The Green Lotus Mountains rose like an emerald titan behind the town, its jagged peaks piercing the clouds at thirty meters of sheer, spirit-infused rock. This was not a barren wasteland, but a vibrant ecosystem of Verdant Ironwood trees—whose bark was as hard as low-grade steel—and Luminescent Ferns that carpeted the forest floor, pulsing with a faint green rhythm. The air here was thick, smelling of damp moss and the sweet, ozone-like tang of active spiritual veins. High above, Azure-Winged Hawks circled, their cries echoing through the canopy, while below, the rustle of Spirit-Sensing Rabbits kept the underbrush in constant motion. For a cultivator, the mountain was a treasure chest; for the unprepared, it was a tomb. The paths wound treacherously upward, each step a test of Qi circulation against the increasing pressure of ambient spiritual energy that could crush the meridians of the weak. Vines of Thorned Qi-Weed snaked across the trails, their barbs infused with a mild poison that numbed the senses if not avoided, forcing travelers to channel protective auras. Deeper in, pockets of Miasma Fog lingered in shaded hollows, illusions born from corrupted beast essences that could lead wanderers into bottomless chasms. Yet, amidst the dangers, rare opportunities beckoned: clusters of Low-Grade Spirit Fruits dangled from branches, their juices capable of bolstering Qi reserves for those bold enough to harvest them without alerting guardian beasts. The mountains hummed with life, a symphony of distant roars and whispering winds, reminding all who entered that survival here demanded not just strength, but cunning and harmony with the Dao.
Trudging through a thicket of Thorny Spirit-Briers, Li Zhonghao wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, his rough tunic clinging to his broad frame like a second skin soaked in the humid air. His hand rested habitually on the hilt of the heavy butcher-style knife strapped to his waist, the blade etched with basic fire runes that flickered faintly in response to his agitation. As a Tenth Level Qi Condensation cultivator with Double Fire Roots, the humidity of the mountain felt like a damp blanket on his internal flame, stifling the heat that usually coursed through his veins with invigorating warmth. The undergrowth tugged at his boots, each step crunching leaves that released a faint spicy aroma, a natural repellent against lesser insects but useless against the true threats lurking in the shadows. Zhonghao's face, square and weathered from years of manual labor in the town's forges, twisted in frustration as he glanced at the crumpled map in his free hand, its edges frayed from repeated folding. The ink lines, drawn by a local cartographer who claimed to have explored these paths in his youth, now seemed more like mocking scribbles than reliable guides.
"Are you sure the map said 'East of the Waterfall'?" Zhonghao grumbled, hacking away at a stubborn vine with his knife, the blade leaving a trail of smoldering embers where it sliced through the fibrous plant. "Because so far, all I've found is East of a very large pile of Boar dung." The words came out in a huff, his breath visible in the cooling air as they ascended higher, the temperature dropping subtly despite the geothermal vents rumored to be nearby. He paused to adjust his pack, heavy with empty vials for collecting lotus essence and a few basic healing salves in case of minor injuries, his mind already envisioning the profit from selling the Fire Lotus to alchemists in Green Lotus Town.
Behind him, Li Ziling walked with the grace of a predator, her Triple Wind Roots making her footsteps nearly silent on the leaf-strewn path, as if the air itself cushioned her movements. She held her recurve bow loosely in one hand, a feathered arrow already nocked and ready, its tip coated in a paralytic toxin brewed from local herbs. Her silver-gray eyes scanned the canopy with the focus of an Eighth Level Qi Condensation archer, picking out the subtle shifts in branches that might signal a hidden beast or falling debris. Ziling's lithe form, clad in practical leather armor reinforced with wind-imbued threads for enhanced agility, moved with an effortless sway, her long hair tied back in a practical braid to avoid snags. She rolled her eyes at her brother's complaint, a small smirk playing on her lips as she leaped lightly over a root that Zhonghao had nearly tripped on.
