Under the shade of the sprawling ancient tree at the edge of the Prosperity Cloud Chamber’s training courtyard, Lin Xuan y quietly, seemingly asleep.

  The wind rustled the leaves above him, and faint beams of sunlight danced across his bck robes. His breathing was calm, steady… almost unnervingly serene for someone whose presence carried the weight of a False God.

  A half-mask covered the upper part of his face, concealing his eyes and nose, but leaving his chin and lips visible. Even in rest, the faint curve of his mouth and the sharp line of his jaw gave off an aura of quiet authority and mystery.

  Nearby, Su Qingyun continued her cultivation, but her attention kept drifting toward the figure beneath the tree. She paused mid-motion, her sword lowered slightly, her sharp eyes studying him from a distance.

  Her curiosity grew with every second.

  What does Master really look like… beneath that mask? she thought, her heart beating a little faster.

  She had trained under him for years, felt his aura, and seen him fight, yet the upper half of his face had always been hidden. She had never glimpsed the eyes that commanded fear and respect, the expression that could reveal the true man beneath the False God.

  All she could see now were his lips and the gentle line of his chin. The subtle movements of his mouth as he breathed, the faint curve that hinted at a quiet confidence and serenity—it was enough to stir her curiosity even further.

  Su Qingyun’s mind raced as she watched her master lying beneath the ancient tree. The half-mask covering the upper part of his face had always concealed his expression, leaving only his chin and lips visible. Yet that partial glimpse only made her curiosity grow.

  What if… I remove the mask? What would Master look like beneath it? she thought, her heart beating faster.

  A daring, almost forbidden idea crept into her mind. She had trained under him for years, felt the strength of his cultivation, and experienced his guidance firsthand—but the truth of his face remained a mystery.

  Quietly, Su Qingyun stepped closer. Each movement was careful, precise—like a shadow herself. Her eyes scanned the surroundings first, sweeping across the courtyard and the nearby trees. Then, she focused on her master, his aura, the flow of spiritual energy around him, ensuring she could detect any sudden movement or trap.

  Satisfied that no one—or nothing—was aware of her presence, she crouched slightly, reaching a hand toward the mask. Her fingers trembled just a little, her mind conflicted between fear and curiosity.

  I must… I need to see the full face of Master, she whispered to herself internally, steeling her courage.

  Slowly, deliberately, Su Qingyun’s hand brushed against the edge of the half-mask, preparing to lift it away and reveal the hidden face of the man who had changed her life forever.

  The quiet breeze stirred the leaves above, the sunlight glinting faintly on the mask… and in that still moment, everything seemed to pause, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

  Su Qingyun’s hand trembled slightly as she lifted the half-mask. For the first time, her eyes met the full face of Lin Xuan.

  His features were sharp and refined, the golden gleam of his eyes piercing yet calm, a mixture of majesty and quiet danger. The faint curve of his lips carried a composure that made her heartbeat quicken, and in that instant, everything about him—the False God, her master, the man who had guided her—felt alive and real.

  “Hmm,” Lin Xuan murmured softly, his voice low as he stirred awake, his golden eyes slowly opening.

  Panic surged through Su Qingyun for a brief moment. Hastily, she rushed to return the mask, pressing it back into pce as if nothing had happened. She straightened, took a deep breath, and continued her cultivation as though the daring act had been nothing more than a fleeting thought.

  Lin Xuan y still for a moment, watching her carefully. His lips curved into the faintest smile.

  Su Qingyun’s hand still lingered near the edge of the half-mask, though she had quickly pressed it back into pce. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, as if it had been startled awake.

  Even with the mask back, the image of her master’s face—the full, unmasked face—had been burned into her mind. It was impossible to forget.

  So beautiful—handsome, she thought, her eyes unintentionally tracing the line of his jaw, the gentle curve of his lips, the serene composure in his features. It was a face that could never belong to someone who would commit a grave crime. Not someone capable of terrorizing cities, not someone who could wield such overwhelming power and yet commit unspeakable acts.

  And yet… she knew of his cultivation, of the stories whispered about the False God, of the havoc and chaos he had caused.

  How… can such a face belong to someone so terrifying?

  Her mind swirled with conflicting thoughts.

  ...

  After a few hours of intense cultivation, Lin Xuan who was guiding her, his gaze nding on Su Qingyun.

  “You’re distracted,” he said calmly, his voice cutting through the quiet of the courtyard. “What’s going on?”

  Su Qingyun froze for a moment, her mind still repying the daring incident under the tree—the lifting of the half-mask, the glimpse of her master’s face. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily.

  After a few seconds of tense silence, she whispered, almost apologetically,

  “Nothing… Master.”

  Her lips curved slightly as she forced herself to focus on the cultivation before her, though her heart still pounded faster than usual.

  Then, with a sudden determination that made her voice firmer, she said,

  “Master… I think I’m ready to make a breakthrough… to the Golden Core stage.”

  Lin Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of surprise flickering across his face.

  “That fast?” he murmured, his tone calm but ced with disbelief. “To achieve such progress in just four years… Normally, even a genius would need a decade to reach the Golden Core. An ordinary cultivator… a hundred years, perhaps even longer.”

  He stood silently for a moment, watching her, and his lips curved into a faint, almost approving smile.

  Her talent, her providence it truly is terrifying, he thought. The speed at which she cultivates is nothing short of extraordinary. Unfair, even, to all other geniuses and ordinary cultivators but she is favored by Heaven, a true Holy Maiden.