-
Wang Mei stood in silence.
The hall stretched on without end, rows upon rows of towering shelves, each crammed with scrolls and books bound in silken covers. The air smelled faintly of old paper and incense, but there was no dust, no decay, as though time itself dared not touch this place.
Above her, the ceiling arched into shadow, and within that darkness shimmered countless motes of light, like stars caught in an eternal night. Each flicker, she realized, was a spell, floating talismans, each glowing softly, illuminating the endless library.
Her footsteps echoed softly on the pale stone floor as she reached toward a nearby shelf. The wood was dark and cool under her fingertips. She pulled out a slim volume; its title was written in golden calligraphy.
When she opened it, the ink shimmered and flowed, forming characters that pulsed faintly with life. A warmth spread through her hands, and she gasped as a vision of stars, meridians, and flowing qi danced before her eyes.
A soft, aged voice drifted through the library.
"Knowledge is eternal, child. Here, those who seek truth and knowledge will never be alone."
Wang Mei smiled faintly. "Then I will never be lonely again," she whispered, clutching the glowing book to her chest.
-
Lin Yue's hands were covered in soil, her nails blackened from the earth. She wiped her brow and looked around the sprawling garden that stretched farther than she could see. Terraced fields overflowed with herbs of every color, some glowing faintly, others humming with energy. Petals shimmered like crystals, and vines coiled gently toward her hands as if greeting her.
The air here was rich, almost intoxicating, spiritual qi so dense she could taste it. Every breath filled her body with warmth. The garden itself seemed alive, its rhythm in sync with her heartbeat.
A pair of elderly cultivators in simple green robes passed nearby, their sleeves dusted with pollen. One nodded approvingly at her.
"Young one," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "Every flower here has a spirit. If you listen carefully, they'll tell you what they need."
Lin Yue smiled shyly. "Then I'll make sure to listen."
She crouched by a patch of azure orchids, pressing her palm to the soil. Qi rippled beneath her touch, and the flowers seemed to bloom brighter.
Her gaze lifted to a distant hill where an enormous alchemy furnace stood, its bronze surface engraved with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. A single thought filled her mind:
One day, I'll create a pill that can heal the world.
-
Xiao Chi stood atop the jagged black walls of a sprawling castle, flanked by Jin Lian and Bai Hanyue. The wind whipped around them, tugging at their robes and whistling through the battlements. Far below stretched a vast wasteland, blood-red soil stretching to the horizon. Waves of crimson dunes rippled like an ocean, untouched by water, by life, or by mercy.
No trees, no grass, not even a single flower dared grow here. The green hills of Xincheng, the gentle rivers, the familiar mountains, all that Xiao Chi knew, were gone. In their place, a land that seemed to bleed itself into the sky, eerily quiet except for the faint crackle of spiritual qi in the air.
"This… this is unreal," Xiao Chi murmured, staring down at the ground. His voice sounded hollow, swallowed by the expanse. "Why is the soil… red like this?"
Jin Lian's lips pressed into a thin line. "A battlefield, maybe. Or a place where cultivators have shed their life force for centuries. Blood flows into the land, so the legend says. That's why it's called the Scarlet Battlefield."
Bai Hanyue's eyes gleamed as he traced his fingers along the wall. "It's harsh, yes… but it's perfect. If we want to grow strong, we cannot coddle ourselves in comfort. The land itself will test us."
Xiao Chi swallowed, feeling the weight of the place pressing down on him. A strange thrill ran through him. There was no beauty here, no serenity, only raw, brutal energy. And that energy, he knew, would make him stronger, faster, fiercer than anything he had known.
This world would break them, forge them, and prepare them for power beyond imagining.
-
Hua Qingqing stepped cautiously toward a narrow valley, following the sect members infront of her. She followed silently, the earth beneath their feet was black and sticky, like ash mixed with damp soil. The trees here were twisted and gnarled, their branches curling into grotesque shapes. Some were rotten to the core, yet strange blue-black buds clung to the ends, pulsing faintly as if alive.
A thick mist clung to the ground, drifting through the trees like restless spirits. It slithered around their ankles, winding upward toward their knees and waists, curling with intent. Every step made her skin prickle.
"This place… it's alive," Hua Qingqing whispered, her voice trembling. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the hairs rise as the mist brushed against her neck. "It doesn't feel natural. Everything… it watches."
One the sect members, a pale-eyed woman with a fan in her hand, glanced at her. "This is the Valley of Mist. They say the trees remember every cultivator who enters. Every thought, every weakness… it learns."
The sect gates were small, almost hidden in the blackened foliage, yet faint spiritual auras radiated from within. A low hum filled the air, subtle, rhythmic, and oddly musical. Hua Qingqing stepped forward, feeling the weight of the valley pressing down on her shoulders.
The mist coiled around them once more, curling upward like eager fingers, and she realized: here, every step would be a terrifying challenge. But it was here she would grow, here she would learn to command her powers, her zither, and rend the very souls of those who were her enemies.
As the mist surged more, all Hua Qingqing could see was the whiteness of the mist curling around her face, touching her skin. She could faintly hear screams far away, small whispers that she couldn't understand.
She shuddered when she could feel something breathing next to her ear, her hair covering her ear slowly moved away, not by her own touch.
A low whisper came from that creature, that thing.
''Welcome child, to Soulrend Valley''
-
End of Interlude II