"Rest assured, young friend Xiao Yao." Jia Xing Tian smiled even more broadly and raised a hand to lead them toward the rear courtyard. "How could this old man neglect something you specifically requested?"
After passing through several winding corridors, they suddenly came upon a crystal-clear lake.
A bluish-gray stone embankment divided the lake into two, as though an invisible blade had cleaved it down the middle. The water on the left remained dark green year-round, thick and gloomy enough to seem capable of swallowing light itself. Black stone shrubs grew along the shore, their branches and leaves drooping into the water, their reflections carrying a trace of darkness as well.
When the wind swept across it, only fine ripples spread over this side of the lake, soundless and still, like a massive piece of black jade breathing softly.
The water on the right, however, was completely different. It shone as brightly as shattered silver, and sunlight scattered over its surface like dancing flakes of gold.
"At your request, young friend, this lake has been divided in two. The bottom of the left side was forged with Moonlight Stone and Profound Ice, while the right side was forged with Profound Yang Stone. The two alternate between cold and heat." Jia Xing Tian pointed at the stone embankment in the middle of the lake, approval evident in his eyes. "See those hidden channels beneath it? They guide the water from both sides to meet in the depths without mixing. It preserves the balance of yin and yang while keeping the two clearly distinct."
Xiao Yao looked at the faint blue and crimson gleams visible beneath the lake. They were the colors revealed by the Moonlight Stone and Profound Yang Stone in the water. The two halos gently collided where the hidden