Chapter 92: Returning to the Sect

The array masters outside were anxious. No one knew why Vane had entered; it was far too dangerous, and no one dared to follow him recklessly. Some had already guessed that it was the Wave Husk Secret Realm of the Map-Dream Immortal.

But the seal hadn't broken, so how could the Wave Husk Secret Realm on the back of the Bright Mirror Sea appear?

The horizon was clear for ten thousand miles, without wind or clouds. Gradually, a silhouette appeared at the entrance. Before anyone could see clearly, the person had already shrunk the earth and vanished in the blink of an eye. The passage to the secret realm closed once more.

An array master reacted blankly after a moment: "...Fellow Daoist Vane sent a transmission just now saying everything is fine, and he has left first."

"Is that so," one person paused. "So, was that the Wave Husk Secret Realm?"

"I don't know, perhaps. There are always strange occurrences in this world."

They never even considered the possibility that someone had actually emerged from the realm.

The five people mentioned by "Yun Zhang" had long since lost their names in today's cultivation world. No one knew what happened to them; their fame wasn't that great. Perhaps they went into seclusion, perished halfway through, or lacked the ability to wield those divine artifacts and died in the greedy pursuit of countless others.

This is the difference between the cultivation world and the mortal realm. External objects might help you for a moment, but in the end, it comes down to the individual cultivator. Thus, from a certain perspective, the Wave Husk Secret Realm was a place of certain death in the minds of cultivators.

The Map-Dream Immortal had no reverence for life or death. This was evident from the fact that she named her weapon's realm the "Void Wave Secret Realm" and the realm formed after her death the "Wave Husk Secret Realm."

Empty life, wasteful death. Life has no meaning, and death has no value. She didn't use a tone of admonishment or regret; rather, it was irony.

Dissolute and unrestrained.

Just because she was the founding matriarch of the December Sect, one couldn't assume she had a heart dedicated to the sect or to cultivation. Even so, the cultivation world still worshipped her. Such a person—unfettered, transcending secular frameworks, and yet not committing many evils—was truly admirable.

"Shrinking the earth" is a spell that only Nascent Soul stage cultivators can fully master, yet not all Nascent Soul cultivators can grasp its intricacies.

Vane was in the Golden Core stage, yet he could already use a single talisman as a focus to shrink the earth outside the sect, no longer restricted by the sect's spiritual environment. This required extremely delicate control; the flow and release of spiritual power could not be off by a hair, or else it would be off by a thousand miles. This is why cases of defeating opponents at a higher level occur.

His ability to manipulate spiritual power was clearly masterful.

Zora leaned on his shoulder, feeling truly comfortable. Mainly, she hadn't rested at all within the Wave Husk Secret Realm—practicing sword techniques, cultivating, being defeated, and continuing through the pain without pause. In the realm, she hadn't felt it, but now she felt an endless fatigue. Even her Nascent Soul cultivation, which was not yet stable, couldn't restore her spirit.

The youth remained silent until they reached the Falling Rock Forest, where he said softly: "We're here."

"..."

No one answered.

Vane tilted his head slightly. Her cheek was pressed against his shoulder, the flesh beneath her tightly closed eyes bunched up. Her hair was loose, her dark tresses falling freely, with a few strands brushing against Vane’s neck, stirring a prickle of itchiness.

He watched her for a while, then blinked slowly. It felt like stepping on white clouds—soft and without a sense of reality.

She had grown a bit taller, but her appearance hadn't changed at all; perhaps it was an issue with the flow of time in the secret realm. Yet he was now several years older than her.

Back when Zora had just left, what Vane had been most fixated on was his appearance. Although once cultivation reaches a certain level, one can change their physical age at will—but one can only be older than the age at which they preserved their youth. If one preserves their youth at thirty, they cannot become younger than thirty.

But more importantly, few people ever change it; maintaining one's original appearance for the long term was what cultivators were accustomed to. Furthermore, once Zora’s cultivation reached a certain level, she would be able to easily see through a cultivator's disguised shell and see their true preserved appearance.

He had deliberately controlled his cultivation speed. He should have preserved his youth at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, but he intentionally modified the flow of his spiritual power to slow down the process so that he could continue to grow.

The youth had originally been waiting for his body to mature into that of a young man.

But during those long, dull days of watching the moon alone with blood on his hands, the youth suddenly thought: if it were Zora, she certainly wouldn't care about the age of her body; she would preserve her youth when the time came.

But she had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, yet seemed to be growing at a normal rate? Vane thought for a moment. The place where Zora went into seclusion should have been the cave residence frequently used by Immortal Zhou; Immortal Zhou likely delayed the time she stopped growing as she pleased.

But now Zora had entered the secret realm.

"..."

Back then, Vane had looked down at the lines on his palm. His hands were already full of a man's strength, yet the knuckles and veins always held a trace of an adolescent air that hadn't fully matured.

Perhaps he thought for a day, perhaps a month, or perhaps an entire year.

