Standing behind him was Ruan Hongling, her hair tied in a high ponytail, dressed in a sailor-style student uniform, and next to her stood Ziyuan, clad in a simple, pure white long dress.

Li Yundong had absolutely not expected Ziyuan to show up at the school, and he exclaimed, "Why are you here?"

Ziyuan, in her white gown that trailed the ground, her long black hair elegantly coiled atop her head, exposed a neck as fair and flawless as snow, resembling a noble swan that radiated an aura of sanctity and self-possession. Her figure was gracefully tall, utterly devoid of any worldly taint, leaving the surrounding students utterly dumbfounded.

Feng Na and Cheng Cheng were equally stunned, muttering, "Is she a fairy who descended? How can she be so beautiful?"

Ziyuan cast a faint glance at Li Yundong, offered a slight smile, and asked, "Can I not come?"

Li Yundong chuckled, "It’s not that you can’t come, just that I didn’t expect it. Are you looking for me?"

Ruan Hongling, standing nearby, snorted, "Don't flatter yourself; Sister Ziyuan is here to watch my performance!"

Li Yundong raised an eyebrow, "You? What performance do you have?"

Ruan Hongling declared proudly, "You shouldn't underestimate me!"

Li Yundong scoffed, unable to resist teasing, "Who dares underestimate you? Don’t end up crying on stage later!"

Just as the enraged Ruan Hongling was about to retort, Feng Na looked at her and suddenly realized, "Ah, you’re that beautiful freshman performing calligraphy?"

Ruan Hongling huffed, tossing her head back with immense arrogance, "Who else would it be?"

Li Yundong suddenly asked, "By the way, I never asked you, why did you decide to attend this university? What's your major?"

Ruan Hongling shot him a sidelong glance, retorting irritably, "What business is it of yours! Do I have to tell you I’m in History?"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Planning to be an archaeologist? Studying History? The boys in the History department are in for trouble!"

Ruan Hongling bristled, "What do you mean by that?"

Ziyuan, seeing the two bickering the moment they met, felt a sharp headache and said, "Can you two stop arguing right here?"

Li Yundong and Ruan Hongling glanced around. Indeed, the surrounding students stared at them, jaws agape. Feng Na and Cheng Cheng were already strikingly beautiful and drew considerable attention, but Ziyuan, Ruan Hongling, Zhou Qin, and the others were top-tier beauties rarely seen in the world. Even spotting one on a normal day was difficult, let alone having so many appear at once!

Some freshmen stared slack-jawed, whispering in awe, "Are there really this many beauties at this school? Turns out my decision to apply to this third-rate university was incredibly brilliant!"

An upperclassman standing nearby couldn't help but sneer, "Stop the nonsense. They are for admiration from afar, not for getting close to. Do you dare approach them?"

The freshmen let out a burst of embarrassed laughter, their eyes filled with jealousy and envy as they watched Li Yundong surrounded by adoration.

Feng Na, being more tactful, smiled, "Let's not stand here. Let's go backstage at the auditorium. We don't have classes today, so all the performers should be there—it should be quite lively now."

Turning to Li Yundong, she added, "Oh, since you’re here, you can do a quick rehearsal. You still haven't looked at your script lines!" Feng Na couldn't help but gently chide him, "Is there any actor in the world like you?"

Li Yundong chuckled sheepishly, "I'm just a cameo, not the lead!"

He walked over to Zhou Qin and murmured, "Will you watch from backstage, or from the audience?"

Zhou Qin, who had been silent until then, finally smiled faintly and replied, "I think I'll watch from the audience; it’s better from down there."

Li Yundong nodded. He turned to Feng Na and said, "Then let's head to the auditorium first. It’s good to grab some decent seats."

With that, the group proceeded in a grand procession towards the school auditorium, drawing everyone's gaze.

Upon reaching the backstage area of the auditorium, they were met with a clamor.

Feng Na peered in and saw a crowd of actors scheduled for the evening performance huddled together. A male student was loudly exclaiming, "I've already called her number, no answer. What can I do?"

"No answer? Keep calling until it connects! What is this woman playing at? How can she be late for something this important tonight?" a girl dressed in an ancient costume exclaimed loudly.

Feng Na frowned and squeezed through the crowd, "What happened?"

The girl turned, her face instantly lighting up with relief, "Nana, you're here? Liu Ling still hasn't arrived, and we can't get through to her by phone—it’s driving us crazy!"

Feng Na knit her brows, "Her cell phone isn't connecting?"

The girl stamped her foot, "It rings, but she just won't pick up, that's why we're frantic!"

A young man dressed in an ancient style—a light blue changshan with a matching blue kerchief tied around his head—suddenly spoke up, "Could something have happened?"

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd spat in unison, "Pah! You bird of ill omen!"

Li Yundong tugged at Feng Na’s arm and whispered, "What's wrong? Who is this Liu Ling? An actress? What role is she playing? If she's not crucial, why not just find someone to replace her?"

Feng Na managed a wry smile, "She plays Zhao Ling'er. Can she really be replaced?"

