A few days had passed since Lin Mu's serene tea conversation with the Saintess beneath the stars, and the Sacred Grounds still remained silent. There had been no sign, no ripple from the formation spirit, and no stirrings that would suggest an impending summons.
Lin Mu had expected this. The Grand Elder had told him that the Sacred Grounds opened of their own volition—it was not a gate that could be pushed open, but a will that chose when to call.
So, as he waited, Lin Mu returned to his quiet contemplation atop the cliff beside the Jade Echo Retreat. He sat as he always did, overlooking the sprawling grounds of the Xian Sword Sect, while the sky above was bathed in warm sunlight and drifting white clouds.
