Hong Lian's eyes flickered as she looked at Lian Yu. "You should have heard about the incidents happening in Heavenreach Citadel."
Lian Yu's faint smile faded, his expression turning serious. He sat opposite her, folding his hands on the stone table. "Yes. I've seen it myself outside the city," he replied.
Hong Lian continued, her tone calm but laced with concern. "Those Corpse Devouring Sect cultivators have been moving through the citadel for nearly three weeks. Many have already died by their hands."
Her brows tightened. "And now they've massacred the entire outer district. I don't know their true motive, but to act so brazenly in our territory… they've gone too far." She exhaled slowly, her gaze sharpening. "I've already reported it to the sect. They'll take action soon."
Lian Yu frowned deeply. "Killing ordinary mortals may slightly advance their vile cultivation, but it's insignificant. I don't believe they came merely to slaughter."
Hong Lian nodded, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. "I share that thought. And with the grand competition approaching, the timing couldn't be worse." She rested her hands on the stone table, her tone carrying quiet exhaustion.
"In two days, the battle arena will open here," Lian Yu said calmly. "Cultivators from all regions are already arriving in Heavenreach Citadel."
"I just hope they don't cause chaos during that time," Hong Lian sighed, glancing at the moonlit lotus pond.
The flowers swayed gently, their petals glowing faintly in the cool night air. Reflections of stars danced across the ripples, while two figures spoke softly amid the stillness of the Yaochi disciples' abodes.
....
Meanwhile…
The space trembled.
Ye Kaishan stepped out of the void onto a lonely hillside far from Heavenreach Citadel.
Gentle winds brushed through the tall grass, carrying the faint scent of night-blooming flowers. From afar, the cries of spirit beasts echoed faintly beneath the three moons.
"Hmm… this should be perfect for practice," he murmured.
He seated himself cross-legged on a flat stone slab and closed his eyes. At once, his consciousness descended inward—into the boundless sea of his soul.
Before him stood the Space-Time Tree, its vast trunk shimmering in deep brown light. Its branches divided into hues of azure and emerald, and silent threads of laws pulsed and danced around it like veins of the cosmos.
Ye Kaishan approached carefully, his gaze steady. Ripples of energy pulsed from the ancient trunk, flickering like waves of light in response to his presence.
My qi and blood have reached the level of a Nirvana cultivator after cultivation with Song Yan on the flying boat… but I haven't checked the tree since then, he thought.
The moment his fingers brushed the bark, the tree trembled. Golden runes erupted across its surface, stretching outward toward him.
"Huh—what is this?"
Before he could react, a searing pain exploded in his head, sharp and merciless, as though invisible threads were being ripped from his mind. He fell to one knee, clutching his skull.
Sweat streamed down his face as the runes spread across his arms and chest.
Outside, his body trembled violently, and the stone slab beneath him cracked under the strain.
"What… is happening…?" Ye Kaishan groaned, his voice tight with pain.
Within his sea of consciousness, he opened his eyes slowly.
The Space-Time Tree glowed with ethereal light, rippling through the void. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he stared at it, expression tense and focused.
The agony continued, relentless. Then, as the Tree's glow dimmed, the pain gradually subsided. He gasped, drenched in sweat, chest heaving.
Raising his gaze, he saw the Tree's roots now intertwined with every corner of his soul—no longer separate, no longer foreign. The golden bud upon its highest branch had unfurled halfway, shimmering softly.
Has the tree… fully merged with me? he murmured, sweeping his gaze across his expanded inner world. His sea of consciousness had grown severalfold, boundaries pulsing faintly with temporal light.
Despite the agony, he smiled faintly. It was worth it. Pain is a path forward.
Though the suffering was immense, the reward was real. I've gained an ability.
Closing his eyes, Ye Kaishan returned from his sea of consciousness. His drenched robes clung to his body, and he exhaled a heavy, turbid breath. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone slab beneath him.
He rose, scanning the moonlit mountains. "Let's see if I can control it now…"
Channeling the space laws, he lifted his right foot and stepped forward—onto the air itself. Ripples spread outward like water disturbed by a stone.
