The night inside the imperial palace had become unnaturally quiet.
Outside—
cold moonlight stretched across the endless palace roofs like pale silver waves.
The distant empire still echoed with discussions about the tournament.
About Shuan Hao.
About the white frost that had swallowed two geniuses whole.
About the terrifying young man whose name now spread across Da Cang Empire like a storm.
But deep within the palace—
inside the crimson chamber hidden behind countless spiritual formations—
another storm was quietly unfolding.
A far more dangerous one.
A far more emotional one.
And at its center—
stood two people connected by a fate neither of them fully understood.
---
The chamber doors slowly opened.
Creeeeeeak—
Cold wind entered first.
Then crimson robes.
The Empire Protector stepped inside silently.
The moment her foot crossed the room—
her crimson eyes instantly froze upon the object floating before Lin Shuan.
The Heart Purification Jade.
White.
Ancient.
Pure.
It floated quietly in the air while endless purified Luo Essence flowed from it like spiritual mist.
The entire room remained covered in faint frost.
The walls glittered white.
The air itself felt ancient.
And for the first time in many years—
the Empire Protector became absent-minded.
Her crimson eyes slowly trembled.
Because the scene before her…
was something she had only seen within ancient memories.
Within forgotten eras.
Within stories buried beneath thousands of years.
For several moments—
she completely forgot where she was.
Her mind drifted backward unconsciously.
To an ancient time—
where fragments of Heart Purification Jade were not legends yet.
Where terrifying existences carrying Divine Hearts cultivated beneath frozen moons and crimson skies.
Where ancient bloodlines still walked proudly across the universe.
Back then—
even though Heart Purification Jade was incomparably precious—
it was still known.
Still real.
Still feared.
Because everyone understood one truth.
That jade could create monsters.
Or destroy cultivators completely.
There was no middle path.
The Empire Protector slowly inhaled.
Only then did she notice something else.
Lin Shuan.
The moment her eyes landed upon him—
her expression shifted again.
Shock appeared briefly.
Because she immediately sensed it.
His aura had changed.
He had broken through.
Four-Star Energy Core Rank.
Her crimson eyes silently stared at him.
And strangely—
the terrifying pressure around her calmed slightly.
As though merely seeing him advance…
brought peace to something deep inside her heart.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan quietly looked at the red-clothed girl standing before him.
And despite everything—
he still could not fully understand her.
This girl—
who stood above the empire itself.
This girl—
whose mere presence caused experts to lower their heads.
This girl—
who once slaughtered Yin Feng and his men mercilessly without even blinking because they dared invade the imperial palace.
Yet—
that same terrifying person had personally brought him into her own chamber.
Personally healed him for fifteen days.
Stayed beside him day and night.
Protected him.
Watched over him.
Why?
Lin Shuan truly could not understand.
Inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen naturally heard every thought passing through his disciple's mind.
The old monster immediately laughed softly.
"…boy."
"It seems she likes you."
Lin Shuan's face twitched instantly.
"Shut up."
"This isn't the time for jokes."
Tian Wuchen sounded extremely entertained.
"Oh?"
"She stays beside your bed for fifteen days…"
"Heals you personally…"
"Lets you remain inside her chamber…"
"And now she's staring at you like that…"
"…yet you still think nothing is happening?"
Lin Shuan nearly exploded internally.
"MASTER."
"PLEASE."
But before Tian Wuchen could continue bullying him—
a voice suddenly interrupted.
Soft.
Cold.
Yet strangely trembling.
"…where…"
The Empire Protector stared at the floating jade.
"…where did you obtain this?"
Lin Shuan blinked slightly.
Her reaction immediately told him something important.
She knew what this jade was.
Or at least—
she knew far more than him.
Lin Shuan forced an awkward laugh.
"He… heh…"
"I got it after breaking apart a strange stone I bought from a merchant company in Starlight City."
Then he carefully looked at her.
"Can you tell me…"
"…what exactly this thing is?"
The Empire Protector remained silent for a moment.
Then looked toward him strangely.
"You ask…"
"…and assume I automatically know everything?"
Lin Shuan almost choked.
"A-Ah…"
"No…"
"I just thought…"
"…maybe you knew something about it."
For a brief moment—
the corner of her lips almost moved upward slightly.
Almost.
Then she quietly spoke.
"There is no need to address me so formally."
Lin Shuan blinked.
The Empire Protector slowly looked away.
"…you may call me…"
A faint pause followed.
"…Protector Yi."
The instant those words entered Lin Shuan's ears—
his heart skipped.
"Protector… Yi?"
He unconsciously repeated the name slowly.