"If you stopped complaining and started sniffing, we'd find it faster," Ziling retorted, not even looking at him as she adjusted her quiver, the arrows fletched with feathers from Azure-Winged Hawks for better flight stability. "Fire Lotus plants thrive near heat vents. With your Fire Roots, you're basically a human dowsing rod. Use your brain, Brother. I know it's lonely in there." Her tone was teasing but laced with genuine exasperation, born from countless sibling adventures where Zhonghao's brute strength often compensated for his lack of finesse. She paused to listen to the wind, her roots allowing her to sense subtle currents that carried scents and sounds from afar, a skill that had saved them from ambushes more than once.
"My brain is perfectly occupied with making sure a Peak Foundation Beast doesn't decide you're a snack," Zhonghao snapped back, though he squinted, trying to sense the flickers of Fire Qi in the area, his internal flames responding with a faint warmth in his dantian. "And for the record, the 'boar dung' was actually a rare 'Earth-Scented Truffle' according to the grocer! I was being observant!" He puffed out his chest slightly, defending his honor, but the memory of the squelch under his boot made him wince inwardly.
"You stepped in it, Zhonghao. You didn't 'observe' it," Ziling shot back, her smirk widening as she vaulted over a low branch, her wind affinity making the motion seem almost like flight.
Ziling suddenly went still, her body tensing like a drawn bowstring as a subtle shift in the air currents brushed against her senses, carrying the faint tang of sulfur mixed with something charred. She raised a hand in a sharp gesture, her silver-gray eyes narrowing as she pinpointed the source. Without a word, she leaped onto a mossy boulder nearby, her light frame seemingly defying gravity as wind Qi buoyed her ascent, giving her a vantage point above the thicket.
"Quiet," she hissed, her voice a whisper carried on the breeze to avoid alerting whatever lay ahead. "I smell sulfur. And something... scorched." The words hung in the air, heavy with implication, as the siblings' playful banter evaporated into focused vigilance.
Zhonghao's joking demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by the hardened resolve of a cultivator who had faced beasts before. He drew his knife fully, the blade glowing with a faint, orange heat as he circulated his Qi through it, igniting the runes and preparing for combat. "The Fire Lotus?" he whispered, his voice low and alert, scanning the shadows for movement.
"Maybe. Or maybe the beast that guards it," Ziling whispered back, drawing her bowstring taut with a soft creak, the arrow's tip glinting in the dappled light filtering through the canopy. "The heat is coming from that crevice behind the Silver-Leaf Oaks. Move slow. If you trip over your own feet and alert whatever is in there, I'm leaving you to be the distraction while I take the plant." Her eyes remained fixed on the crevice, a narrow fissure in the rock face overgrown with luminescent ferns that pulsed faintly, as if breathing.
"You love me too much for that," Zhonghao whispered, though his eyes were sharp, scanning the shadows with the intensity of his fire-attuned senses, feeling for heat signatures that might betray hidden foes.
"I love my bow more," she smirked, though she shifted her position on the boulder to cover his blind spot, her sibling bond overriding the tease.
Together, the siblings began to creep toward the darkening crevice, the temperature of the mountain air beginning to rise with every step they took toward their prize, the ground underfoot growing warmer as if the earth itself anticipated the confrontation ahead. The air thickened with anticipation, the distant cries of hawks fading as the thicket enveloped them, each rustle of leaves amplifying their tension.
The roaring mist of the "Twin Dragon Waterfall" was now a distant echo, its thunderous cascade reduced to a faint rumble that vibrated through the ground like a heartbeat. The air behind the Silver-Leaf Oaks grew stagnant and chilled—the exact opposite of the sulfurous warmth they had been tracking, a jarring shift that set Zhonghao's teeth on edge. The oaks themselves loomed like ancient sentinels, their leaves shimmering with a metallic sheen that reflected the dim light, casting eerie patterns on the forest floor.