In the end, he stopped at an age between maturity and youth. He forgot the specific age, but that combination of raw edge and sharpness in his features that Zora had looked at again and again remained frozen there forever. After a long time, it was even tinged with a faint indifference.

Now, as Vane looked at her, he felt as if his state of mind had never changed, and they had never been apart. Those times spent apart seemed to evaporate in an instant. Meaningless things were discarded and thrown to the back of his mind, leaving only the increasingly heavy longing.

The slight roundness on Zora's face was still there, just right, unlike others who were as thin as pointed jade shoots. She never drew her eyebrows; they were a light black, neither thick nor thin, perfectly complementing her round almond eyes. It wasn't a staggering beauty, but like a soft flower in the grass—adorable enough to make one stop.

Zora was watched for a long time. She opened her eyes, saw they had reached the Falling Rock Forest, and jumped off his back on her own. She waved her hand casually. "Goodbye. Remember to go inform them. I'm going to rest."

Vane gave an "mhm," then fell silent. "..."

Zora took a few steps before feeling a tug in her heart. She turned back, following her instinct. Vane immediately lifted his eyes to meet hers, so quickly it seemed he had been waiting the whole time.

"What is it?"

Zora didn't speak right away. She was looking closely at Vane's face, and then at his eyes.

Although Zora didn't know what it meant to "like" a living person, she had liked osmanthus cakes. The girl thought for a moment and felt that certain expressions of such feelings were the same. That is, seeing it, getting it, and looking for more when it's gone. It was just that there was only one piece of osmanthus cake with this flavor. Fortunately, Vane was a living person; he wouldn't easily be broken apart, eaten, or swallowed into someone's stomach.

Zora didn't think about the reason for her actions; she simply did what she wanted. She beckoned to Vane, a gesture like calling over a puppy.

Vane was dazed for a moment. It was just that his memory suddenly became much clearer, recalling how she had beckoned to him in the same way shortly after they first met. The youth walked toward her without hesitation.

Zora: "Just use a letter to tell them then. You stay with me."

"..." Vane was stunned. He said "okay," then immediately sensed a sign but didn't dare to startle her. He didn't want to ask recklessly and make her unhappy, so he said: "...To do what?"

Zora walked toward the depths of the Falling Rock Forest: "Sleep with me. I'm used to sleeping when I rest."

She retained the habit of sleeping, always feeling that sleep was the most relaxing time. It was just that sleeping outside made it easy to be killed.

The Falling Rock Forest hadn't changed at all; every flower, tree, blade of grass, and stone was vivid in her memory. In the familiar courtyard, a woman sat leaning in a chair. Seeing Zora enter, she immediately looked over. Zora stopped and looked back at her. Vane followed behind her, very practiced at suppressing his presence, retreating to the background as always.

The wind echoed between the two of them.

Zhou Shijin's eyes narrowed slightly, then relaxed after a moment. She spoke: "You're back."

"Mhm, I'm back." Zora then said very seriously: "After I've rested, I'll resume the reunion talk with you, Master. Let's pause here for now."

She was afraid that if they talked midway, she would faint from exhaustion first.

Truly her disciple—even a reunion could be paused. Zhou Shijin completely relaxed her features, appearing like she was looking at someone coming home from work, and waved her hand: "Go on, go on."

Zora nodded and headed toward her room. Vane gave Zhou Shijin a polite, slight bow and followed her inside.

"..."

What? Zhou Shijin didn't speak; she raised an eyebrow.

Had her disciple finally caught on? She didn't make Vane work; instead, she kept him to watch him under her very eyes. For Zora, this had to carry at least a sliver of affection for her to keep him in front of her based on her heart's desire. Zhou Shijin watched for a long while, then closed her eyes.

In any case, her disciple wouldn't be the one to suffer or be deceived.

The reunion scene, which should have been grand and touching, was put on pause. Zora found her room exactly as it was before—by which she meant, as clean as before.

Zora: "You cleaned it?"

Vane said nonchalantly: "Yes. Not many times."

Only once every three days.

Zora gave an "oh" and recalled her previous methods. She patted his head as he submissively lowered it for her, encouraging him: "Very good. You did well."

She wrote letters to her other three companions. She thought for a moment—after all this time, what if her companions had encountered something and changed?

Zora: "Have they changed?"

Vane paused, answering cautiously: "Senior Brother Song has been cultivating on his own but no longer tries to make friends; he may be at a critical stage of his cultivation. Yiling Ke has been rising steadily in Drunken Lu Bay and is highly valued by the Sect Leader. Senior Sister Turi is still in the December Sect. They shouldn't have changed much, but I don't know if they will be the same as before when they see you."

Zora didn't realize he was speaking cautiously; she only took his words at face value.

Oh, they haven't changed, but there's a certain level of uncertainty.

Zora didn't treat friends like others did, priding themselves on constant trust. Whenever she was apart from them for a long time, she would habitually re-evaluate their relationship—not because she feared betrayal, but simply to judge if the level of comfort in their interaction had changed.