And immediately—
another name surfaced inside his mind.
Princess Yi.
That mysterious girl from before.
That strange familiarity.
That impossible connection.
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…that name…"
"…it sounds just like…"
Before he could finish the thought—
Protector Yi quietly glanced toward him.
As though she had already understood what he was thinking.
But she ignored it completely.
Instead—
her attention returned toward the Heart Purification Jade.
Then slowly—
she began speaking.
"Shuan Hao…"
Her voice became deeper.
"The jade you discovered…"
"…is no ordinary treasure."
Lin Shuan immediately focused completely.
Protector Yi continued softly.
"I once read about it within ancient forbidden texts."
"…a jade known as the Heart Purification Jade."
The room became silent.
Only her voice echoed softly within the frozen chamber.
"It is considered one of the most mysterious surviving relics from ancient times."
Her crimson eyes reflected the floating white jade quietly.
"A lost sacred jade…"
"…used to purify Luo Essence itself."
Lin Shuan listened carefully.
Every word matched what Tian Wuchen had said.
Protector Yi continued.
"In ancient times…"
"…only those possessing Divine Hearts could use it."
"Because they carried the purest bloodlines connected to those hearts."
Lin Shuan's pupils shrank slightly.
Divine Hearts again.
She truly knew about them.
Far too much about them.
Then her voice became colder.
"But for you…"
"…this jade is dangerous."
"Very dangerous."
"It will push you directly toward death."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat quickened.
"Why?"
Protector Yi slowly looked directly into his eyes.
"Because…"
"…you do not possess the pure bloodline of the Frost Divine Heart."
Silence exploded inside Lin Shuan's mind.
His eyes widened instantly.
"…what?"
"How do you know about my Divine Heart?!"
"And how do you know it's the Frost Divine Heart?!"
Inside the pendant—
even Tian Wuchen became serious again.
"…Lin Shuan."
"When a Divine Heart fully activates…"
"…others possessing Divine Hearts can sense it."
A pause.
"But…"
Tian Wuchen's tone became darker.
"…I still cannot understand what exactly this girl is."
"Her power…"
"…her aura…"
"…everything about her feels hidden beneath layers of mystery."
Lin Shuan remained frozen.
His eyes stayed locked onto Protector Yi.
But now—
he no longer knew what he was looking at.
Who exactly was this girl?
How much did she know?
And why did she know so much about him?
Meanwhile—
Protector Yi herself seemed to realize she had revealed too much.
Her expression subtly changed.
But before she could retreat—
Lin Shuan suddenly spoke.
His voice softer now.
More emotional.
"You know about my heart…"
"You know about my bloodline…"
"You know things even I only learned recently…"
His eyes trembled slightly.
"And everyone calls you ruthless."
"I saw you kill Yin Feng myself…"
"So why…"
"…why are you treating me differently?"
The room became quiet.
Very quiet.
Protector Yi froze.
Because for a moment—
those words struck directly into the loneliness hidden deep within her.
She slowly lowered her gaze.
And unconsciously—
her mind drifted toward countless distant years.
Fear.
Distance.
Isolation.
People always feared her.
Avoided her.
Respected her.
But never approached her truly.
Never understood her.
And now—
before her stood another lonely existence.
A boy abandoned by others.
A boy feared because of the power hidden inside him.
A boy forced into isolation.
Just like her.
Protector Yi slowly clenched her hands.
How could she explain it?
How could she tell him the truth?
How could she explain why she had tried to protect him from the very beginning?
She couldn't.
Not yet.
So after a long silence—
she finally spoke softly.
"Shuan Hao…"
Then her eyes slowly lifted toward him.
"…or perhaps…"
"…Lin Shuan."
BOOM.
Lin Shuan's mind exploded.
His pupils contracted violently.
Shock completely covered his face.
She knew.
She knew his real identity.
Completely.
Protector Yi quietly continued.
"How I am connected to you…"
"…I cannot explain yet."
"When the time comes…"
"…you will understand yourself."
Then her voice softened faintly.
"But I have known about your Frost Divine Heart…"
"…since the day you were born."
Lin Shuan instantly shook his head.
"That's impossible."
"I didn't possess it at birth."
Protector Yi nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"I know."
"And I also know…"
"…that the heart was transplanted into you later."
Lin Shuan nearly stopped breathing.
Another secret.
Another impossible truth she somehow knew.
Things even he himself only learned after meeting Tian Wuchen.
But she knew all of it already.
How?
Who exactly was she?
Protector Yi slowly walked toward the window.
Moonlight illuminated her crimson robes softly.