"I'm just saying," Ziling hissed, her bow trembling slightly as she scanned the dense, gray fog of the Shadow-Wood thicket, her wind senses picking up unnatural stillness in the currents. "That waterfall was our last landmark. You said 'Left for the Lotus,' Zhonghao. We went left. Now we're in the middle of a graveyard of gnashed bones." She gestured subtly to the scattered remnants on the ground—bleached skeletons of beasts and perhaps unlucky cultivators, picked clean by scavengers.
"The moss was growing on the south side of the trunks! That's a sign of a heat vent!" Zhonghao whispered back, his heavy knife white-hot at the edge as he infused more Qi, the blade humming with restrained power. "How was I supposed to know the mountain has two Souths?!" His frustration was palpable, but he kept his voice low, aware that sound carried strangely in this fog-shrouded area.
"The mountain doesn't have two Souths, you idiot! You were holding the map upside—" Ziling's retort was cut short.
Growl.
The siblings froze, their breaths catching in unison as a low, guttural sound reverberated through the fog, sending chills down their spines despite Zhonghao's fire roots. From the gloom, dozens of glowing yellow orbs ignited like lanterns in the mist. Spirit-Sensing Gray Wolves. A pack of thirty, their fur matted with dried blood, their claws clicking against the limestone with predatory intent. These were low-tier beasts, but in a pack, they were a nightmare for Qi Condensation cultivators, their coordinated attacks overwhelming individual strength.
"Formation!" Zhonghao bellowed, stepping in front of his sister with a protective stance, his knife raised and blazing.
The pack lunged as one, a wave of gray fur and snapping jaws. Zhonghao let out a guttural roar, swinging his heavy knife in a horizontal arc. [Fire-Slash: Burning Crescent]! A wave of orange flame hissed through the air, singeing the fur of the lead wolf and forcing it to yelp and retreat, but three more leaped from the flank, their eyes locked on Ziling.
Ziling's fingers were a blur on her bowstring. [Wind-Arrow: Triple Gust]! Three arrows whistled simultaneously, guided by her Wind Qi, piercing the throats of the attackers mid-air with deadly precision, the wind currents curving their paths to ensure fatal hits. But for every wolf that fell, two more emerged from the brush, their numbers seeming endless in the fog.
"There's too many!" Ziling cried, her quiver running light as she nocked another arrow, her arms aching from the rapid draw. She leaped back as a wolf's jaws snapped inches from her boots, the beast's hot breath reeking of blood and decay.
Zhonghao was being pushed back, his Fire Qi flickering under the strain of continuous circulation. A wolf latched onto his shoulder, its teeth scraping against his leather armor and drawing blood. He punched it off with a flame-infused fist, but his footing slipped on the wet moss, sending him stumbling. "Ziling, run!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation.
As the pack closed in for the kill, a sharp, whistling sound sliced through the humid air, cutting through the chaos like a blade through silk.
[Glacial Gale: Hydro-Sonic Flash]
A blur of blue and white silk descended from the canopy, materializing as if from thin air. Shao Ye landed with the grace of a falling snowflake, his sword remaining half-sheathed for a microsecond before he drew it in a blinding circle. High-pressure Water Qi, sharpened by Wind, hissed out in a literal blade of liquid, slicing through the air with a sonic boom. Five wolves were decapitated instantly, their heads hitting the forest floor before their bodies even twitched, blood spraying in arcs that froze mid-air from the chill of his Qi.
Shao Ye moved like a dancer, his athletic V-taper physique twisting effortlessly as he delivered a series of precision thrusts, each one piercing vital points with unerring accuracy. Thrust. Pivot. Slash. Each movement was silent and lethal, his ragged-edge handsome face calm despite the carnage, his eyes focused and unyielding.
"Stay behind me," Shao Ye said, his voice steady and commanding, positioning himself between the siblings and the remaining wolves without a glance back.
