Back on deck, the two men remained silent. They stood posted at the edge of the ship, one scanning the sky and the other muttering under his breath while watching the mists below.
A different silence hung heavy inside the rear of the ship.
The surviving disciples sat in small groups. Some wrapped blood-soaked robes around their wounds. Others pressed healing talismans to their wounds or stared into space with hollow, shocked eyes.
Torn banners, cracked swords, and shredded jade name tags littered the deck.
"I never imagined war would be like this," whispered a girl clutching a bloodstained satchel. "I registered for credit points for advancement. If I had known, I—I never would've... My brother's gone. Now I have to walk the path of immortality alone."
A tall, broad-shouldered disciple looked over. His robe was torn, but his spine was straight.
"Stop," he said firmly. "Grieve later. Right now, don't pull others into despair. For every tear you shed, someone else will follow suit."
A soft voice broke the silence.
"What would you know?" asked a disciple with red eyes and a quivering voice. "You didn't lose a Dao companion. Or a sibling. You didn't lose all the disciples from your peak. Don't pretend you understand what we're feeling."
The tall, muscular disciple turned slightly. His voice was calm and steady, not defensive.
"I didn't lose anyone in this battle," Di Luan said quietly. "But don't assume that I haven't buried family members before."
He paused, his eyes dropping to the clouds below. Through gaps in the mist, emerald mountains, waterfalls, and sun-dappled rivers rolled by.
"When demonic cultivators attacked when I was younger, I lost my father, my mother, and some relatives. I know what you are feeling, but please don't lower our remaining morale," he said. His words made the girl and the others who were sobbing stop.
He touched the storage pouch at his waist, his fingers brushing the engraved clasp.
"My younger brother would be amazed if he knew I found the longevity pill," he thought, walking to the far corner and sitting cross-legged on the floor.
He pulled out a smooth jade pendant etched with faintly glowing runes. He injected a thread of Qi into it.
After a moment, a warm, familiar voice echoed from the pendant. "Eldest Brother?" It was the voice of the village chief.
Di Luan's eyes softened slightly. "Younger Brother. How is the village?"
Back at the village, inside the chief's hut, Chen Yi, Li Wan'er, and Mendi sat cross-legged in front of him.
They were surrounded by faint particles of Qi. Their breathing was steady, and their bodies were relaxed.
The chief smiled, his eyes gleaming as he looked over the trio.
"The village is doing well. Too good, in fact," he said his voice carried subtle excitement and his usual demeanor absent.
Di Luan's voice echoed from the jade pendant he held. "Did something happen?"
"There's been a development. One that may surprise you." His tone was steady, not boastful, but not indifferent either.
"Now I'm curious. Do tell," Di Luan said.
The chief leaned back in his chair and scanned Chen Yi and his group.
"There's a boy with enormous potential. And two others… not as gifted, but worth noting. Compared to what we usually see in these lands, they stand out," the chief said.
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
Then, "What makes you so sure?" Di Luan asked, his tone tightening slightly.
The chief's tone brightened. "First, my own disciple. The boy is exceptional. He reached the Qi Refinement Realm in less than a week."
"Less than a week? How many days precisely?" Di Luan pressed.
"Four," the chief replied. "He reached Qi Refinement in four days. Even here, where spiritual energy is scarce."
Di Luan froze.
He suddenly got to his feet. His breath hitched, and his eyes grew wide. Even the disciples nearby sensed the abrupt shift in his Qi fluctuations.
"Tell me more about them," Di Luan said in a low, focused voice. His fingers tightened on the pendant. "Four days? In that wasteland?"
Alarm bells rang, sharp and familiar. He'd seen this before in the sect—backwater prodigies blooming like poisoned flowers.
Years ago, he and a few others from the same village had advanced too quickly. The attention it drew had been suffocating.
Whispers followed them like shadows: "Demonic ties," they hissed, pointing to the slaughter that had birthed them.
"Forbidden arts," others accused, their envy as thick as rot. The scrutiny only faded when their progress stalled.
Now, history threatened to repeat itself. Another surge of talent from the village would prompt the sect envoys to descend like vultures.
