The Vast Sea.
Azure Vast Water swirled ceaselessly. At its center stood a Heavenly Stele carved from blue jade, immovable amid the mighty currents, while a speck of crimson light lay quietly hidden in the distance.
A crimson electric ray concealed herself beneath the sea, not daring to draw too close to this expanse of the Vast Sea. Though she had once been a monster of Vast Water, and the spirit thunder she now cultivated was also closely aligned with it, actually entering the Vast Sea would still mean suffering.
The Great Void before her suddenly split open, and a True Person in a black Daoist robe patterned with crimson clouds stepped out, landing before Hexin in an instant.
The monster immediately assumed human form, becoming a red-clad girl dressed in the fashion of the Liao people, her hair tied in a thick braid. She bowed respectfully.
"My lord."
Xu Xuan's gaze settled on Hexin. Having obtained that scripture of cultivation methods, he could count this journey a complete success. Seeing that the monster was still here, he said nothing more, simply swept her up, and entered the Great Void with her.
Retracing his route, he first circled past the immortal isles of Penglai, came ashore on the coast of the Eastern Sea, then headed north, returning to Red Cloud.
The journey took quite some time. Even with gale-force astral winds aiding him, several days passed before he reached Guyang Commandery on the southern border. Sword Appraisal Mountain was already deserted, without a soul in sight.
True Person Candle Sword had disbanded his disciples and gone wandering somewhere unknown. This spirit mountain now nominally fell under True Person Radiant Refinement's jurisdiction, but he was nowhere to be seen and had sent no one to garrison it.
Upon reaching Red Cloud,