The space beneath his foot solidified as he carefully advanced.
His balance wavered, but he steadied himself, controlling the trembling void beneath him.
Each step sent faint waves through the air, like walking on invisible glass. Slowly, he ascended, higher and higher, until the meadow below lay far beneath him.
The cold night wind brushed against his face.
"Not bad," he murmured, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Consumes little energy… and feels almost like flying."
Ye Kaishan gazed at the boundless sky, stars shimmering and three moons hung high. Toward the distant lights of Heavenreach Citadel, a grin spread across his face.
He pressed his foot against the air. The space compressed beneath it, rebounding like a spring. Launching himself forward, he bounded across the night sky on invisible ripples, each movement leaving a faint distortion in his wake.
He neared the meadows, gradually slowing, and descended lightly onto the grass.
"This ability isn't bad," he murmured, touching his face with a soft smile.
"I've always wanted something like flying… Watching those cultivators soar on their swords always made me envious. Though this isn't true flight, it's still good."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. What should I call this technique? My other abilities are Void Slash and Void Rupture…
"Though these names are decent… sigh. I really have no talent for naming abilities," he thought, scratching the back of his head. "I still don't know how I even came up with those names."
After a pause, he smirked ."Let's call it… Void Step."
His gaze drifted toward the distant lights of Heavenreach Citadel. Realizing the hour, Ye Kaishan observed the city below—streets alive with movement, each lantern casting a warm glow like a scattered sea of stars.
"It's late… Song Yan should've returned by now," he murmured calmly.
With a controlled breath, he summoned the laws of space. The air shimmered—and his figure vanished silently into the void.
...
Far from Heavenreach Citadel, in a desolate wilderness, a woman lay sprawled across a weathered rock.
The scent of wine lingered in the cool night air. Beside her rested an empty gourd and a pair of sharp, crescent-shaped dark chakrams that glinted faintly under the moonlight.
She wore a black robe that clung loosely to her figure, its neckline open enough to reveal pale skin that shimmered beneath the starlight. Her hair spilled around her shoulders in messy strands, and her eyes—half-lidded and glazed—rolled slightly as if lost between dreams and intoxication.
"Sigh… she's drunk again," a man's voice broke the silence of the desolate plain. A ripple tore through the night as space itself twisted open, and a figure stepped out from the subspace.
The newcomer wore a gray robe, his black hair tied loosely behind his head.
A single earring—shaped like a slender, curved blade—hung from his ear, swaying as he moved. He looked at the woman sprawled before him and let out a resigned sigh.
"Hey, Yin Mo, you've slept enough. Wake up already," he said, shaking her shoulder lightly.
"Shhhh…"
Yin Mo groaned, raising a hand to her temple. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes finally regained focus. "Ah… my head…" she muttered weakly, rubbing her temples.
"Xue Lang…" she slurred his name as she sat up with visible effort.
"Did I… lose consciousness again?" Her half-open eyes drifted toward the empty gourd beside her. "I really should cut back on Blue Lily Spirit Wine…" she grumbled.
Xue Lang crossed his arms, watching her steady herself. "You were out since the afternoon. It's already night. If we don't leave now, we'll be late."
"Fine, fine…" Yin Mo exhaled and nodded faintly. Soul energy rippled from her form, and in an instant, both figures vanished into the starry sky.
As they soared through the night, robes billowing against the wind, Yin Mo suddenly turned to Xue Lang, frowning as if a thought had struck her.
"By the way… have you seen that girl from this afternoon? I can't recall clearly, but I swear I've seen her somewhere before."
Xue Lang gave her a flat look. "You really should stop drinking so much. You can't even remember the faces you've met."
"Hey, don't lecture me!" Yin Mo snapped, glaring at him.
Ignoring her, Xue Lang looked ahead, his expression calm. "If I recall correctly, that girl was the one who ruined our plans in Starfall City—back in the Southern Continent.
Chi Ruo sent us their images. The man beside her was the culprit… and that girl from the afternoon was standing right next to him."