Yang Kai flew out of the secluded cave, following closely behind Meng Wu Ya as the two descended toward the depths of the Coiling Dragon Stream.
The night wind whistled past their ears, sharp and cold, while the vast chasm of the Coiling Dragon Stream yawned beneath them like a bottomless abyss. Even as Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and focused intently, he could not make out the ground far below; the darkness seemed to stretch endlessly, swallowing all sight.
A faint doubt crossed his mind — surely Meng Wu Ya did not intend to take him all the way to the very bottom of the Coiling Dragon Stream? But before that thought could settle, Meng Wu Ya suddenly altered his course. After plunging for several thousand feet, the old man shifted his direction sharply, veering toward the rocky embankment of the stream.
In only a short moment, the two of them came to a halt in mid-air. The surroundings were deathly silent, the moonlight casting cold silver over the jagged cliffs.
Hovering effortlessly in the middle of the night sky, Meng Wu Ya gazed at the sheer, flat stone wall before them, his expression unreadable.
"Is it here?" Yang Kai asked, his voice steady but tinged with curiosity.
"En," Meng Wu Ya replied with a brief nod. "You and I must act together, channeling our True Qi into it."
"Good," Yang Kai agreed without hesitation.
"Then I must trouble you with this task."
"There's no need to be so polite between us," Yang Kai answered, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Meng Wu Ya's own grin widened until it nearly reached his ears, the moonlight glinting off his exposed back teeth. Inwardly, the old man was more than delighted — if it meant sending this troublesome brat Yang Kai far, far away, then even exhausting all his True Qi would be worth it. If it really came down to it, he would even call his father from the grave to help push the boy through.
"Let's begin," Meng Wu Ya said, his voice brimming with anticipation as he began to circulate his True Qi. Pressing his palm firmly against the center of the stone wall, a faint hum seemed to pass through the rock.
Yang Kai mirrored his actions, placing his palm against the opposite side of the wall and sending his own True Qi surging forward.
The stone wall appeared utterly ordinary, yet the moment their energies sank into it, it revealed its true nature. The flood of True Qi pouring in was like water falling into a bottomless pit, vanishing without a trace, and the wall itself did not shudder in the slightest under the tremendous force.
Yang Kai felt a flicker of shock in his heart. This wall clearly concealed an extraordinary secret — one so profound that even this much power failed to stir it. And the fact that it lay hidden within the Coiling Dragon Stream itself suggested there might be some deeper, unknown connection.
Time passed slowly, the effort unrelenting. After the span of roughly a cup of tea, a change finally occurred. From the center of the seemingly plain cobbled wall, a layer of faint, dark ripples emerged, as if the solid stone had turned into the surface of a still pond. The ripples spread outward in smooth, deliberate waves, reaching ever closer to each corner of the wall.
The ripples on the wall swelled, growing larger and more turbulent. It was as if the calm surface of a hidden lake was being mercilessly pelted with pebbles and small rocks, each strike sending shivers across its face. Soon, the ripples twisted into an ever-expanding whirlpool of strange energy, so dizzying that anyone foolish enough to stare too long would feel their vision spin and their balance waver.
Meng Wu Ya's eyes lit up like lanterns in the dark. Without hesitation, the old man hopped backward with the speed of a startled rabbit, retreating far enough to be well out of range should anything unexpected — or inconvenient — happen.
Though both men had stopped pouring in their True Qi, the changes on the wall refused to stop. The ripples churned with even greater force, their hum turning into a low rumble that seemed to reverberate in the bones. What had once been a shimmering illusion was now a tangible phenomenon; the whirlpool rotated steadily, its dark center pulling at the air around it, before the stone wall abruptly yielded and revealed a yawning black hole.
The moment Yang Kai's gaze fell into that abyss, a strange pull brushed against his soul. His thoughts blurred, his surroundings dimmed, and it was as if the void itself whispered for him to step forward and be consumed.
