Ling Xi

Following the directions Dean Taicang had given him, Mu Chen sped toward the southern part of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

Only a few dozen breaths later, the clouds and mist ahead began to thicken.

An unbroken mountain range appeared at the edge of his vision. Its tallest peak lay hidden in milky-white clouds, with only its verdant tip exposed, like a solitary island in the sea.

Mu Chen descended onto the mist-wreathed peak.

The summit was relatively flat, and an elegant courtyard stood quietly there. Distant birdsong only emphasized the emptiness and solitude of the place.

Mu Chen stopped several yards outside the courtyard gate.

Silence surrounded him. No one appeared, and no one called out to question him.

Mu Chen was not surprised.

Elder Ling Xi had a cool, aloof temperament and disliked noise. She lived here in seclusion year-round, scarcely interacting with anyone else in the academy.

If not for her exceptional mastery of Spirit Arrays and the important arrays she occasionally repaired or set up for the Spirit Academy, many students might not even have known that such an elder existed.

Mu Chen's purpose in coming was simple: to meet this big sister Ling Xi of his and build a connection with her along the way. His cultivation had improved, so his mastery of Spirit Arrays needed to keep pace. He needed a good teacher.

But how to knock on her door, and how to broach the subject, required some thought.

After a brief moment of consideration, Mu Chen settled on a plan.

He had initially intended to summon the One-Qi Chaos Tower directly. That life-bound treasure, transformed from the Great Pagoda Art, was the most straightforward proof.

On second thought, however, the One-Qi Chaos Tower had been reshaped by chaos qi. It was now vastly different from the original Futuo Pagoda and closer to his own path, which might actually make it harder to recognize.

As these thoughts turned through his mind, he reached a decision.

The vast spiritual energy within him circulated according to the Great Pagoda Art, flowing through his meridians and gradually gathering into a structure.

In mere moments, a translucent black tower shadow with nine tiers took shape anew within his Qi Sea. It was the most orthodox form of the Futuo Pagoda!

For Mu Chen as he was now, this was no difficult feat. Reproducing the basic form of a cultivation art he had long since mastered was effortless.

Mu Chen opened his eyes and held out his right palm.

With a thought, the Nine-Tiered Pagoda slowly rose from his palm and hovered in the air.

The tower stood only a little over a foot tall, yet it possessed a lofty grandeur. Even the surrounding clouds and mist seemed to grow a little quieter.

He raised his head and looked toward the tightly shut wooden doors. Carried by spiritual energy, his voice traveled clearly and steadily into the secluded courtyard:

"My name is Mu Chen. With this Futuo Pagoda as proof, I ask that Elder Ling Xi grant me an audience."

As his voice faded, silence returned both within and outside the courtyard.

Only the Futuo Pagoda hovered quietly, radiating its unique aura.

"Creak."

Just over a dozen breaths later, a faint sound rang out, and the two tightly shut wooden doors slowly opened from within.

The woman who opened them looked extremely young. Dressed in snow-white robes, her figure slender, she stood in the shadows behind the doors like a silhouette sketched in pale ink.

Her skin was so fair it seemed almost translucent. Her curved brows held the delicate beauty of distant mountains shaded in ink, while her eyes were crystal clear yet as deep as a frozen lake, revealing no emotion.

She radiated a coldness that kept others a thousand miles away, as though the three feet around her were a world of ice and snow where strangers were forbidden to tread.

As she looked at Mu Chen, something stirred in her eyes.

"Come inside, and we can talk," Ling Xi said. Her voice was much like her-cool and clear, with little warmth.

Yet a careful listener could detect a trace of emotion hidden beneath that calm tone.

Mu Chen nodded and stepped forward, following Ling Xi into the courtyard.

The courtyard was simply arranged. A path paved with bluestone slabs led deeper inside, flanked by neatly tended flowers and plants that gave off a faint, fresh, bitter fragrance.

An old plum tree stood in a corner. It was not in bloom, and its branches and foliage had a sturdy vigor.

At the far end stood a bamboo building, its green stalks looking damp in the mist.

The entire courtyard was spotless!

Mu Chen could sense quite a few Spirit Arrays concealed nearby. Though they would be of little use against him, an ordinary first-grade Supreme would probably find them difficult to break through.

Ling Xi walked ahead, the hem of her white robes brushing lightly over the slightly damp stone slabs without making a sound.

The bamboo building's door stood ajar. Ling Xi pushed it open and entered, with Mu Chen following behind.

The interior was even plainer than it appeared from outside. The ground floor was a simple reception room, furnished with only a bamboo table and several meditation cushions. A landscape painting hung on the wall, its brushwork sparse and light.

A small stove stood in a corner, warming a pot of tea. Wisps of steam curled upward, carrying a delicate tea fragrance.

"Sit." Ling Xi lifted the teapot and gently tipped it. Tea flowed into the cups, producing a faint, clear sound in the quiet bamboo room.

"Where did that black tower of yours come from?" she asked, sliding a cup of hot tea toward Mu Chen.

"Naturally, it came from practicing the cultivation art my mother left me-the Great Pagoda Art," Mu Chen answered, meeting her scrutinizing gaze.

"My mother's name is Qing Yanjing."

"Elder Ling Xi, do you know her?"

At that name, Ling Xi's eyes changed. She murmured it once, then fell into a daze.

Her pupils widened slightly, reflecting Mu Chen's calm face, yet she seemed to be looking through him at a figure from long ago, buried deep in her memories.

"Aunt Jing..."

Those two words slipped from her pale lips, so softly they were almost inaudible, yet they carried a tender dependence and longing utterly unlike her cold exterior.

She abruptly came back to herself and focused on Mu Chen's face again. This time, her gaze held not scrutiny but an urgent need for confirmation.

Ling Xi studied Mu Chen from his brows and eyes to the bridge of his nose and the curve of his lips, as though searching for familiar contours.

Mu Chen sat quietly, allowing her to look.

Several breaths later, Ling Xi seemed to have finally confirmed something-or perhaps made up her mind.

Gritting her teeth, she reached out and seized Mu Chen's wrist.

"Come with me."

Ling Xi spoke softly, then turned and pulled Mu Chen toward the depths of the courtyard. Her steps were somewhat hurried, utterly different from her earlier steady pace.

Mu Chen let her pull him along without resisting.

Creak.

The bamboo door was pushed open. Ling Xi pulled Mu Chen into the bamboo room, then closed the door firmly with a wave of her fair hand.

Only then did she release his hand. She went straight to a meditation cushion and knelt on it, lifting her lovely face to gaze at the painting on the wall.

Mu Chen followed her gaze, his eyes settling on the painting as well.

At the center of the painting stood a Futuo Pagoda, with a woman's figure sitting cross-legged atop it.

The figure was indistinct, her flowing hair only faintly visible, yet she seemed to radiate an aura of serenity so profound it startled the heart.

"You said she's your mother?" Ling Xi asked, pointing at the painting with a slender, jade-like finger.

"Yes. Though I've never met her, somewhere deep inside, I do feel that she is." Even Mu Chen felt a trace of wistfulness at that moment.

Still, he was not worried about his mother's safety. If he grew stronger a little too slowly, she might well have brought the Buddha Ancient Clan under her control before he even arrived at their door!

"Your name is Mu Chen... So you're the Xiao Mu Aunt Jing spoke of!"

Ling Xi seemed to recall fragments of her memories, and a smile blossomed on her face.