Vying for supremacy in the Central Plains, he yearns for his beloved, while Master Ji plots in the Star City; humiliated in Zhongshan, he seeks the counsel of Uncle Ou at East Ridge.

Upon returning from Star City, Master Ji intended to devote the coming days to his cultivation within the confines of his courtyard, seeking to further elevate his strength.

Late one night, under the silvery wash of moonlight, Master Ji sat alone beneath the ancient locust tree. As he closed his eyes to focus, faint ripples of spiritual energy began to circulate around him. Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, only to find a beautiful young girl standing before him.

It was You Kongyu. An unprecedented wave of tenderness surged within Master Ji’s heart. He stared blankly at her as she bowed her head in concentration, as if all the world’s clamor had faded away, leaving only her serene, moonlit smile glowing with a soft halo. His body trembled uncontrollably.

"You Yu..." Master Ji began to speak, but upon snapping back to reality, he realized there was no one there but himself. "A hallucination? What has come over me..." he muttered to himself. His thoughts drifted to the girl he had met in Star City, and his mind wandered, leaving him unable to continue his cultivation.

Reflecting on his trip to Star City, Master Ji recalled the fruit he had acquired. "The Realm of Void and Reality... I shall save it until I reach the Void Realm." Having made his decision, he retired to his room to rest.

The following day, Master Ji went to the Jiangcheng Prefecture to consult with Jia Kang regarding an attack on Star City. The mansion was brightly lit, and Jia Kang, clad in iron armor with a sharp gaze, had been waiting for some time. A map was spread across the table, with Star City heavily marked. Jia Kang tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep voice, "Master Ji, the battle for Star City is vital to our expansion; we must not take it lightly."

Master Ji nodded in agreement. "Liu Shoucong, the Prince of Zhongshan, is formidable. We must be fully prepared and not act with haste."

Just then, a soldier arrived to report the return of Xiao Liuhua.

"My Lord, I have slain You Kongfei in Jizhou as ordered, and have brought back the remains to report!" Xiao Liuhua said, kneeling on the ground.

"You have done well. You may withdraw." Master Ji waved him away, only to notice the soldier still standing there. "Is there something else?" he asked, puzzled.

"My Lord, the Prince of Zhongshan has sent a letter via his envoy. Will you take a look?"

"Oh? What game is this Liu Shoucong playing? Let me see." Master Ji took the letter and opened it alone.

Not long after, Master Ji’s brow furrowed, and he gripped the letter tightly. Under the sunlight, the handwriting of Liu Shoucong seemed to carry a mocking smile. In the letter, Liu Shoucong used earnest language to mask a sharp intent, proposing to bury the hatchet and conspire for great things together, but on one condition: Master Ji must cede Baling and its subordinate counties to him as a sign of sincerity.

It was... utterly intolerable! In a fit of rage, Master Ji crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the fire, his expression contorted with fury. Seeing him breathing heavily and cursing, Jia Kang stepped forward to ask what had happened.

"This Liu Shoucong has gone too far! He actually dares to covet Baling! I will never agree to this!" Master Ji shouted. "We must accelerate our preparations and teach him a lesson as soon as possible!" Jia Kang said nothing more; he consulted briefly with Master Ji and immediately went to see to the arrangements.

Master Ji returned to his quarters to calm his mind. Although he was at the peak of the Rain-Summoning Realm and capable of fighting those of higher rank, every bit of extra strength provided more security. He decided to devote himself entirely to breaking through his current realm.

When the moonlight once again bathed the courtyard, Master Ji sat cross-legged beneath the ancient locust tree. Spiritual energy churned around him like a tide, as if the heavens and earth were answering his call. His eyes were closed, his breathing becoming long and deep, each inhalation pulling at the surrounding energy.

Suddenly, a powerful force erupted from within him, vowing to shatter the shackles of the Void Realm! But in the next instant, Master Ji collapsed to the ground. The energy within him, blocked by immense resistance, surged backward, causing him great agony.

"The Void Realm... it is not so easily reached," Master Ji murmured, suppressing the pain as he stabilized his cultivation at the peak of the Rain-Summoning Realm before slowly relaxing.

Master Ji had failed his breakthrough, but he was not discouraged. If his personal cultivation could not be improved in the short term, he would have to focus on military strategy. He remembered an old acquaintance—the master of the Void-Crossing Realm, Ou Bo—and decided he must enlist his help.

That night, Master Ji found Jia Kang, and after a brief secret discussion, the two rode out of Jiangcheng under the cover of darkness.

...

In a tavern in Star City, a young girl leaned against the window, watching the scenery with boredom. She thought again of the person she had met so briefly, and everything they had experienced in that single day.

"When will you come to find me... Ji Yang..." You Kongyu muttered, seemingly unsatisfied. Although Master Ji had solved her troubles and nothing else bound her there, for some reason, she longed to see Ji Yang again—just once, she thought to herself.

"Sigh..." A sigh echoed, and just as You Kongyu felt a sense of melancholy, she realized the sound had not come from her. "Who is there?!" She jumped to her feet and scanned the room, her heart filled with trepidation.

"Could it be that people from Liang Shang have come for revenge? What am I to do..." She thought of Ji Yang again. "If only he were here..."

"Hehe, already pining for your sweetheart? I fear your father would die of grief at home, hahaha..." A figure materialized; it was You Kongchishi.

"Senior, you... you scared me to death!" You Kongyu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"

You Kongchishi dropped his playful demeanor. "This place is about to be in turmoil. I came to... watch the show?"

Turmoil? You Kongyu was puzzled; Star City had always been peaceful. How could... She suddenly recalled the sudden rise of Master Ji and the words Ji Yang had spoken before he left. Could it be... "If you want to wait for your sweetheart here, I might be able to protect you a little; if you want to leave, there is still time," You Kongchishi said nonchalantly. "Your cultivation is still too weak..."

Is it really like that? The expression in You Kongyu’s eyes flickered between light and shadow, and the room fell into silence. Before long, she raised her head, a resolute light shining in her eyes. She looked at You Kongchishi, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor: "Senior, I want to stay here, and I want to become stronger. Will you... take me as your disciple?" Having said this, she waited nervously for his response, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

You Kongchishi turned his head and fell into deep thought...