A gentle voice, accompanied by poetry, and peach blossoms fluttering across the Shili Taolin (Ten Mile Peach Blossom Grove).
It stirred a ripple in Princess Yuan Che's heart.
"Half-awake, half-drunk, day after day; flowers bloom and fall, year after year…"
Princess Yuan Che savored this line of poetry, her gaze drifting towards the depths of the peach grove.
She saw him.
Deep within that peach grove, a white-robed young man, like a banished Immortal, leaned against a peach tree.
Before him was a game of chess, and in his hand, a flask of wine.
The fluttering peach petals landed on his shoulders, and he did not brush them off, letting them remain.
This was a beautiful, dreamlike tableau.
The Shili Taolin (Ten Mile Peach Blossom Grove), a white-robed banished Immortal, accompanied by a shower of fluttering peach blossoms.
Any maiden would instantly have her heart struck.
Princess Yuan Che was hidden in the shadows, watching this scene.
To be honest, although she was a princess of the Ancient Immortal Court,
because she had been confined to Qionghua Palace since childhood, she had not seen much of the world.
But her discerning eye was not low.
After all, her father was the Eastern Hua Emperor.
Haotian Zhenjun was also an unparalleled figure.
But at this moment, the young man playing chess and drinking wine beneath the peach blossoms still tightly captivated Princess Yuan Che's gaze.
What kind of extraordinary man could he be?
Princess Yuan Che was extremely curious.
But then she recalled Haotian Zhenjun's warning.
Do not contact anyone.
Princess Yuan Che sighed internally, wanting to leave, but she was unwilling.
"Is this… is this what they call fate?" Princess Yuan Che couldn't help but wonder.
And just then, the white-robed young man, as handsome and peerless as a banished Immortal,
suddenly raised the wine cup in his hand and said, "Friend, since you've come, why not show yourself?"
Princess Yuan Che suddenly felt a little flustered; she wanted to leave immediately.
But her body was very honest, directly revealing her figure.
"What… what is this poem called?"
Perhaps because she rarely saw strangers, Princess Yuan Che's tone was a bit unsteady.
"Ode to the Peach Blossom Hut."
The white-robed young man smiled slightly, handsome and gentle.
Princess Yuan Che's face instinctively blushed.
She was not a lovesick girl, nor was she obsessed with looks; otherwise, she would have long since felt something for Haotian Zhenjun.
But she just felt that this white-robed young man before her had a very special aura.
It was an aura she yearned for.
Freedom.
That's right.
Although Princess Yuan Che was a princess of the Ancient Immortal Court, what she could least obtain was the freedom that ordinary beings possessed.
"This poem is very good. By the way, aren't you afraid of me?" Princess Yuan Che asked.
"Why should I be afraid?" the white-robed young man retorted.
"It seems you don't know my identity." Princess Yuan Che's gaze lowered slightly.
"Of course I know. You are the daughter of Eastern Hua Emperor, Princess Yuan Che of the Immortal Court," the white-robed young man said with a gentle smile.
"Then why aren't you afraid of me? Everyone else avoids me as if I were a venomous snake or scorpion, fearing to be tainted by ill omens and misfortune," Princess Yuan Che said.
She had already grown accustomed to the indifference and isolation.
"Misfortune and ill omens?" The white-robed young man tilted his head slightly, then said,
"Look at this Shili Taolin (Ten Mile Peach Blossom Grove); after the petals wither, they will rot, but you cannot deny its splendor because of that."
"Life is the same; what if you are tainted by ill omens? This cannot negate the meaning of your existence, Princess Yuan Che."
The white-robed young man's words left Princess Yuan Che standing rooted to the spot.
Her vision suddenly blurred.
Only later did she realize they were tears.
"Princess Yuan Che, if you don't mind, how about a small drink?" The white-robed young man raised his cup in invitation.
Princess Yuan Che wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her jade hand, a genuine smile, one she had never shown before, blooming on her face.
Indeed, her guess was correct.
This white-robed young man was truly an extraordinary man.
"By the way, I still don't know your name?" Princess Yuan Che asked.
"I am Yu Xiaoyao," the white-robed young man said calmly.