But the air suddenly turned heavy, a oppressive pressure descending like a storm cloud. From a limestone ledge above, a massive, scarred beast emerged—the Alpha Gray Wolf, a Mid-Foundation level beast with fur rippling like liquid shadow. It didn't howl; it simply blurred into a streak of silver-gray, aimed directly at Shao Ye's exposed back while he dealt with the last two grunts, its claws extended for a fatal strike.
"Behind you!" Ziling screamed, her bow raised but too slow to intervene.
Snap.
A figure materialized from the shadows behind the Alpha, as if he had stepped out of a fold in reality itself, his presence undetectable until that moment. Alex Wu stood there, his expression bored, his hands tucked loosely into his sleeves, his violet hair with blue streaks swaying slightly in the stirred air.
With a lazy, almost dismissive flick of his wrist, a flash of nearly invisible Gray Qi String hummed through the air, so fine it was imperceptible to the naked eye but deadly in its precision.
Squelch.
The Alpha's momentum carried it forward, but its head remained suspended in the air for a second before falling, severed with such surgical precision that the blood didn't even spray until the body hit the ground, crumpling in a heap of twitching muscle.
The remaining wolves whimpered and fled into the dark, their pack instincts shattered by the loss of their leader.
"Master, you're getting soft," a raspy, mocking voice cackled from above, breaking the stunned silence. Sun Ki, the Fire-Crow, fluttered down and perched on a branch of a Silver-Leaf Oak, his red-gold feathers glowing faintly in the dim light. He looked down at the trembling Li siblings with pure disdain, his ember eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Look at these little hairless monkeys," Sun Ki mocked, his beak clicking sharply. "Master had to waste a perfectly good string because you two couldn't find your way out of a wet paper bag. I save you weak ones! You should be bowing until your foreheads bleed! Honestly, Master, why do we keep the 'trash' alive? They aren't even good for puppet fodder." His voice dripped with sarcasm, his high intelligence allowing for cutting commentary that bordered on cruel.
Zhonghao and Ziling stood paralyzed, their hearts hammering against their ribs—not from the wolves, but from the sheer, crushing pressure emanating from the man in the physician's robes, his suppressed aura now leaking just enough to make their knees weak.
Ziling's eyes traveled from the headless Alpha to the handsome, calm man, and then to the 6'1" sword-master standing guard, her face flushing with a mix of awe and budding infatuation. "Y-You're... the doctor from the town?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, her silver-gray eyes wide.
Zhonghao just stared at the Alpha's head, his mind reeling. A Mid-Foundation beast... killed with a finger-flick? The implications shook him to his core, his Double Fire Roots flaring defensively.
"Sun Ki, be quiet," Alex said calmly, wiping a non-existent speck of dust from his sleeve with deliberate slowness. He turned his neutral gaze toward the siblings, his caramel skin and pretty boy features betraying no emotion. "You took a wrong turn at the waterfall. The Fire Lotus doesn't grow in the Shadow-Wood. It grows three kilometers North, near the Red-Sulfur vents." His words were matter-of-fact, as if the battle had been a minor inconvenience.
He began to walk away, his steps making no sound on the forest floor, his slim swimmer's body moving with an otherworldly grace. "Shao Ye, let's go. We have to get the Water Lotus. We only have a day to kill before we need to get back before that guest arrives so we can watch the fun that's going to happen in the next couple months. We shouldn't waste our Qi on 'lost' children."
"Yes, Master," Shao Ye replied, sheathing his sword with a crisp click and following Alex into the fog without hesitation, his athletic frame disappearing into the mist.
"Wait!" Ziling called out, her voice echoing faintly, but they were already gone, swallowed by the mist as if they were never there, leaving the siblings alone with the carnage and the weight of what they had witnessed.
