The sun was sinking in the west, bathing the valley in warm light. Another sparring session had ended. Aileen was panting, sweat on her brow, but her eyes were bright. She could clearly feel how much she had improved under Lin Qin's intense pressure. Her casting speed and sense of timing were both far better than before.
"I'm going to wash up by the pool," Aileen said to Lin Qin, who was sitting nearby and catching his breath. She walked toward the clear water.
She sat on a flat rock by the pool, took off her boots, and dipped her feet into the water. A chill spread from her soles, dispelling the heat of training. But before long, she furrowed her brow.
"Lin Qin," she said, turning to look at him as he approached. "Don't you think the water's colder than it was a few days ago? It's not ordinary cold. It's... the kind that seeps into your bones."
At her words, Lin Qin crouched and reached his right hand straight into the water. A Saint Realm expert's senses far surpassed Aileen's. He could clearly feel the current, the temperature, and the faint energy within the water. A moment later, he withdrew his hand.
"It's not your imagination," he said firmly. "The water really is unusually cold. And the source is below." His gaze turned toward the shadowy bottom of the pool. "Something down there is giving off a chill, along with a unique energy fluctuation. It's subtle, but it isn't Water Element energy."
"Something?" Aileen's curiosity was piqued. "We've been using this pool for so long. How come we never noticed it before?"
"I'll take a look." Lin Qin stood and briskly removed his tattered outer robe, revealing his lean, powerful build. A Saint Realm body was unaffected by