Outside.
Mo Yan stared intently at the strange black sphere, fingers digging into his palms beneath the gray robe. Five beast souls circled around him, yet none dared make a move—any reckless attack might harm their master inside.
"Master…"
Mo Yan gritted his teeth, sensing Xie Zhaolin's state through their contract. The connection still existed, and he could clearly feel her presence, yet it was like she was behind a thick veil of mist. He knew she was there, but couldn't see anything. The isolation was suffocating.
The cave was terrifyingly silent, the only sound the echo of dripping water against empty stone walls.
Shuang Ling's fox tail swept anxiously across the ground, only to be pressed down by the other four beasts.
"Twelve hours have passed…" Mo Yan's voice trembled slightly, gray-white knuckles tightening and loosening unconsciously.
He kept staring at the motionless black sphere, anxiety gnawing at him. Because of the slave contract's nature, when a master disappears without reason, it strengthens control over the slave. This invisible restraint made him feel like he was sitting on needles.
Then, the black sphere's surface flickered with a faint silver glow.
"What's this!" Mo Yan snapped upright.
The blackness on the sphere gradually faded, revealing intricate silver patterns that slowly outlined a flower.
"The Rebirth Flower…" he muttered, eyes wide with shock.
Even more astonishing, the entire sphere shifted from black to silver-white, radiating a gentle glow. But that was it—the sphere stayed still after the transformation.
Mo Yan and the beasts exchanged glances, waiting.
A faint, sweetly fresh floral scent filled the air, stirring the senses.
…
Inside the sphere.
Xie Zhaolin's consciousness floated gently, her Primordial Soul wrapped tenderly in silver energy. At first, she could feel the external changes—the sting of widened meridians, the ache of reshaping bones. But gradually, those sensations faded, leaving only unprecedented serenity. Her mind sank deeper, as if falling into the deepest dream, yet somehow more real than any dream.
In a haze, she thought she saw a silver flower bloom in her mind. The bud slowly opened, each petal flowing with pure soul energy. Time passed—she couldn't tell how long—before Xie Zhaolin finally opened her eyes.
The silver glow dimmed, and she realized she was standing in a void. The crystal in her hand had vanished, replaced by surging power within her body. A gentle force suddenly pressed in from all directions, as if the whole space was pushing her outward.
"I'm leaving…" she thought, letting go of resistance.
Outside, Mo Yan and the beasts widened their eyes. The silver flower bud trembled violently, petals unfolding layer by layer, radiating dazzling light. At its core, silver light swirled and coalesced into a vague human silhouette.
"Master!" Mo Yan shouted.
The figure became clearer, and Xie Zhaolin's form slowly emerged from the blooming flower. Her eyes closed, long hair floating without wind, silver ribbons drifting gently and dissipating like starlight. When the last trace of silver light merged into her, Xie Zhaolin slowly opened her eyes.
Shuang Ling was the first to leap forward, fox tail wrapping excitedly around her wrist.
Mo Yan stood frozen, hand trembling under his robe, mouth opening but no sound coming out.
Only when Xie Zhaolin's gaze fell on him, a familiar smile tugging at her lips, did he finally exhale in relief. Just as he was about to speak, the surrounding vines trembled violently. The once indestructible black vines crumbled like aged wood, turning into tiny silver sparks and fading into the air.
"Perfect!" Mo Yan started to relax, then froze—he could see the honeycomb-shaped pockets in the cave walls closing and disappearing at a visible rate.
In an instant, the entire cavern smoothed out, as if the strange holes had never existed.
"Master, be careful!" Mo Yan tensed, forming hand seals beneath his robe.
Xie Zhaolin waved gently, a knowing smile on her lips. "No need to worry." She caught a drifting wisp of silver light.
"These caves were originally the Rebirth Flower's roots," she explained, pausing, "the entire cliff… is actually inside the Rebirth Flower."
Mo Yan's eyes widened. "So that's why our cultivation was suppressed?"
"Exactly." Xie Zhaolin pinched the silver light between her fingers, turning it into fine pollen that drifted away.
Watching this, Mo Yan remembered the changes in the beast souls after they absorbed yin souls. He realized that those souls must have carried the Rebirth Flower's energy after lingering in the caves for years.
And when the beasts devoured them, they indirectly absorbed it…
A thought occurred to him, and he felt relieved.
With his understanding, even wandering this Blackwater Abyss for thirty more years probably wouldn't reveal its secrets. Being able to witness the Rebirth Flower firsthand was a tremendous opportunity, and just inhaling its faint scent over the past six months had loosened the bottleneck in his cultivation.
"By the way," Xie Zhaolin asked casually, "how long was I inside?"
Mo Yan blinked, answering quickly, "Master, it's been six months."
"Six months?" She frowned slightly, surprised. She looked down at her hands, deep in thought.
Seeing her expression, Mo Yan hurried to add, "Master, over the past six months, the silver sphere emitted its floral scent every three days. That fragrance…," he paused, eyes reflecting fondness, "when inhaled, it helped circulate your baleful qi smoothly during cultivation."
Xie Zhaolin raised an eyebrow. She reached out to pat Shuang Ling on the head, and the little fox squinted contentedly, silver light swirling across its fur.
"Every time the scent spread, the beast souls would train around the sphere. Even your slave…" He scratched his nose awkwardly, "…also used it to push their cultivation a bit."
Xie Zhaolin's gaze swept over the beasts, then Mo Yan, noting his baleful qi had grown denser.
Finally, she checked herself, surprised to find her cultivation at the peak of mid Foundation stage, only a step away from late stage. It seemed the Rebirth Flower's power had subtly influenced them all even while she slept.
Seeing her deep in thought, Mo Yan couldn't help asking, "Master, what about us now…"
Xie Zhaolin withdrew her attention, eyes resting on Mo Yan. "You're in the human realm, so you should have somewhere to settle down, right?"