Rival factions would smell blood. Scavengers would pick the bones. The Mortal Empire might declare the land sacred, only to seize it and throw the Chief into an imperial dungeon—or a shallow grave.
And if just one rival sect whispered "demonic taint"? They would burn the village to the ground and slaughter every man, woman, and child in a frenzy of "righteous" cleansing. Even mortals would turn rabid at the scent of immortality.
"Captain?" one of them asked, still meditating. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Di Luan replied quickly. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with suspicion.
He walked to the edge of the spirit ship where only clouds drifted below. The wind was thinner and sharper there. He raised the jade pendant again and injected more qi into it.
"Repeat that. Four days? Are you certain?"
"I wouldn't joke about such things," the chief replied. "It took him two days to sense qi. Two more to break through. He asked to become my disciple and offered me a spirit stone. What a filial disciple!"
Di Luan's voice dropped to a growl as he asked, "A spirit stone? Where would a mortal boy in a backwater village get one?"
"The spirit stone wasn't his. He found it… or rather, took it from an old friend. The matter caused some friction, but I've kept him close since then. He studies under me now," the chief said.
"Who was this 'friend'?"
"A boy without spirit root. Weak meridians. No future in martial arts. I kept an eye on him for a time, but nothing ever came of it. He resents the others now, that much is clear. Still, not worth worrying over," the chief said.
"Hm. If you put it that way, I'll take your word for it for now," said Di Luan, his tone still stiff. "But when we arrive, the three core disciples will test him personally. I'll inform them now. Prepare well."
He glanced at the cloud-covered sky and lowered his voice.
"Ensure the younger ones are prepared. There aren't many spots, and only those with enough strength will qualify. Second-rate is the minimum. First-rate is preferred. If they fall short, the chance will go elsewhere."
The chief laughed softly on the other end as he said. "They've been informed. They're training hard. With the Fifth Elder's assistance, we should have enough candidates who meet the requirements."
"Good. Just one more thing," Di Luan said. "That spirit stone you got from the boy. Are you sure you don't know where it came from?"
"Nothing certain yet. But I'll look into it."
"Do that. We can't afford anything disrupting our plans," Di Luan said as he stopped injecting the qi into the jade pendant.
The glow on the jade pendant faded when Di Luan ended the connection.
Before he could turn around, a faint aura fluctuation flared up in the air behind him.
He froze, then slowly turned around. "When did he—"
A figure stood there, his robes clean and white, his arms behind his back. His eyes shimmered faintly, glowing with a subtle purple hue—like two amethysts burning behind glass.
He was one of the Three Core Disciples.
"Senior Brother," Di Luan said quickly, bowing low with both hands clasped together.
"Who were you speaking to?" the man asked calmly.
His tone wasn't aggressive.
However, his pupil technique was already active, with two faint violet lights spinning in his irises and scanning for truth or lies.
Di Luan straightened up and kept his face neutral.
"My younger brother. He oversees the village where the seedlings are being gathered."
The disciple's glowing gaze didn't waver.
"And the contents of the conversation?"
A heartbeat passed. Di Luan chose his words carefully, then recounted everything he had talked about with his brother.
The glow in the man's eyes dimmed slightly.
"Good," he said at last. "You're not forbidden from speaking with your family. But be cautious. Too much initiative invites suspicion." He paused, then added with a faint smile, "You mentioned a talented seedling."
Di Luan's spine stiffened. He considered choosing his words carefully, but being careful was as dangerous as being deceptive in front of a Core Disciple with a truth-seeking technique.
So, after thinking for a few seconds, he told him everything. The Core Disciple was silent for several seconds. Then, a quiet, low, unreadable chuckle escaped him.
"Four days... in a place like that."
He stepped forward and placed a hand on Di Luan's shoulder. The touch was light, yet Di Luan felt a surge of profound qi control that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Relax. No need to be so tense."
The Core Disciple's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"If this boy is truly what I think he is, we may soon have another junior brother.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he flew off toward the second ship. His robes fluttered like drifting mist, and his presence vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared.
Di Luan stood still for a few moments, feeling the cold imprint of that hand on his shoulder.