The sun rose and set; mist gathered and dispersed.
The small hut before this bamboo grove seemed removed from the world, yet remained within the mortal world. Four people and one beast stayed together each day, living lives so real and ordinary.
Yet within that ordinariness lay something so rare and precious.
Every day, aside from reading, Little Qing Yi would run off to watch Du Pingsheng refine pills.
Du Pingsheng seemed tireless, too, answering Little Qing Yi whenever she had questions, completely unlike when he had taught Su Mo alchemy.
Every day, Su Mo silently watched the horizon, occasionally guiding Little Qing Yi's cultivation.
Phoenix Woman was the most idle of them all, spending her days either meditating or playing with the Void Beast. The Void Beast had gotten along well with Phoenix Woman on the Divine Mountain in the Forbidden Lands and was very affectionate toward her.
Sometimes, though, Phoenix Woman would follow Su Mo's gaze toward the horizon, complicated expressions often showing on her face. But Su Mo remained silent, so she said nothing either.
Two months flew by.
That day, Phoenix Woman walked up beside Su Mo. Looking at him in his flowing white robes, she opened her mouth, then hesitated.
"Say whatever you want to say." Su Mo turned toward Phoenix Woman and spoke calmly.
Phoenix Woman pondered for a while before finally saying, "I'm leaving..."
Su Mo nodded. He knew what Phoenix Woman was going to do.
But he also knew that, as she was now, Phoenix Woman could accomplish nothing on her own!
Phoenix Woman's cultivation had yet to recover fully. She was only at Spirit Transformation; whatever she wanted to do, it was impossible.
Phoenix Woman needed more time to recover her cultivation, but that time was too long for her.