Taiyi Immortal Sect, the hall above the clouds.
Ji Yuan sat upright on a cushion.
He waited in silence.
Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal held a cup of tea, his gaze lowered to its contents. No one knew what he was thinking.
Perfected Taiyi looked up at the mural of the stars on the vaulted ceiling.
Beneath his white brows, a rare look of reminiscence rose in his eyes.
Ji Yuan watched the two Spirit Transformation experts. Questions churned within him, but he wisely kept silent.
If they wanted to tell him, they would.
If they did not, pressing them would do no good.
They waited nearly half the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
At last, Perfected Taiyi withdrew his gaze.
He lowered his head and looked at Ji Yuan.
"The Bodhi Tree Branch naturally came from a Bodhi Tree."
"And that Bodhi Tree—years ago, our Taiyi Immortal Sect had one too."
Joy stirred in Ji Yuan's heart.
Taiyi Immortal Sect had a Bodhi Tree?
A thought sprang almost unbidden into his mind.
If Taiyi Immortal Sect has a Bodhi Tree, could I— But before the thought had fully formed, Perfected Taiyi's next words cut it short.
"Unfortunately, it later died."
Perfected Taiyi let out a long sigh.
Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal's hand froze halfway to his mouth, teacup in hand. As though recalling something terrible, he turned and asked, "Senior brother, do you mean that incident?"
Perfected Taiyi nodded slightly.
Hanging Gourd Loose Immortal's expression darkened further.
He set down his teacup. His fingers tapped the table twice without his noticing, making two dull knocks.
Ji Yuan's gaze moved between the two Spirit Transformation experts.
He sensed that he had touched a long-buried wound of Taiyi Immortal Sect.
Of course he was curious.
But reason told