Then quietly—
she spoke again.
"I was present…"
"…during your birth celebration inside the Lin Clan."
Lin Shuan froze completely.
"And at that time…"
"…I sensed it."
Her crimson eyes became distant.
"That heart."
"The Frost Divine Heart."
Her voice lowered almost into a whisper.
"The heart that once froze nearly the entire universe alongside time itself."
Lin Shuan's body trembled faintly.
Such terrifying words carried unimaginable weight.
And then—
Protector Yi's expression became strangely lonely.
"…after that…"
"…she disappeared."
The room fell silent again.
Lin Shuan stared at her blankly.
His heart had already become chaotic.
Then Protector Yi slowly turned toward him once more.
"Lin Shuan."
"The reason people distanced themselves from you…"
"…was never because you were weak."
Her voice trembled faintly now.
"And not because you were cursed."
Her crimson eyes became sharper.
"They wanted you to master that power."
"To become strong enough…"
"…that your enemies would kneel before you."
Her fists slowly tightened.
"And…"
"…that is what I want too."
Lin Shuan's eyes gradually became moist.
Because for the first time—
someone had spoken about his suffering differently.
Not as shame.
Not as weakness.
But as preparation.
As protection.
Then suddenly—
Protector Yi's expression hardened forcefully.
As though she was fighting herself internally.
"Lin Shuan."
"If you think…"
"…I will simply protect you forever…"
"…then you are wrong."
Her next words struck like lightning.
"If you lose…"
"…I will kill you myself."
Lin Shuan's heart shook violently.
"What…?"
He stared at her in disbelief.
Meanwhile—
inside her own heart—
Protector Yi felt pain spreading endlessly.
Because she remembered everything.
How she tried to protect the Lin Clan.
How she argued against the emperor.
How she tried forcing Yu Long Sect to retreat.
How powerless she felt watching destruction approach.
She never wanted Lin Shuan to remain weak.
Because weakness meant death.
She wanted him safe.
But she also wanted him untouchable.
Strong enough that no one in the world could ever threaten him again.
And that contradiction tore her apart constantly.
She wanted to comfort him.
But she also wanted to force him forward mercilessly.
Because she feared what would happen if he failed.
Inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen quietly sighed.
For once—
the old monster no longer joked.
Because now—
even he understood her feelings.
"…Lin Shuan."
His voice became surprisingly gentle.
"This girl…"
"…truly cares about you."
"She stands at the top of an empire."
"Someone in her position becoming this emotional toward one person…"
"…is incredibly rare."
Then he lazily yawned.
"I think you should train under her for a while."
"And I should sleep."
The pendant gradually became quiet again.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan slowly looked toward Protector Yi once more.
And suddenly—
something changed.
The terrifying Empire Protector vanished from his eyes.
Instead—
he saw a lonely girl.
A girl fighting her own isolation.
Just like him.
A girl carrying ancient pain alone.
A girl pretending to be emotionless because she feared losing people again.
And strangely—
for the first time—
she no longer looked frightening.
She looked…
fragile.
Lonely.
Painfully lonely.
Lin Shuan's eyes slowly reddened.
Almost unconsciously—
tears gathered slightly within them.
Because now he finally understood something.
This girl—
who once terrified him completely—
had probably been protecting him all along in her own strange way.
Protector Yi slowly noticed his gaze.
"…why are you looking at me like that?"
Her voice became quieter than usual.
Lin Shuan stared silently for several moments.
Then softly—
almost emotionally—
he spoke.
"…you're not scary anymore."
Protector Yi froze completely.
Lin Shuan slowly stood up.
His voice trembled faintly.
"…you look…"
"…lonely."
The words pierced directly through her heart.
Everything inside Protector Yi suddenly became chaotic.
Because no one had ever looked at her like that before.
No one.
Everyone feared her.
Respected her.
Obeyed her.
But this boy—
this stupid boy—
was looking at her with understanding instead.
And somehow—
that hurt more than anything.
Her crimson eyes gradually trembled.
Then before Lin Shuan could react—
Protector Yi suddenly stepped forward.
And hugged him tightly.
Lin Shuan's eyes widened completely.
His brain instantly stopped functioning.
Because several weeks ago—
this same girl had chased him with killing intent after he accidentally kissed her.
Yet now—
she herself was embracing him.
Warmly.
Tightly.
As though afraid he would disappear.
Lin Shuan stood frozen.
Completely stunned.
Meanwhile—
Protector Yi silently buried her face against his shoulder.
Her hands trembled faintly.
And for the first time in many years—
the terrifying Empire Protector finally allowed herself to stop being alone.