His head hurt—terribly.
It felt like the groggy haze of a fever. Even the slightest shake of his head made it feel as though his brain were about to explode.
But his consciousness had not fallen into complete darkness. He could still feel.
So, the next moment, he slowly opened his eyes and sat up from where he had been lying flat.
His eyes held little life. He looked blankly at the lake around him, seeming unable to understand why he was lying on its surface.
Then he looked down, saw the small boat beneath him, and finally understood.
The wooden boat swayed along at an unhurried pace. No one rowed it; it simply rode the waves, steadily heading toward the center of the lake.
Looking into the distance, he saw a pavilion standing in the middle of the lake.
At the sight of that lakeside pavilion, his still-foggy mind gradually cleared.
Could this be Nothingness Pavilion?
That name tugged other memories from the depths of his mind, until everything that had happened earlier flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
"Mm."
Dai Yunze pressed a hand to his temple, frowning as he digested the flood of memories. When he looked at the pavilion again, his figure vanished in a flash of silver light, and he appeared directly inside it.
Someone sat within the pavilion. Before him floated a fist-sized seed resembling a garlic bulb, constantly radiating white light.
It seemed that person had been sitting there, waiting for a long time.
Dai Yunze sat down across from him without ceremony. "Senior."
The man gave him an amused look. "You still call me Senior?"
Dai Yunze considered it and realized he really should change how he addressed him. "Sect Master."
The man was Du Busi, though he looked younger