The mist of the Shadow-Wood swirled around them as Li Ziling gripped her brother's arm with a strength born of pure, hormonal determination, dragging him toward the retreating figures of the physician and his assistant, her feet moving almost of their own accord despite the lingering danger.
"Ziling, stop! Are you crazy?" Zhonghao hissed, digging his heels into the soft earth, his butcher knife still drawn and glowing faintly from residual Qi. "We almost became wolf kibble, and you want to follow the man who kills Mid-Foundation beasts with a finger-flick? We should be running the other way!" His voice cracked slightly, a mix of fear and incredulity, his mind still processing the effortless display of power.
"Hush, Zhonghao! We're following the path of destiny!" Ziling countered, her eyes sparkling with unbridled excitement, her Triple Wind Roots allowing her to sense the faint trail of disturbed air left by the group ahead. Above them, Sun Ki's gold-streaked wings beat the air in a slow, mocking rhythm, the crow's presence a constant reminder of the disparity in their worlds.
"Destiny? Is that what you call it, little monkey?" the crow rasped, swooping low to emphasize his point. "My Master doesn't need to look out for weaklings who can't handle a common gray wolf pack. You're just baggage—and smelly baggage at that!" His laughter echoed through the trees, a harsh caw that grated on Zhonghao's nerves.
Zhonghao ignored the bird, his mind racing with inner turmoil. [Inner Thought: How did they appear so silently? My Fire Roots should have sensed the heat of their life force, but it was like they didn't exist until the Alpha's head fell. The rumors at the Lotus Restaurant say Physician Wu is only at the Foundation Building level, just like the heads of the Four Families. But that strike... that wasn't just power. That was absolute control. He's hiding something.] He glanced at his sister, worried about her impulsive pursuit.
Meanwhile, Ziling was in a completely different world, her thoughts consumed by the enigmatic doctor. [Inner Thought: Oh, heavens... look at the way his robes catch the light. His back is like a fortress of jade. I'm going to tell Mom and Father the second we get home: I've found the man of my dreams. He's a doctor, he's mysterious, and he's lethal. My future husband is perfect!]
"So!" Ziling called out, pitching her voice to be as sweet as honey, hoping to bridge the gap. "Where are you guys going? We're looking for a Fire Lotus. Are you looking for something special too?" Her words carried through the mist, laced with hope.
Silence met her question for several long seconds. Alex didn't even break his stride, his movements possessing a rhythmic, terrifyingly calm grace that spoke of mastery over body and Qi. Finally, Shao Ye turned his head slightly, his sharp eyes scanning the brush for threats even as he spoke, his voice steady and polite but distant.
"Master is seeking the Glacial Water Lotus," Shao Ye replied, his tone revealing nothing more than necessary. "It is a rare material that only blooms in high-spiritual density zones." He continued forward, his athletic build cutting through the undergrowth with ease.
"Then we're on the same route!" Ziling chirped, moving closer despite Zhonghao's protests, her enthusiasm undimmed. "My grandfather told me that the Fire and Water Lotuses grow as 'Twin Poles.' They grow in a Spiritual Pond—one underwater and the Fire Lotus on the surface about twenty-five meters away. If you find yours, we find ours!" As she spoke, she stared at Alex's waist, watching the way he moved with hypnotic precision. [Inner Thought: One day, he will be my husband. I can see it now. We'll cultivate in the mountains and he'll give me all the pills I want.]
Sun Ki let out a sharp, ear-piercing cackle, diving low again. "Give it up, little girl! Don't even try with my Master. He has no interest in little girls. He prefers the company of strong men, and frankly, you don't have the... 'equipment' he'd find interesting. Why are you even hovering? You're an eyesore!" His words were blunt, designed to deter, his feathers ruffling with mock indignation.
Ziling's sweet expression snapped, her cheeks flushing with anger. She pointed a finger at the sky, her bow slung over her shoulder. "You overgrown charcoal scrap! I'll have you know I'm the most sought-after girl in my village! I have plenty of 'equipment' once I reach the Foundation stage, you mangy bird!" Her retort was fierce, her wind Qi flaring slightly in agitation.
