The mountain-like pressure on Lin Xiyue's body suddenly vanished.
She sprang up from the ground in one smooth motion, loosening her stiff joints, the flush on her cheeks, whether from anger or shame, almost steaming.
A gaze sharp enough to poke a person full of holes stared straight at her own sister.
That gaze plainly wrote four words: You, just, you wait!
"What are you looking at?"
Lin Qingyue paid no mind to that murderous gaze, but instead stroked her chin, critiquing her posture in an academic research tone.
"Practice brings true knowledge, your lower body strength is indeed solid, you didn't practice Ancient Martial Arts for nothing."
"And that dull thud just now, tsk tsk, crisp and forceful, with extremely strong penetration."
"If one didn't know better, they'd think some meteorite landed badly right here."
"I've recorded all the data, I'll customize a targeted gluteal muscle strengthening plan for you later, guaranteeing the sound of your landings will be more pleasing to the ear in the future."
"Lin! Qing! Yue!"
Lin Xiyue squeezed out every single word through her gritted teeth, shaking with rage.
If Su Wan hadn't quickly and firmly grabbed her from behind, she would have already rushed forward with her shield to fight her sister to the death.
"Calm down,"
Su Wan whispered in her ear, her words piercing right to the point.
"Do you want to sit in the 'Time-out Corner' again, have her record it, turn it into a custom sticker set, and play it on a 24/7 loop?"
Lin Xiyue shuddered all over, her boiling rage instantly extinguished.
She calmed down.
But the gaze she directed at her sister was so resentful it could wring out water.
"Alright, alright, I'm done teasing you."
Lin Qingyue waved her hand dismissively, wiping away the amused smile as she turned to the thoughtful Su Wan and Xia Lian.
"Xiyue's 'encounter' just now perfectly proves my hypothesis."
"The root of the Azure Dragon's 'Etiquette' is precisely those two words Senior Feng Yan mentioned: arrogance."
She tapped the mirror-like jade floor with the tip of her shoe, her tone certain.
"An existence of ultimate arrogance considers its own rules to be universal truth, absolutely perfect."
"Therefore, any flaw, any 'imperfection', is a form of desecration, an offense, in His eyes."
Lin Qingyue paced for two steps, her thoughts becoming clearer.
"This spotless floor, this barrier so strict it's perverted, and the instant punishment for emotions like 'impatience'..."
"These aren't trials at all."
"This is a fully automated screening program."
A flash of understanding crossed Su Wan's cool eyes, and she instantly grasped the key point:
"It's screening for visitors who meet its criteria."
"If we hadn't been brought directly to the entrance by Senior Feng Yan, but had instead trekked here from the wild, how could we possibly not have a single speck of dust on us?"
"The moment any tiny 'imperfection' exists, the instant we step onto this plaza, we've already committed a 'breach of etiquette'."
"Exactly!"
Lin Qingyue snapped her fingers, her smile tinged with a hint of cunning.
"So this isn't a security gate at all, it's a deterrent system! That old fossil doesn't want to see any outsiders at all!"
"But this also exposes a massive loophole."
Lin Xiyue, who was rubbing her faintly aching butt, asked crossly, "What loophole? This damned system is impenetrable, can there still be a loophole?"
"Of course there is."
Lin Qingyue's smile deepened.
"Do you think an existence of the Azure Dragon's level would be so idle that he'd personally watch the entrance twenty-four hours a day, and blast away anyone he finds displeasing?"
"He has no such time."
Xia Lian's eyes lit up: "So this system is static!"
"It's not just static,"
Su Wan, who had been thinking seriously, spoke up, her cool voice carrying a trace of insight.
"Any strict system of rules must reserve a backdoor to facilitate its internal personnel."
"In software terms, it means... it must have a preset 'whitelist'."
"Bingo!"
Lin Qingyue gave her an approving glance.
"Think about it. If Senior Feng Yan hadn't left directly just now, but instead had a sudden whim to pay the Azure Dragon a visit, would he have been blasted away and forced to sit in the 'Time-out Corner' for a minute?"
"If that were really the case, Senior Feng Yan would have torn the system apart on the spot, and their Celestial God F4 would have disbanded long ago because they all blocked each other."
These words acted like a key, instantly unlocking the minds of everyone present.
Lin Xiyue paused, her hand still rubbing her butt, as she finally understood.
"I get it now!"
"We've been here this whole time, trying to force our way in and offering treasures like street performers, only to find out the truly authorized personnel don't even use the main entrance!"
"They use the internal VIP employee channel!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, feeling that her fall was utterly undeserved.
It was too frustrating!
"So,"
The mischievous curve returned to Lin Qingyue's lips as she reveled in the situation.
"Trying to reason with a stubborn system is pointless."
"To get through, all we need to prove..."
She deliberately drew out her voice, and under the curious gazes of her teammates, she slowly pulled something from her backpack.
A feather.
A mythic-grade feather, shimmering with a flowing radiance, as if condensed from the purest life and flame.
[ Blessed Fire Feather of the Vermilion Bird ]!
Warm, golden-red light flowed over the feather, and the divine and magnificent aura of life instantly softened the cold and harsh sense of order in the surroundings.
"Come on, let's see if this 'Celestial God-grade' Friends and Family Card actually works."
Lin Qingyue couldn't even be bothered to consider any elaborate etiquette.
She simply held the feather in her hand and strolled toward the invisible barrier as if taking a leisurely walk after a meal.
Su Wan and Xia Lian held their breath.
Lin Xiyue even forgot to rub her butt.
Three pairs of eyes stared fixedly at her back without blinking.
A wondrous sight unfolded.
As Lin Qingyue drew closer, the warm Divine Power symbolizing rebirth and flame on the Fire Feather did not clash in the slightest with the emerald-green Divine Power representing Order and Rules within the barrier.
The two completely different forces of Law seemed to recognize each other like old friends and entered into a mysterious resonance.
The invisible barrier that had blasted Lin Xiyue away, erased Su Wan's magic, and turned Xia Lian's leaves to ash now parted silently to the sides like spring snow meeting the warm sun, actively clearing a path for Lin Qingyue.
The grand and emotionless voice echoed in everyone's hearts once again.
This time, the unquestionable majesty had vanished, replaced by a type of programmed courtesy.
[ Token of the Celestial God Vermilion Bird detected. ]
[ Authorization confirmed. Conforms to "Etiquette." Access granted. ]
Lin Qingyue stood at the entrance to the passage and slowly turned around.
She glanced at the stunned trio behind her, her gaze lingering for an extra half second on her sister's complex expression of "Why does she get to?"
Then she broke into a bright smile and playfully waved the feather in her hand.
"See that?"
"The so-called rules are just there to screen who is qualified to disregard them."
"As long as your connections are strong enough and your face is big enough, not only can you stand there idly."
"Even if you did the disco dance at someone's doorstep, it would still be the highest form of 'Etiquette'."
[ System Notification: You have gained immense spiritual pleasure by fooling the rigid rule system, successfully proving that "The essence of power is the final right of interpretation." Elation Value +2000! ]