The morning mist over Magnetic Essence Harbor had yet to clear when the Shadow Boat and the Star-Pattern Boat docked side by side.
Han Li stood at the bow, the sea breeze lifting the hem of his faded blue robe. The deep blue glow of the Water-Magnetic Sword in his palm was calmer than when he had left the island, and the newly formed ice-carved magnetic blossoms along its spine gleamed coldly in the morning light. On Zi Ling's Star-Pattern Boat, the Star-Illusion Maze Formation Flag snapped in the wind. Its star patterns had gained a sharper edge over the past six months-the mark of tempering in the Mist Islands' Soul-Eroding Mist.
Grand Elder Xing Xuanzi stood on the dock with his hands behind his back, the star patterns on his gray robe shifting with the morning light. Behind him stood Elder Meng of the Enforcement Hall and Elder Song of the Pill and Artifact Hall, both central figures in the Star Palace.
"You're back." Xing Xuanzi's voice was even as his gaze swept over them. "Cold Moon Island's water spirit crystal vein has been brought into the Star Palace's reserves, and the concentration of Soul-Eroding Mist in the Mist Islands has fallen by thirty percent. Well done."
Han Li bowed and presented an ice-blue Jade Slip with both hands. "This disciple has fulfilled his mission. The Water-Magnetic Sword has been refined with magnetic essence crystal clusters, and its Ice-Magnetic Dual Effect is nearing perfection." Zi Ling also handed over a gray Jade Slip. "All seven covert outposts in the Mist Islands have been eliminated, and the foundation of the Inverse Star Alliance's Seven-Star Formation has been destroyed. We seized three Blood Bat Tokens, which the Enforcement Hall can use to trace their origins."
Xing Xuanzi took the Jade Slips,