"Mangy bird?!" Sun Ki screamed, diving low. "I am a Fire Crow! Refined in the blood of a hundred beasts! I am majestic! I am a phoenix compared to your plain, monkey-faced existence!"
"You're a loud-mouthed chicken with a glow-stick addiction!" Ziling yelled back, her hands on her hips.
"Chicken?! I'll burn your eyebrows off!"
"Ziling, stop!" Zhonghao groaned, pulling her back by the arm. "Stop arguing with a chicken!"
"WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A CHICKEN?" Sun Ki roared, hovering inches from Zhonghao's nose, his ember eyes blazing. "You hairless monkey! My Master made sure I was beautiful and majestic like a phoenix!"
"Sun Ki. Stop playing around," Alex's voice cut through the noise like a cold blade, carrying the weight of absolute authority. The crow instantly fell silent, though he gave Ziling one last 'I'm watching you' gesture with his talons before ascending. Alex turned his head slightly toward Shao Ye, his expression unchanging. "Shao Ye, how many hours do we have left?"
"Master, we have fifteen hours until we find the materials," Shao Ye reported crisply, his focus unbroken. "Then we can head back and watch the 'fun' that's going to happen over the next three months."
Zhonghao froze, his mind connecting dots. [Inner Thought: Fun? What 'fun'? These guys are talking about a three-month event... wait.] His eyes went wide with realization.
"Oh!" Ziling clapped her hands, forgetting her rage in an instant. "You mean Young Master Lin Shan? The one coming from the Capital tomorrow? Is that the fun?" Her voice was eager, latching onto the topic.
No one answered her directly, but Shao Ye gave a small, enigmatic nod. "Yes, Miss. Master likes to watch the fun when it's about to happen."
Sun Ki circled back up, his cackle returning with glee. "Oh yeah, it's gonna be a whole lot of fun. I can already see the look on those 'Great Families' faces when they realize they can't fix a broken toy! Right, Master?"
Alex Wu, walking at the head of the group with his hands tucked in his sleeves, finally gave a thin, dangerous smile, the first crack in his neutral facade. "Yes, Ki. It will be fun that I have not seen in a very long time." His words hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken plans, as the group pressed on through the mist.
The journey from the wolf-ravaged thicket to the heart of the vents was a grueling trek that showcased the vast gap between the "Immortal Doctor's" party and the two siblings, each step widening the chasm of ability and resolve. As they ascended, the lush greenery of the mid-mountain began to warp, the Verdant Ironwood trees giving way to Ashen-Bark Maples, trees that thrived on sulfur and heat, their trunks blackened and twisted like charred bones. The ground transitioned from soft moss to jagged, obsidian-like rock that radiated a steady, pulsing warmth, each footfall sending up puffs of acrid steam that stung the eyes and tested Qi barriers.
"Watch your step," Shao Ye cautioned, his voice cutting through the heavy silence like a cool breeze. He moved with an effortless glide, his athletic, V-tapered physique never once stumbling over the loose shale, his Dual Wind and Water roots allowing him to adapt seamlessly to the shifting terrain. "The ground here is thin. One wrong step and you'll find out how deep the magma veins run." He scanned ahead, his ragged-edge handsome face alert, sword at the ready.
Li Ziling, still clutching her brother's arm, was too busy staring at the back of Alex Wu's head to care about magma, her mind wandering to fanciful futures. [Inner Thought: He doesn't even pant. We've climbed five hundred meters in an hour, and his breathing is as steady as a sleeping cat. Is he even human? He's like a sculpture of jade that came to life just to make me swoon.]
"Ziling, look out!" Zhonghao hissed, yanking her back just as a jet of scalding steam hissed out of a crack in the rock, the vapor hot enough to blister unprotected skin.
