincts warned her: danger was only a heartbeat away.
She did not have to wait long.
A servant approached, bowing deeply as he placed a fresh cup of jade-green wine before her. The aroma was sweet, almost too sweet, carrying a faint undercurrent that pricked her senses.
The system's voice resonated coldly in her mind:
> [Warning: foreign toxin detected. Highly refined poison, lethal within one breath. Neutralizing… conversion complete.]
The wine shimmered faintly in her vision. Where others would see only liquid gold, she could see threads of dark energy being dismantled, absorbed, and transformed into pure spiritual essence that flowed into her meridians.
No one else noticed.
The clone behind her whispered telepathically:
> "Master, they really served you death in a cup. Want me to slit his throat before dessert?"
Xueya's lips curved slightly. Not yet.
She lifted the cup delicately, as if unaware, and brought it to her lips. The poison was gone, dissolved by the system, but she let her body sway subtly, her eyes dimming. She lowered the cup with trembling fingers and let her breathing grow shallow.
The effect was immediate.
Around her, faces shifted—some in feigned shock, others in smug anticipation. One elder in particular failed to hide the glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes.
> "So," Xueya thought coldly, "that's the snake."
---
Gasps filled the hall.
"Fairy Lin! Are you well?"
"Call a healer, quickly!"
The drunken cultivator from Iron Spear Sect smirked behind his sleeve, pretending concern while his eyes gleamed.
Another elder leaned forward, voice dripping with false worry:
"Fairy Lin, perhaps you should rest. It seems the grief has weakened your constitution. Allow us to escort you somewhere safe."
Safe? No. It was a cage.
The clone spoke in her mind again:
> "I count four who are pretending. The one in the gray robe? His smile nearly broke his face. Shall I drag him outside?"
Xueya fought to keep her composure. Instead of revealing her strength, she let her body slump gently, her hand resting against her chest. The musicians stopped playing; dancers froze mid-step. Every eye turned to her.
The elder in gray robe finally stood, waving his hand magnanimously.
"Do not panic, fellow cultivators. Our honored guest merely suffers from exhaustion. Allow my sect to take her for treatment. We will ensure her safety."
His words were righteous, but his eyes were greedy. He wanted her removed from the banquet, away from witnesses.
But Xueya was faster.
She let out a soft cough, then slowly raised her head. Her lips curved in a faint smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Thank you… elder. But I have no need of your treatment."
The poison should have killed her within moments. Yet here she was, still radiant, still composed. The hall grew quiet, tension coiling tighter.
---
Then, with deliberate grace, she raised her jade cup again and drained the rest of the wine in a single swallow.
Gasps exploded like thunder.
"What?!"
"Impossible—"
"That was Azure Nightshade! Even a Core Formation cultivator would collapse!"
Xueya placed the empty cup back on the table with a clear clink. She rose slowly, her aura sharp as a blade, sweeping the hall.
"If this is hospitality," she said softly, "then I must wonder—how many here came to honor me… and how many came to bury me?"
The silence was suffocating. Several faces turned pale.
The elder in gray robe stammered, "Y-you—surely you jest, Fairy Lin. Perhaps the poison was… diluted…"
The clone chuckled in her mind:
> "Ha! His heart just dropped into his stomach. Want me to 'dilute' his face into the floor?"
Xueya ignored the joke, her gaze fixed like frost. She had seen enough. These were not allies. These were jackals circling her, eager to tear apart both her and the unborn legacy she carried.
But she would not reveal her cards fully—not yet.
She bowed slightly, her tone light yet cutting:
"Thank you all for your kindness tonight. But it seems I must excuse myself early. My body, after all, is delicate."
And with that, she turned, her sleeves fluttering like a celestial phoenix, and strode out of the hall. The clone shadowed her steps, muscles coiled for battle.
Behind her, the murmurs exploded, no longer even pretending to be whispers.
> "She resisted Azure Nightshade—how?!"
"Impossible. Unless…"
"No… could it be she carries a treasure?!"
Xueya's lips curved into a small, cold smile as she stepped into the night air. The poison in the cup had revealed more than she had hoped: her enemies were not just covetous—they were desperate.