"Yu Xiaoyao…"
Princess Yuan Che murmured, repeating the name.
Indeed, the person matched the name.
A Young Master like jade.
And he also had an aura of carefree freedom, unrestrainedness, which she yearned for.
"Are you also from the Immortal Court? Why have I never heard your name?" Princess Yuan Che asked curiously.
Although she rarely left her home, she knew some figures in the Immortal Court.
The white-robed young man said, "I have always been a carefree wanderer, traveling the four seas, roaming the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening, rarely residing in the Immortal Court."
"So that's it. Then you must have been to many places. Can you tell me about them?"
Princess Yuan Che rested her chin on her hand, looking at the white-robed young man.
This young man before her possessed the freedom she most desired.
"Of course, it would be my honor," the young man smiled.
Then he recounted various anecdotes from his travels.
Princess Yuan Che listened, completely engrossed.
Time flowed by.
At a certain moment, Princess Yuan Che internally thought, "Oh no."
"It's over, I need to go back quickly."
"Please, Princess," the young man smiled.
Princess Yuan Che hesitated, looking at Jun Xiaoyao.
After a long moment, she finally mustered the courage to say, "Yu Xiaoyao, can we meet again in this peach grove?"
"Of course," the white-robed young man smiled slightly.
"Then it's a promise!"
Princess Yuan Che extended her pinky finger.
Then, she retracted it a bit.
She was tainted by ill omens, and even Haotian Zhenjun had never approached within three feet of her.
But, what made Princess Yuan Che widen her eyes was that
the white-robed young man also extended his little finger and hooked it with hers.
"It's a promise."
Princess Yuan Che's heart subtly skipped a beat.
This man before her did not mind in the slightest, nor was he afraid of her ill omens.
As if to hide her embarrassment, Princess Yuan Che, with a red face, covered her face and departed.
Watching Princess Yuan Che's retreating figure,
the gentle smile on the white-robed young man's face slowly faded.
"How interesting. Is this the dream tide? Dreaming back to the Ancient Immortal Court?"
This white-robed young man was, of course, Jun Xiaoyao.
He hadn't expected this dream to be so real.
Even with his Constant Sand Level Primordial Spirit, he couldn't find any flaws or imperfections.
It was as if it were no different from reality.
"What exactly is the will of that Forgotten Country? To possess such strong Soul Cultivator abilities, everything here is almost real."
It could be said that even Jun Xiaoyao, with his Constant Sand Level Primordial Spirit, would have to expend some effort to break free from this dream.
Let alone anyone else.
However, Jun Xiaoyao had one doubt.
"Logically, after falling into a dream, I shouldn't know my true identity."
"But now, I possess my original thoughts, as if it's a lucid dream," Jun Xiaoyao wondered.
A lucid dream is when one is aware they are dreaming while in the dream.
This is an experience many people have had.
But being in this current situation, it was no different from cheating.
Now, Jun Xiaoyao finally understood what Zhuang Xiaomeng meant by the Ancient Immortal Court's most precious treasure.
"I never expected that the last princess of the Ancient Immortal Court would be slumbering in the core of the Forgotten Country."
No other relic or treasure could compare to this last princess of the Ancient Immortal Court.
Her identity and the resources she controlled were incomparable to any other Immortal Court Prodigy.
She was the most precious treasure.
However, Jun Xiaoyao still had some doubts.
Princess Yuan Che and Ling Yuan bore a slight resemblance.
There must be a secret behind this.
Jun Xiaoyao's main priority now was to establish a good relationship with Princess Yuan Che.
And to understand what the ill omens tainting her truly were.
"And that Haotian Zhenjun, he should be Di Haotian, but he doesn't seem to be lucid yet."
A light flickered in Jun Xiaoyao's eyes.
He now understood Di Haotian's plan.
He also wanted to obtain Princess Yuan Che, this most precious treasure.
He wanted to use Princess Yuan Che's identity and power to ascend to a high position and unify the Immortal Court.
It could be said that if Jun Xiaoyao hadn't intervened, he might have actually succeeded.
But now that Jun Xiaoyao knew Di Haotian's plan, he naturally wouldn't let him have his way.