"I saw it! I was just... testing the air temperature!" Ziling lied, her face flushing redder than the surrounding rocks, her embarrassment fueling her determination to keep up.
Above them, Sun Ki was having a field day, the Fire-Crow loving the rising heat; his red and golden streaks seemed to ignite, leaving small trails of embers in the air as he darted about. "Ooh, careful, hairless monkeys!" Sun Ki rasped, swooping low enough to singe Zhonghao's hair with a playful burst of flame. "The steam here will peel that ugly skin right off your bones. Though, frankly, it might be an improvement! Master, why are we walking so slow? My feathers are getting itchy for some action!"
"Patience, Ki," Alex replied calmly, his steps unhurried. He didn't look back, but his Gray Qi strings were subtly twitching beneath his sleeves, feeling the vibrations of the mountain like a spider sensing its web. "The balance of Yin and Yang is ahead. The Water Lotus needs the cold of the underground spring, and the Fire Lotus needs the breath of the mountain's core. We are close." His voice carried a philosophical undertone, echoing the principles of his Monochromatic Loom of Ruin.
The siblings struggled to keep up, Zhonghao's Double Fire Roots screaming in the high-heat environment, his Qi fluctuating wildly as sweat poured down his face. [Inner Thought: My cultivation is at the tenth level of Qi Condensation, yet I can barely breathe here. But that assistant, Shao Ye... he has Water and Wind roots. He should be miserable in this heat, yet he's as cool as an ice cube. How is his control so absolute?]
Suddenly, the path opened up into a massive, hollowed-out grotto, the air splitting with contrasting energies. The ceiling was a dome of glowing Phosphorescent Quartz, illuminating the space with an ethereal light, and the air was divided down the middle—one side shivering with frost, the other shimmering with heat haze.
"There," Alex whispered, stopping at the edge of the descent, his eyes fixed on the center.
In the center of the grotto sat the Yin-Yang Spiritual Pond. The siblings gasped, their breaths visible in the dual climates. It was a masterpiece of nature, a Natural Treasure Land that shouldn't exist in a low-tier mountain, its waters swirling with potent Qi that could refine bodies or shatter them if mishandled.
"Master," Shao Ye whispered, his hand going to the hilt of his sword, sensing the disturbance. "The guardian isn't sleeping."
As if on cue, the perfectly still water began to ripple, waves of hot and cold clashing in the center. A low, vibrating hum started in the rocks beneath their feet—the sound of a Peak-Foundation Beast sensing intruders in its sanctuary, the ground trembling slightly.
"I save you weak ones!" Sun Ki shrieked, taking to the air with a burst of flame, ready for the fray. "Get ready, monkeys! The big lizard is awake!"
The water was divided perfectly: one half was a boiling, crimson slurry where a Fire Lotus drifted, its petals glowing like coals, emanating waves of heat that warped the air. The other half was a terrifyingly still, sapphire-blue frost where the Glacial Water Lotus sat submerged like a trapped star, its chill seeping into the surrounding rock and forming ice crystals on the edges.
Suddenly, the water erupted in a geyser of steam and frost, the pond churning violently.
A Peak-Foundation [Frost-Fire Scaled Serpent] rose from the depths, its body twenty meters of reinforced scales—one side shimmering with blue frost that cracked the air with cold snaps, the other glowing with molten heat that melted nearby stones. It let out a roar that shook the very foundation of the mountain, echoing through the grotto and dislodging loose quartz from the ceiling.
"A Peak-Foundation beast!" Zhonghao cried, drawing his knife with trembling hands, his Fire Qi surging but insufficient against such a foe. "Ziling, we need to—"
He was cut off by the sound of a soft footstep, deliberate and unhurried. Shao Ye stepped forward, his blue-and-white robes fluttering in the serpent's hot-cold wind, his expression one of quiet confidence rather than fear. He didn't look afraid; he looked bored, as if this were a routine chore.