And desperation made them sloppy.
---
The misty dawn inside the miniature world was rich with spiritual essence. Lin Xueya sat cross-legged at the peak of a jade cliff, her body wrapped in a halo of crystalline light. Her meridians pulsed like flowing rivers, drawing the dense energy of the realm into her dantian. Each breath stretched her core wider, her foundation stabilizing after days of tempering.
"Spiritual energy here is at least a hundred times richer than outside," she murmured, voice carrying a mix of awe and determination. "If I can refine it properly, my cultivation path may surpass the limits of my former world."
Behind her, the three clones materialized one by one. The first appeared in the form of a tall warrior with broad shoulders, radiating battle intent. The second took on the appearance of a sly scholar, eyes shimmering with intelligence and curiosity. The third clone… well, it appeared as an unbelievably handsome man whose robe hung too loosely, revealing toned muscles and a flirtatious grin.
Xueya's lips twitched. "System, why is this clone like that?"
Ding. The appearance of each clone may manifest based on subconscious preferences of the host.
Her cheeks burned. "My subconscious? Ridiculous!"
The "handsome clone" leaned closer, whispering, "Master, don't deny it. I was born from you, after all."
Xueya smacked his forehead. "Behave! Or I'll make you guard the latrine pits of this world."
The other two clones burst into laughter. The air, though heavy with cultivation intent, filled with a lively, almost R18 comedy that made Xueya's heart lighten. For once, she did not feel like a woman burdened by tragedy. She felt… alive.
After some banter, she grew serious. "From now on, each of you has a path. First clone, focus on combat. Train the sword and body arts to their peak. Second, gather information—be my eyes and ears in the outside world. Third… you'll assist me with alchemy and array formations. And try not to look like a walking scandal when we step outside."
The third clone smirked, transforming into a more modest appearance—yet still ridiculously attractive. "Fine, fine, I'll tone it down. But you can't stop your aura, Master. Your beauty alone will topple nations."
Xueya ignored him, though her heartbeat betrayed her composure.
---
Days later, outside the miniature world, she dared to approach the remnants of the sect that had orchestrated the assault on her late husband. Hidden beneath a veil of illusion, her second clone infiltrated their mountain. From its eyes, Xueya saw grand halls carved of obsidian, banners fluttering with the crest of the "Heaven's Veil Sect."
Inside, elders sat in council.
"The death of that insignificant cultivator was only the beginning," one elder sneered. "The widow still lives, and rumors speak of her inheriting something extraordinary. We must find her."
Another added, "Our Array of Heaven's Veil requires a vast source of spiritual energy. If we capture her and force her secret out, we can surpass even the Imperial Dao Sect."
Xueya's fists tightened. They didn't know about her miniature world, yet their greed reached for it already.
Meanwhile, the handsome third clone—assigned as alchemist—attended a public market near the sect. He was supposed to sell a few pills discreetly, but instead he drew half the female cultivators into swooning crowds.
"Esteemed alchemist, your eyes shine like twin moons…" one disciple whispered, clutching his sleeve.
The clone winked, sending another wave of blushes. Through their shared link, Xueya almost choked. This idiot! I told him to be discreet, not start a harem!
Still, his antics provided useful cover. While attention swirled around him, the second clone gathered secrets unhindered.
Back inside her world, Xueya refined herbs within the divine cauldron. Flames roared, infused with pure dao-intent, transforming raw plants into golden pills that shimmered with vitality. As the aroma filled the realm, her unborn children stirred gently in her womb, nourished by the overflowing energy.
She whispered, touching her belly, "This is why I must become stronger. Not for revenge alone, but for the three of you."
Her gaze hardened, beautiful eyes gleaming like blades.
"The Heaven's Veil Sect wants to play at politics? Then I shall answer with cultivation. If they hide behind schemes, I will surpass them in strength until schemes crumble to dust."
Thus began her dual path: the silent art of alchemy to nourish her core and offspring, and the ruthless path of cultivation to crush enemies when the time came.
For now, the veil of the sect concealed countless secrets. But Lin Xueya had begun to lift it, thread by thread.
---