Zora added a few lines to the end of the letters, rolled up in her quilt, climbed into bed, and closed her eyes, appearing ready to fall asleep. Vane, standing to the side, remained silent for a moment. He looked around and stayed quietly by her side, his lashes lowered as he watched her.

Zora turned over and opened her eyes to look at him.

Vane: "What is it?"

Zora said honestly: "Just looking."

Vane pursed his lips, his gaze drifting for a second before looking directly at her.

Zora: "I thought about you in the secret realm."

"..." Vane's ears turned red. He naturally knew what this meant for her.

Zora was exceptionally honest: "Over two hundred times I thought about your usefulness, and once I thought about you personally."

Vane's ears turned even redder, and his lashes trembled: "...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Zora never thought to ask him back if he had thought of her; she didn't care about that. She felt much better after stating this fact. She suddenly noticed a slight change in his appearance and said: "Come over and crouch down."

Vane obediently crouched by her bed, letting her curiously touch his face. She couldn't say exactly where the change was; perhaps his adolescent features had matured just a bit.

Having satisfied her curiosity, Zora was about to withdraw her hand when the youth whose cheek was pressed against her palm suddenly nuzzled her finger pads. His beautiful lashes lifted, revealing his dark pupils. Though the outline of his eyes was full of sharp edge, the slight furrow of his brows made him look pitiable.

The youth looked at her and couldn't help but say: "...I missed you so much."

Zora was dazed. She asked bluntly: "Missed what about me?"

She had been thinking of Vane's usefulness first, and then himself; she naturally assumed he might have other thoughts mixed in.

But Vane said: "You personally."

"How many times?"

"I don't know... I didn't count."

Zora asked cautiously: "More than my one time?"

"..." Vane blinked. His heart was nearly pierced by her expression in an instant, and he almost let out a light laugh. The frequency of his chest thumping accelerated. He paused before saying: "Sorry, yes."

Zora gave an "oh" and didn't speak again. Vane didn't speak either. Her hand hadn't been withdrawn yet, still pressed against his face. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, and even the air became quiet.

Zora said as if realizing: "I see. It seems you didn't lie. You didn't just miss me, you missed me

very

much."

Such blunt words. Vane pursed his lips, almost easily led by the nose by her, so easily generating subtle emotions. Before he could answer, Zora acted as if she had finished judging a problem or completing a task; she relaxed in her fatigue, let go, and withdrew her hand into the quilt.

Vane didn't say anything more. He tucked the corner of the quilt for her and leaned by her bed, watching her. This was behavior allowed by Zora, and it was what he wanted to do. Watching her, over time, his drumming heart actually calmed down. There was no trace of ferocity, not even a sliver of emotion. He was like the pillow beneath her head, the hair ribbon sliding from her hair, her jade pendant, or her sword—simply one of the inanimate objects by her side. Just accompanying her like this, his entire meaning revolved around her.

After a while, the girl rested peacefully. She had long since grown used to the gaze falling on her face, and now she adapted quickly. The gaze wasn't too burning, nor was it too cold or piercing; it merged perfectly into everything around her. Like an object by her side. Habitual and safe enough.

Yiling Ke was organizing her array scrolls in her room when a mechanical bird suddenly landed on her windowsill.

"Mhm? Who is it?" She took the letter from the bird's leg and unfolded it.

The sender completely ignored the format of a letter and spoke directly.

[I am Zora. How about meeting at the Falling Rock Forest tomorrow when the sun rises? If you agree, pull the bird's head off and put it back on. If you don't agree, pull the bird's head off and throw it away.]

...What on earth. Yiling Ke's lips twitched, but after a moment, she let out a laugh. "You're finally back. Everyone else thought you were dead."

She lifted her hand, hesitating for a moment. ...Zora, what kind of savage mechanism did you set up?

Yiling Ke pulled the bird's head off, revealing the mechanical gears inside the bird's body. She was about to put it back while reading the rest of the letter.

[Also, I'm not sure if we can still interact as comfortably as before. If it's not as comfortable, just say so. To properly try and keep you, we can have a fight.]

Yiling Ke's smile froze.

I can feel that you are indeed worried about your friends and trying to keep them in your own way.

At the same moment, the heads of the other two birds were removed and reattached.

Song Zhihuai finished reading the letter and looked toward the distant mountains.

Junior Sister Zora, being so loyal and righteous—it's truly touching.

He miraculously understood Zora's clumsy intentions and was moved by them.

Turi Qi smiled and said a few words to her junior disciples before leaving. She unfolded the letter. The ability to read ten lines at a glance that she had cultivated in the past seemed to vanish in an instant. She read word by word, extremely slowly. After finishing, she let out a soft laugh and released the mechanical bird.

The bird beat its wings and flew away under the blue sky. Turi Qi watched with a smile until the bird vanished. Since she was back, it meant Junior Sister Zora had succeeded. She would re-enter the vision of the cultivators and stand at a high position once more. Even higher than before.