Back in his room, Astra checked his things.
There wasn't much.
A slightly sturdier robe.
A basic knife.
A small pouch for spirit beads—not that he had any yet.
He sat once more, drawing in a few cycles of spirit energy to adjust his state.
As he did, he sank his awareness down toward his dantian again.
The Spirit Egg floated in his inner world, glowing a bit more steadily than before.
As Astra focused on it, it pulsed.
Thump.
A wave of warmth rippled outward, touching his spirit power, calming his mind further.
He sensed… happiness?
Are you reacting because I'm moving forward?
Again, no words.
Just the sense of something softly pressing against his soul like a forehead nuzzling his chest.
His chest tightened.
"You're waiting for me," Astra murmured quietly in his heart. "Then I'll keep going. Hatch when you're ready, not before."
The egg's glow brightened slightly, then dimmed.
[Ding! World Spirit Egg Affection +1]
Bond Level: 2So even spirits have… feelings.
He rose to his feet, tied his simple belt, and stepped outside.
At the sect gate, a small group of outer disciples was already waiting, murmuring among themselves.
Han Qing stood at the front, arms crossed.
Beside him, Astra noticed someone new.
A young woman.
She wore a slightly different style of robe—a cleaner cut, indicating she'd spent time closer to the main sect before being stationed here. Her hair was dark and smooth, tied in a high tail, a few strands falling along the sides of her pale face.
Her eyes… were cold.
Not hostile.
Not mocking.
Just distant, like a clear lake untouched by wind.
She glanced at Astra once.
Just once.
His aura was tightly contained, but something under it—a faint, ancient heaviness—brushed her spirit sense.
Her eyes narrowed a fraction.
That's not normal outer disciple fluctuation.
Han Qing noticed the glance and chuckled softly.
"This is Senior Sister Bai Ruyin," he said to the group. "She'll be assisting with the formation at the forest's edge. Try not to embarrass the branch in front of her."
One of the outer disciples whispered:
"Bai Ruyin… wasn't she nearly sent to the main sect last year?"
"Yeah," another murmured back. "They say she's extremely talented with formations and cold enough to freeze tigers."
She looked at Astra again, this time a little longer.
His gaze… doesn't tremble under mine. And there's that faint 'pressure' again.
She looked away, saying nothing.
Astra filed the name away in his mind.
Ruyin. Cold on the outside. But people don't choose formations if they don't care about stability and control. She's not heartless.
Unbeknownst to him, his quiet, steady expression had already left a small impression—different from the fawning or fear she was used to.
Far far away from here —
On a different mountain, under a different sky—
A different woman looked through a water mirror.
Her face was obscured by mist. Her eyes were bright.