Spring gave way to autumn; flowers withered and bloomed.
One year later.
The autumn sky was high and crisp, all things clear and bright. Only when an occasional yellow leaf drifted down did a trace of the world's killing chill reveal itself.
In the courtyard, Su Yi reclined in a rattan chair, squinting up at the sky in a daze.
The autumn afternoon breeze drifted gently. Pine and bamboo swayed, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the courtyard.
"Emperor, over the past year, every major orthodoxy in the Immortal Realm has been watching to see when you will rebuild the Central Immortal Court. Quite a few top orthodoxies have also stated that they are willing to recognize Eternal Night Academy as their leader and have it preside over all affairs of the Central Immortal Court."
Off to one side, Qing Wei sat prettily on a small stool, pouring wine for Su Yi. Her snowy, crystalline skin gleamed with dazzling translucence beneath the daylight.
"There's no rush."
Su Yi answered distractedly, lifted his cup, and drained it in one gulp.
It had been a year since he returned from the Epoch Battlefield.
He had ignored all affairs since then and remained in secluded cultivation.
During that time, he had also secluded himself in Spring Autumn Space for sixty years, though only two months had passed in the outside world.
By now, his Supreme Mystery Grade foundation had been tempered to an incomparably solid state. His progress had been swift, but he was still some distance from perfection.
Secluded cultivation was ultimately a slow grind, like water wearing away a stone. This was especially true for cultivation at the Supreme Mystery Grade; it was simply impossible to reach perfection through closed-door study alone.
While in seclusion, Su Yi had refined