Li Yundong was taken aback, "No way? The lead hasn't shown up?" But he quickly tried to console her, "It's fine, there are still four or five hours until the show starts. Plenty of time, she’ll come."

Feng Na sighed faintly, "I suppose we have to think that way." She then turned to the actors involved in the play backstage and announced, "Come on everyone, let’s make introductions. The most vital supporting role in this play has finally arrived! A grand welcome for the Sword Saint!"

The backstage actors, who already recognized the campus celebrities, broke into applause and laughter. They glanced at Li Yundong, and naturally saw Ziyuan standing not far from him, instantly feeling ashamed and inadequate, overwhelmed by her transcendent temperament and stunning beauty.

Li Yundong offered a light smile to the group, "I’m just here to fill a spot, you all carry on!"

Feng Na pulled the girl who had spoken first aside and smiled, "This is Yu Le, the actress playing Lin Yueru."

Yu Le was attractive, though perhaps a shade less radiant than Feng Na, and certainly unable to compare with Zhou Qin and the others, but she was still considered above average. She warmly extended her hand to Li Yundong, "A handshake?"

Li Yundong deliberately put on a stern face and solemnly shook her hand.

Yu Le giggled, "Lord Sword Saint, you must show mercy!"

Li Yundong waved his hand, sighing with feigned world-weariness, "This old man has sealed his sword for many years. Are there truly any worthy opponents left in this world?"

His affected display brought hearty laughter from everyone backstage. Zhou Qin and Feng Na covered their mouths to suppress theirs, while Ruan Hongling laughed even as she spat, "Pah! Such arrogance! He can't even command a sword in flight and dares to claim his sword is sealed? What a thick skin!"

Ziyuan, overhearing Li Yundong's words, couldn't help but smile faintly, but upon hearing Ruan Hongling’s remark, she immediately glared at her.

Ruan Hongling realized she had let something slip, and stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

After a moment of laughter, Feng Na introduced the other cast members. The actor playing Li Xiaoyao was the young man who had been wearing the blue kerchief earlier, named Zhong Xiuguo; he was quite handsome, rivaling the classmate Hu Ge.

But to Li Yundong’s surprise, the actress playing Gairuojiao was Jiang Xiuxiu, the one who had caused the major mix-up earlier!

Jiang Xiuxiu, seeing Li Yundong look her way, offered a shy greeting and quickly slipped away into the crowd under some pretext.

Li Yundong felt a private amusement and laughed to Feng Na, "I recall Gairuojiao has the most extensive role, right? Can Jiang Xiuxiu handle it?"

Feng Na smiled, "She’s a performance major; her line delivery is quite good! Don't underestimate her!"

Li Yundong chuckled, "How would I dare underestimate a professional? However, if I am to play the Sword Saint, you must provide me with a prop, mustn't you? I can't just go on stage empty-handed!"

Feng Na grinned slyly, "I already thought of that!" She then called out backstage, "Yan Hua, bring the sword!"

Hearing that name, Li Yundong immediately asked with confusion, "You’ve made up with him?"

Feng Na laughed, "Comrade Li Yundong, the Student Union President must be magnanimous! I made him the Vice President!"

Li Yundong clasped his hands in mock salute, "I admire your breadth of spirit! The President truly possesses the heart of a true statesman—impressive, impressive!"

Moments later, Yan Hua approached, cradling a long sword, casting Li Yundong a look full of vigilance and hostility. He snorted, "Make sure you don't damage my sword!"

He presented the sword, but not to Li Yundong; instead, he handed it to Feng Na.

Li Yundong secretly smiled: this young man's capacity for holding grudges was truly small!

Feng Na took the long sword and laughed, "What family heirloom is so important?"

Ruan Hongling, seeing the sword, suddenly’s eyes widened, and she gasped aloud, "Yan Hua, did you steal your family’s ancestral treasure?"

Yan Hua’s face flushed. He stubbornly jutted out his neck and asserted, "What do you mean 'steal'? Isn't what belongs to my family mine?"

Ruan Hongling turned, looking to Ziyuan in shock, "Sister Ziyuan, isn't this..."

Ziyuan shook her head at Ruan Hongling, signaling her to stop speaking.

Ruan Hongling felt a chill, swallowing the rest of her words.

The others nearby only noticed the sword looked antique but unremarkable, naturally unaware of the significance of what Ruan Hongling had left unsaid.

But Li Yundong kept the exchange in mind. He walked over to Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling and asked in a low voice, "What were you two just saying? What's up with this sword?"

Ruan Hongling looked at Ziyuan. Seeing Ziyuan nod, she finally fixed her gaze on the sword and whispered in a lowered voice, "This is the ** Sword, it belongs to my Second Martial Uncle! Along with my Master's Eight Desolations Sword—which Ao Wushuang currently holds—they were originally a pair of Mother and Son Swords!"

"Your Second Martial Uncle's sword?" Li Yundong was greatly surprised. He looked sharply at Yan Hua, "Then he's also a cultivator? No way?"