"What is this black hole under the Coiling Dragon Stream?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"It is something the Ancestral Founder left behind long ago," Meng Wu Ya explained, his voice carrying a faint echo in the hollow space. "A void corridor, connecting one place in this world to another. With it, one can travel from here, at High Heaven Pavilion, to a distant place with ease. As for the exact workings…" He gave a shrug. "Not even I can say."
"How far will it take me?"
"About ten thousand li — five thousand kilometers," Meng Wu Ya replied.
Yang Kai's eyes widened.
"Strange," Meng Wu Ya mused, tilting his head. "You haven't even asked where I'm sending you."
"If you wanted me to know, you'd have already told me," Yang Kai said simply. "In any case, I trust you wouldn't harm me."
"You're far too trusting," Meng Wu Ya said with a faint, wry smile, though his gaze held something unreadable.
He resumed explaining, "The place I want to send you to is a place of killing, where murder does not require reason or excuse. There, only strength is respected, where the law of the jungle in its most vivid and base interpretation is the only law. You had best be psychologically prepared!"
Yang Kai was taken aback. "What am I going there to do?"
"Cultivate, become strong, and explore the true profoundness of the martial path!"
"If you do not want to go, I can take you back right now."
"No, of course I will go." Yang Kai held a strong excitement towards cultivation. The desire for strength was something possessed by every cultivator. Only when one was strong would he not be insulted or bullied; only when one was strong would they be able to go farther down the martial path and attain the better life they desire.
"You still wish to go, even if every moment you spend there would be in life-threatening danger?"
"Of course."
"Little Yang Kai," Meng Wu Ya said, stepping up and placing a hand on his shoulder, his face arranged into what might have been a heavy-hearted look — if not for the twinkle of pure mischief in his eyes. "Be sure to take care!"
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. Treasurer Meng's tone was suspiciously warm, and his behavior tonight far too… familial. Something about the way the old man was smiling screamed that he was enjoying himself far too much for this to be a sincere farewell.
Still, Yang Kai turned toward the swirling darkness. Just before stepping in, he glanced back over his shoulder — and immediately caught Meng Wu Ya grinning from ear to ear, waving both hands like an overeager shopkeeper sending off his most troublesome customer. It was a smile so joyous it looked painful to maintain, and perhaps that was why the old man waved as if afraid Yang Kai might suddenly change his mind and fly right back out.
Then, in a blink, Yang Kai stepped forward and vanished into the blackness. The whirlpool snapped shut like a slammed door, the stone wall restoring itself to its plain, unremarkable appearance as if nothing had happened.
Meng Wu Ya exhaled in deep relief, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. For a long while, he simply floated there, savoring the silence. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a grin… and finally, he threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
The sound crashed through the night like a thunderclap, shaking the heavens and rattling the earth. It echoed across High Heaven Pavilion, startling countless disciples awake in their beds. Some shivered under their blankets, whispering to themselves in terror: The heavens have mercy — what happened to make Treasurer Meng laugh like that?!
Inside his mind, Meng Wu Ya was practically dancing. They finally took this smelly brat away! The heavens truly do have eyes! No more trouble, no more chaos — my precious little apprentice's heart will be safe. Wonderful! Who knows when he'll come back? A year? Two? Or maybe never! Even better!
By the time he returns, my baby apprentice will have forgotten him completely. With nothing to distract her, she'll cultivate diligently, grow strong, and bloom into the perfect little disciple I always dreamed of… all in peace and quiet!
Overcome with glee at his own good fortune, Meng Wu Ya erupted into laughter again, this time even louder than before, until it seemed the mountains themselves might crack from the sound.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the vanished portal, Yang Kai was swept through a chaotic blur. The strange surroundings lasted only about three breaths before the chaos peeled away, replaced by a sudden burst of brilliant light — and in the next instant, he found himself standing in an entirely unfamiliar land.
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To all my Indian readers — wishing you a joyful and love-filled Raksha Bandhan! May this special day strengthen the bonds of love and protection between you and your siblings, and bring warmth and happiness to your hearts.