The newcomer was Yun Zhong, Xia Changxun’s master. He had come specifically to retrieve them. While the distance from the teleportation array to the canyon housing Danxia Valley did not look far, the area was riddled with concealment formations laid by the Valley Master. Even with Xia Changxun and Rong Mingmo guiding, it would have been a tedious journey.
Yun Zhong produced a flying ship and said, “Therefore, I have come myself. It is certainly faster than taking your little dilapidated beast carriage all the way.”
Xia Changxun looked back at his carefully prepared carriage. “It’s not exactly dilapidated, is it? I spent quite a few spiritual stones setting it up like that!” Before he could finish, Yun Zhong scooped him up and tossed him onto the flying ship. The vessel shot into the sky.
Wen Qixue peered down from the ship. It was still a sea of lush, verdant forest, but now, he could discern the subtle patterns hidden within. Yun Zhong stepped up beside him. “Well? Is Danxia Valley to your liking?”
“It is indeed impressive,” Wen Qixue replied.
Yun Zhong looked Wen Qixue up and down before saying, “According to the Great Elder’s plan, Changxun will be the one to fuse your soul. With me observing and assisting, and the Great Elder guarding from the outside, you should have heard this from Mingmo, yes?”
Wen Qixue nodded. “I am grateful for the Great Elder’s concern. I will have to trouble you, Elder Yun.”
Yun Zhong glanced at him. “Would it not be better if I performed the fusion myself?”
Wen Qixue lowered his eyes, lost in thought, and remained silent. Yun Zhong let out a hearty laugh, clapping Wen Qixue on the back. “You brat, you truly are as the Great Elder described—full of your own ideas.” He sighed heavily. “Yun Luo is my daughter; I only wish for her to be well. If there is anything you require, just tell me. Anything to heal her.”
After a moment of silence, Wen Qixue asked, “Elder Yun, is Danxia Valley spacious?”
Yun Zhong raised an eyebrow. “Is that a rhetorical question? Danxia Valley houses tens of thousands of cultivators, and each elder possesses their own valley. If it were not large, how could it accommodate so many?”
Wen Qixue shook his head slightly. “I mean, is there a large enough empty space?”
Yun Zhong seemed puzzled, frowning. “An empty space? Perhaps. We just cleared a plot in the back mountain for spiritual fields. Why do you ask?”
“To place a sect,” Wen Qixue replied.
Yun Zhong: “Huh?”
Xia Changxun and the others nearby: “What? A sect?”
Danxia Valley had been prepared for Wen Qixue and Su Xuanlin’s arrival. As soon as the flying ship touched down, Jiang Che led them to the designated area. Wen Qixue finally met the Great Elder, Cen Qianxu—the man Rong Mingmo and Xia Changxun had credited with accurately predicting his survival.
Seeing them approach, Cen Qianxu beckoned to Xia Changxun. “Changxun, you have worked hard. Once your First Senior Sister recovers, I shall provide additional compensation beyond the sect’s reward—tell me whatever you desire. You may also press your master for a contribution; he just acquired a new forging furnace, so do not miss the opportunity.”
Xia Changxun was tempted but had little interest in Yun Zhong’s furnace. “His furnace is of too high a grade; I lack the skill to use it properly.”
Wen Qixue overheard the exchange. “Brother Xia, do you not need to rest? This will surely be a strenuous task.”
Xia Changxun waved him off. “No need. We must begin as soon as possible. Are you prepared, Fellow Daoist Wen?”
Wen Qixue looked at him. “I am ready, but you”
Yun Zhong stepped forward. “Do not worry. Changxun once spent seven full days forging his life-bound artifact. Fusing a soul is a mentally taxing endeavor, but for Changxun, it is well within his capabilities.”
Since Yun Zhong vouched for his apprentice, Wen Qixue said no more.
One day later.
Trouble arose.
Outside the fusion chamber, Cen Qianxu, who was guarding the area, opened his eyes and gave a soft “Tch.” “A miscalculation.”
Su Xuanlin sat up straight instantly. “What happened?”
Sensing Su Xuanlin’s mounting anxiety, Cen Qianxu comforted him. “It is nothing serious. Changxun simply could not persist, so Yun Zhong has taken over. It is not a major issue.”
He only hoped Wen Qixue’s soul would not react violently; otherwise, all their efforts would be in vain. Fortunately, while there were minor hiccups, the outcome was successful. A day later, the fusion process concluded with a violent tremor.
When Jiang Che brought Rong Mingmo to the scene, he saw Cen Qianxu’s strained expression and grew tense. “What is it, Elder? Something went wrong?”
