Older Tiger Zhao appeared as though he had brushed against the edge of an ice-type divine inheritance… and sacrificed half his sanity in return.
Elder Bai Qingshui narrowed his eyes slightly.
He was not one to judge the habits of others…
But the way this man was treating that cold thing…
As if it was some heavenly-grade alchemical ingredient that could temper the body, soul, and mind all at once.
A quiet note was made in Elder Bai Qingshui’s mind.
Try the thing that man is holding.
Because if someone that powerful looked that far gone…
Then perhaps that strange treat was no mere dessert –
It might just be a treasure cultivators would one day kill each other over.
Elder Bai Qingshui stepped through the doorway.
Gone.
“…”
The store grew quiet.
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng remained frozen – gazing at the now-closed exit, as if it might open again and suck them in next.
Lin Yijun sighed deeply. Long, defeated.
“Let’s go back and report to my master and the sect master first, Brother Lianfeng.”
Xiao Lianfeng gave a solemn nod.
This was, without question, the correct path forward.
Besides, they hadn’t paid for their instant noodles yet. If they did and had to leave them behind, it would just be a tragic waste.
That was a level of grief they were not ready for.
The two young men turned toward Yue Xueyan and Hua Feixue, bowing slightly.
“We’ll excuse ourselves for now.”
Hua Feixue blinked, then gave them a quick, toothy grin. “Go go!”
“Handle your stuff! It’s not like we’re gonna disappear. We’ll hold the fort, don’t worry!”
Despite her bright voice, there was a glint of understanding in her gaze. Hua Feixue was a yapper, but she wasn’t dense.
Yue Xueyan just gave a small, imperceptible nod. “…Mn.”
“Don’t delay.”
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng both gave respectful bows again.
They returned their untouched cups of instant noodles back to the shelf.
After settling the payment for their Cola and Lime Fizz, they nodded to Hao in farewell and turned to leave.
The two disappeared through the door.
Hao, who had been silently watching the whole interaction, squinted as he glanced at the floating screen beside him.
Name: Bai Qingshui
Age: 257
Cultivation: 2nd Stage of Heavenly Emperor Realm
“…Huh.”
So that guy really was an elder. And not just any elder.
He was way stronger than Lin Yijun’s master!
No wonder he gave off such a creepy vibe.
But something still didn’t sit right.
The system may have labeled him at the 2nd Stage, but Hao felt it – a hidden force sealed within Elder Bai Qingshui. As if the old man was being held back… by choice or by curse.
The old man seemed to have one foot in another realm, paused just before crossing the threshold.
Or maybe Hao was just slowly losing it after watching Old Tiger Zhao lick his vanilla ice cream. That image alone might haunt his dreams for years to come.
Moments turned into minutes, and minutes into hours.
Far away, beyond mountains and forests, past plains and palaces…
A sea stretched endlessly beneath the heavens.
Silver fog swirled without end, covering the mirror-still surface with a hush so deep even the wind dared not speak.
No crashing waves. No gulls. Just silence.
Pale Lotus Foggy Sea.
One of the major seas near Shrouded Cloud Empire.
“Where life and death bloom side by side.”
A place feared and revered by cultivators across the continent.
The air was not cold, but it numbed the senses.
Voices lost their sharpness here. Thoughts seemed to echo too long in the mind.
On the vast, silent water, countless white lotus pads floated.
Each one the size of a house.
Some were radiant with a soft, silver light – pulsing gently with healing qi, said to bring a dying soul back from the brink.
Others, though identical in appearance, carried a breathless stillness – infused with qi that numbed the heart, silenced the lungs, and left no trace.
No one could tell which was which by sight.
The lotus responded not to the eye, but to the heart.
And now, above this haunting sea…
Five figures hovered quietly atop their swords, their black robes flowing like clouds behind them.
Hao would’ve recognized them instantly.
Elder Tang Sheng, the Pillar of Flow.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei of the Drifting Sword Sect.
Elder Bai Qingshui, the Pillar of Stillness.
And of course…
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng, hovering a little stiffly near the back.
As for why they were here?
They’d very much like to know too!
When the old men of their sect suddenly told them to follow, they dared not refuse.
Elder Tang Sheng even personally transmitted a message to them before they left:
’Perhaps this will benefit the two of you greatly.’
That was it.
No details. No explanation.
Just that one cryptic line.
Which, of course, made both Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng even more suspicious and curious.
So now they stood among their elders, hovering above a sea that looked like it belonged in a ghost story…
“I’m ready, Sect Master. Brother Sheng.”
Elder Bai Qingshui’s calm voice broke the silence.
He slowly removed the gray silk sash around his sword, revealing a long, pitch-black blade at his side. The sash folded itself mid-air, then disappeared into his storage ring.
Across from him, Sect Master Jiang Xianwei gave a relaxed nod and unsheathed his weapon.
It was a wooden sword.
Not some ancient artifact pretending to be simple – just plain, unpainted wood.
The kind outer sect disciples used to practice swings.
Lin Yijun blinked. Xiao Lianfeng’s brows twitched. But neither said a word.
Meanwhile, Elder Tang Sheng brought out his sword too – thin and silver, like a shimmer of moonlight captured in steel. Graceful and sharp, the complete opposite of Sect Master Jiang Xianwei’s ridiculous stick.
Without speaking, the two elders backed off into opposite directions, forming a loose triangle with Bai Qingshui at the third point.
They each raised one palm toward the sky and held their swords in the other, angled downward.
Spiritual qi surged.
Sword intent followed – sharp and vast – rising like invisible waves that made even the silver fog tremble.