The Shadow Boat plowed through the ink-dark sea, slowly approaching Magnetic Essence Harbor. Morning light pierced the thin mist, gilding the familiar outline of the sect's gates.
Han Li stood at the bow, the sea breeze brushing his robes, washed pale with wear. The Water-Magnetic Sword clasped tightly in his palm had withdrawn all its sharp radiance, leaving only a faint azure glow as tranquil as the deep sea.
His journey to Azure Nether Island had been like treading on thin ice. Though he had not exposed his identity as an envoy of the Star Palace, it had deepened his understanding of survival in troubled times-external possessions were fleeting; only his own cultivation could provide a foundation for his life. Deep within his sea of consciousness, an almost imperceptible glimmer of spiritual light quietly flashed, bringing a summary of his assignment and its rewards.
Zi Ling put away the Star-Illusion Maze Formation Flag, her Plain Silver Hairpin remaining perfectly still in the wind. Looking toward the harbor as it grew clearer, she said softly, "General Shi Jian sent word. The Star Palace has stationed a new commander on Azure Nether Island to take over its defenses. The Inverse Star Alliance's spies have vanished for now." She glanced at Han Li from the corner of her eye. Seeing his expression unchanged, she assumed he was silently circulating his cultivation art to regulate his breathing and asked nothing about that fleeting glimmer.
Inside the cave abode on Purple Sky Peak, the spirit spring continued its tireless murmur. Han Li suspended the Water-Magnetic Sword above it. Rippling light reflected along the blade, faintly resonating with the pure water-origin spiritual power in the spring.
He sat cross-legged on a blue stone. Within his sea of consciousness, his silvery-white golden core hovered, the Purple Forbidden