Chapter

The young man sitting on the ground—are you the one who carries the Shu token to deliver a message?

The voice shattered the laughter between the two. They turned around.

Standing before them was a woman of voluptuous figure, enveloped in an allure potent enough to bewitch any painted beauty, impossible to resist.

She seemed a young mother at first glance. Yet, upon closer inspection, it was difficult to categorize her as a matron; she possessed an air of maturity, yet some features betrayed a lingering youthful delicacy.

Her cheeks flushed pink, her breath came soft and sweet, her form like an ancient, secluded valley yet untouched by time.

When the woman caught sight of Kongmo, her tongue, red and moist, darted out, gliding across her lips in astonishment. She instinctively covered her mouth, stepped forward, and bowed slightly:

“Master, what are you doing here?”

Xu Xing’s eyes widened as he looked at Kongmo, suddenly alert. “I thought you were just a commoner. How are you a sect leader now? Are you a liar after all?”

“Miss, you can be reckless in bed, but not with your words,” Kongmo replied, standing close beside Xu Xing, her gaze fixed on the woman, her tone somewhat agitated.

Xu Xing wondered if Kongmo was deliberately hiding something. Was there some hidden scheme behind her actions? But just recently, he had found no trace of spiritual power in Kongmo, which made no sense. Nevertheless, the woman’s words had sown seeds of doubt in his heart.

The woman drew closer, scrutinizing Kongmo for a moment.

“On such a dark, windy night, it’s best for old bones like mine not to wander about,” she said, as the sea breeze lifted her purple, misty garments, mysterious as dusk.

Her skin, pale as snow, seemed impossibly delicate beneath the moonlight, her face carrying a hint of mature beauty.

Ah—a young mother, indeed.

Her face showed some suspicion, but after meeting Kongmo’s gaze, she straightened, arms crossed over her chest.

“It's so dark tonight, I can scarcely see a thing. But you, Kongmo—why are you out here in the middle of the night? Don’t you know the seas are crawling with monsters, and razor clams are everywhere? Aren’t you afraid of being drained dry?”

Neither Xu Xing nor Kongmo replied, but Xu Xing felt he’d found his answer. Observing their expressions, he saw little ripple of emotion and relaxed a bit. Kongmo might be somewhat improper, but even if she was powerful, her character didn’t seem fit for a sect leader. How could someone with such conduct lead Mount Shu? If she really were the leader, the North Sea Academy would be in utter chaos.

The sea wind, sharp and cold, swept over them as the two drew close once more.

“Hey, newcomer, don’t you know the rules for joining North Sea Academy? I was called out of my bath by that girl—how frustrating. Show me your token,” the woman said with a graceful smile.

“Do I have to spell it out? Once more—hand over the message token.”

The wind tousled her hair, veiling half her face and revealing luscious lips, their pink hue visible even in the silvery moonlight.

Her lips were full and moist—not the small cherry mouth but even more captivating. Xu Xing swallowed hard.

Throughout history, it’s said the first trial for any youth is temptation. Many a prodigy has fallen here. Perhaps they simply chose to indulge in the pleasures of the world—what harm in that?

Kongmo leaned in, covering her mouth with her hand as she whispered in Xu Xing’s ear, “Young man, aren’t you overreacting a bit? Try to compose yourself.”

Xu Xing glanced down, raising an eyebrow—his reaction was only natural, though self-control was required.

He then reached into his pocket and drew out a treasure—a Shu token for delivering messages. He unfolded it and handed it to the woman. When their hands brushed, he accidentally touched her skin.

The sensation defied description.

He felt a wildfire ignite within him—who says a single spark can’t start a prairie fire?

It was the woman’s fire-aligned spiritual root at work. That explained it.

So, she was adept with fire. If, in the future, she were to drip hot wax onto his body…

Slap! Xu Xing gave himself a sharp smack. The woman blinked in confusion.

“What’s wrong? Why did you hit yourself?”

“There… was a mosquito,” Xu Xing stammered.

“How odd. There aren’t any mosquitoes on Mount Shu. You’re a peculiar one,” the woman remarked, examining Xu Xing’s envelope. She produced a brush, swept it across the script, and, just as with Zi Yan before, a large golden Shu character formed on the letter.

She seemed unfazed—perhaps she’d seen it many times before.

After returning the message token, she fixed her gaze on Xu Xing.

“Come on, what are you waiting for? Let me show you North Sea Academy.”

Xu Xing glanced at Kongmo, inwardly cursing—Kongmo’s eyes had never strayed from the woman.

He waved a hand in front of Kongmo’s face until she came to her senses; then, supporting her, he followed after the woman.

She carried an intriguing fragrance, like gardenia—fresh and soothing. Watching her walk ahead, she didn’t possess the imposing figure of a giant, but her presence was impossible to ignore. Perhaps she, like other young mothers, was great in her own way.

“Xu Xing, you’re in for quite a blessing. Just remember to take care of your health,” Kongmo muttered nonsensically. Xu Xing had no idea how to respond and simply muttered agreement.

The journey was surprisingly short. Along the way, he learned much—North Sea Academy was famed as a cradle for monster catchers. Anyone who achieved the Golden Core stage could ascend Mount Shu and have a chance to become a monster hunter.

As they ventured deeper, the air grew humid at first, then dry. Along the roadside, pine trees grew, and some people were gathering blackened pine needles—the first travelers they’d encountered.

Xu Xing wondered why anyone would collect pine needles. Could they have some special purpose?

He soon realized that, though cultivators felt no lack of oxygen here, there were still common folk living in the area who needed firewood to keep warm. Pine needles made excellent kindling.

Following the road, it wasn’t long before they came upon a mountain pass—an anomaly in the landscape. Light spilled from the opening, narrow at first, just wide enough for a person to pass. Venturing several dozen meters inside, the space suddenly opened up.

Within lay a hidden world, as if it connected to another realm entirely.

Xu Xing was astounded. That little village before had only been an illusion concealing the path into the North Sea. Now, this cave halfway up the mountain was another illusion.

The mountain walls weren’t steep but sloped gently, leading into what felt like a natural ravine. Looking out, a sea of mountains stretched endlessly in all directions.

Here, the mountains separated the sea from the inner range.

Within, the dwellings formed a veritable city nestled in the mountains.

Men and women went about their business. Children, young and old, played together under lantern light.

The beauty and marvel of the scene overwhelmed Xu Xing. He asked, “Sister Shi, is this place…? It seems like a paradise.”

“This was built to protect the common folk from sea monster attacks. Originally, only North Sea Academy stood here. What you see now is the residential area for civilians; the other mountains are all Academy secret realms,” the woman explained.

Lanterns illuminated the night as Kongmo glanced around one last time and slowly departed. Xu Xing didn’t stop her.

“I’ll be going now, young man. Until we meet again.” With that, Kongmo walked away, and watching her recede, Xu Xing felt a pang of sorrow.

“Don’t dwell on it. These people live far better than we do. Come with me to North Sea Academy. First, we’ll test your spiritual root.”

The woman turned, her delicate brows raised as she regarded Xu Xing.

“Spiritual root? I don’t feel any spiritual root in myself,” Xu Xing said as he followed her toward the mountainside, where many paths intertwined.

The mountain roads were endless and intricate—one could easily get lost.

“Sister Shi, how can you tell if someone has a good spiritual root?”

“Long, straight, and thick!”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t ask so many questions. I’ve seen more spiritual roots than you can imagine.”