"Master, may I?" Shao Ye asked, his voice respectful, seeking permission as per their dynamic.
"Be quick," Alex replied, standing at the edge of the pond with his hands behind his back, observing without interference. "The sun is setting."
Shao Ye moved without hesitation. [Gale-Slide]! He didn't run; he skated across the surface of the pond, his Water Qi reducing friction to zero, leaving a trail of frozen ripples in his wake. The serpent lunged, its fangs dripping with acidic venom that sizzled on contact with the water. Shao Ye twisted his athletic, V-tapered body mid-air, a blur of motion that evaded the strike effortlessly.
[Hydro-Sonic Edge]! His sword vibrated at a frequency so high it hummed like a swarm of bees, the blade infused with compressed Water and Wind Qi. He didn't just slash; he delivered a thousand microscopic cuts in a single second, the vibrations shattering the serpent's frost-side scales like glass under a hammer. The beast shrieked, a dual-toned wail of pain, swinging its massive tail in a sweeping arc that sent waves crashing against the grotto walls.
But Shao Ye was already gone, propelled by a burst of Wind Qi to a new position. "Look at the bird-brain's human go!" Sun Ki cackled, circling above with glee, his flames adding to the chaos. "Slice him up, Shao Ye! I want the heart for a snack!"
The serpent, realizing it was outmatched in speed, opened its maw to release a dual-elemental breath—a torrent of freezing flames that could incinerate and petrify in one blast. But before it could unleash it, Alex Wu made a subtle movement, almost imperceptible.
A single Gray Qi String shot from his finger, invisible to everyone but the bird, wrapping around the serpent's snout with unyielding tension, clamping it shut like a vice. The beast's eyes widened in panic as its own energy backfired internally, scorching its throat and freezing its tongue.
Shao Ye capitalized instantly, his eyes sharpening. He leaped high into the air, his silhouette framed by the moon peeking through a crack in the ceiling. [Shattering Hail]! He thrust his sword down with explosive force. Upon impact, the Water Qi inside the blade turned into jagged ice crystals that expanded inside the serpent's skull, burrowing through flesh and bone.
CRACK.
The massive beast collapsed into the pond, dead before it hit the water, its body sinking with a final shudder, the dual elements dissipating into harmless steam.
Shao Ye landed gracefully on the pond's edge, sheathing his sword with a clean click that echoed in the sudden silence. He reached into the water without hesitation, plucking both the Fire Lotus and the Glacial Water Lotus with careful precision, their essences preserved.
Ziling stood with her mouth hanging open, her bow forgotten on the ground, her heart pounding from the display. [Inner Thought: Oh my gods... they didn't even sweat. And the Physician didn't even move his feet! I've definitely picked the right husband.]
Zhonghao looked at the serpent's carcass and then at the small, calm physician, his voice awed. "You... you just... that was a Peak-Foundation beast..."
"Materials secured, Master," Shao Ye said, handing the plants to Alex with a bow of respect.
Alex tucked the lotuses into his sleeve, where his High-Level Spirit Bag absorbed them seamlessly, his eyes reflecting the moonlight with a calculating gleam. "Good. Sun Ki, scout the western road. The Lin family carriage should be entering the county borders soon. Let's see how much 'fun' is packed into that wagon."
"On it, Boss!" Sun Ki screamed, trailing red and gold sparks as he vanished into the night, his wings cutting through the air like flames.
"You two," Alex said, glancing back at the stunned siblings with a neutral tone that brooked no argument. "Go home. If I catch you following me back to the shop, I'll turn your brother into a Tier 1 cleaning puppet. I hear the kitchens need scrubbing." His words carried a subtle threat, laced with the authority of his hidden strength.
Zhonghao grabbed Ziling and started running toward the exit before Alex could finish the sentence, their figures disappearing into the mist, leaving the grotto silent once more, the pond's waters calming as if nothing had happened.