Cen Qianxu nodded slightly before adding, “It is not a major issue, but…”
The stone door of the fusion chamber opened. Yun Zhong walked out, holding (Xia Changxun) in one hand and something else in the other. “Changxun is a bit incompetent; I must keep a closer eye on him in the future. His negligence nearly caused a catastrophe!”
Cen Qianxu mollified him: “Enough, Second. It was my miscalculation as well.” He sighed. “I believed Wen Qixue’s soul would be weakened after his experience with the Nascent Soul tribulation and years of dormancy. I did not expect his soul to remain so potent, which is why Changxun nearly lost control.”
After a day of recovery, Xia Changxun had regained his composure. He broke free from Yun Zhong’s grip. “Fellow Daoist Wen is truly formidable. But what were those images? That should have been…”
Yun Zhong arched a brow. “Ho! You saw them? I thought you had fainted!”
Xia Changxun: “…Master, I was merely exhausted, not dead. How could I miss images that large?”
Jiang Che looked between them, ultimately focusing on Cen Qianxu. “What images? What are they talking about?”
Cen Qianxu said, “The image of the Mystic Water Pure Lotus. Because it was hidden within Wen Qixue’s consciousness, it acted to protect him during the process. Changxun failed to penetrate its protective barrier and was nearly knocked unconscious by the rebound.”
Jiang Che grew excited at the mention of the Lotus. “And Wen Qixue? I have never seen the Mystic Water Pure Lotus. May I see it?”
Even Su Xuanlin began pacing anxiously. “Xue-ge? Is Xue-ge alright?”
The three involved in the fusion fell silent. Cen Qianxu was the first to regain his composure. He coughed and said, “Wen Qixue is… fine. However, having shed the puppet body, he must start his cultivation from scratch. Fortunately, he has already begun drawing Qi into his body during the final stage of the fusion, but he will need time to recuperate.”
He looked at Xia Changxun. “Changxun, you must be tired, and this young boy brought by Wen Qixue has not rested for two days. Take them both to rest.”
Yun Zhong handed the object he had been cradling to Xia Changxun.
Xia Changxun fumbled. “Wait, Master, I don’t know how to hold a baby!”
The object in Yun Zhong’s hands was finally revealed: an infant. The child appeared to be sleeping soundly, though, strangely, its hair and eyebrows were not ordinary—they were snowy white.
Everyone: “!?!”
Rong Mingmo gasped. “Wow! Where did this baby come from? So cute! May I hold him?”
“This is Wen Daoist,” Xia Changxun informed her.
Rong Mingmo & Su Xuanlin: “!?!”
Five words were all it took to strip them of the ability to think. Rong Mingmo pointed at the white-haired infant in Xia Changxun’s arms. “This is Wen Daoist? Does he look even slightly like the Wen Daoist from before?”
Xia Changxun replied, “The previous one was a puppet, not his true self. I witnessed that puppet transform into this Wen Daoist.”
“But I never heard of Wen Daoist having white hair,” Xia Changxun admitted, equally bewildered. “Perhaps he was missing some rare material?”
Yun Zhong stood behind him. “That is unnecessary. Wen Qixue’s preparations were quite complete—one might say they were perfectly suited to him. The reason his hair turned white is that his innate talent is so exceptionally high that these heavenly materials could not provide enough energy to sustain his original appearance.”
He gestured toward the infant. “That is also why he has taken the form of a child.”
Su Xuanlin stood to the side, peering at Wen Qixue. He wanted to hold him, but felt a nervous tremor. He had never held a baby before and feared he might make the infant uncomfortable.
Xia Changxun bounced the infant, stifled a yawn, and began walking away. “Junior Brother Xuanlin, follow me. I shall take you to your quarters. Have you really not rested for two days? Can you handle it? I am reaching my limit.”
Su Xuanlin hurried to catch up. “It is fine. It has only been two days. You are exhausted because you were performing the fusion, Senior Brother Xia; I was merely waiting outside.”
Jiang Che dismissed Rong Mingmo: “Go, you have seen that he is safe; you may rest easy. Return to your quarters; I have matters to discuss with your First Senior Uncle.”
Rong Mingmo watched them depart with longing, sighed, and trudged toward her own quarters.
Jiang Che stepped toward Yun Zhong. “What is it, Second? What is truly the matter? The Great Elder looked as grim as if the Mystic Water Pure Lotus had vanished. Was there truly an issue with it?”
Cen Qianxu rose and shook his head. “No. Just as Wen Qixue said, it was merely wilted, yet still quite healthy it even had the strength to strike Changxun.”
Jiang Che looked at the two solemn men, confused. “That is good news. We can nurture it, and Yun Luo will be saved. Why the long faces?”
Yun Zhong replied: “Wen Qixue… might be an Innate Spiritual Root.”