The first thing Su Jing saw when she woke up was a seemingly endless sea of clouds. She couldn't help but wonder if she had died.
Her body felt numb and cold. It was as if she had been lying in the snow for a long time. Struggling to get up, she felt the wet clothes sticking to her skin as the wind blew around her.
Looking around, Su Jing realized that she was in the same place where she last saw the immortal. The rocks where he sat were now sharp and well-defined, and there was no sign of him anywhere.
Feeling lost and unsure of what to do, Su Jing faced a path blocked by the heavy snowfall. She couldn't help but worry that the ghost could be anywhere since he wasn't bound to a physical body, making her situation even more complicated.
Accidentally, she caught the image of his leaf fan, looking forgotten between the rocks. Limping closer to it, Su Jing realised something weird happened to it, its colour losing its initial black lustre.
As she reached out and grabbed it, Su Jing marvelled at how lightweight it felt in her hand. She could see the form, but not feel it. It was like she did not hold it at all.
Was this what he meant when he said he didn't sense her?
She tried to move it around a little, however, it wasn't reacting with the air, as if it didn't exist.
Remembering how she also picked that illusory dagger, Su Jing got it out of her pocket, seeing how it was in the same state with strange cracks around.
Something was happening.
Su Jing put both things in her sleeves, wondering if that man left anything else.
She looked again around. Only the calm sea of clouds remained. Since she couldn't stay here all day, Su Jing approached the mist, trying to find the best way down.
Looking and walking through them, an odd vibe engulfed her senses, the same as the one she encountered when she climbed up.
Nevertheless, even after a long go, no illusion appeared. Rather than that, the way through the clouds seemed to never end - as if she was closed in an empty boundless space.
Su Jing didn't give in to the fear, biting her tongue and continuing forward.
She almost fell a few times, making her grip more strongly the rocks in the vicinity.
When Su Jing finally exited, it was strangely night again, puzzling her. How would that even be possible? At most, it was late afternoon, but not such a deep nighttime.
The stars twinkled in the sky, the moonless sky giving a weird lustre.
The forest was strangely quiet, only the wind whistling by the trees' branches. Su Jing hoped for the ghost to appear as last time, but no one came.
Unnoticeable, some light rain started to pour quietly, bringing a bit of dynamism to the monotone view. What was blasphemous was that it was pouring while the sky was without clouds!
Su Jing looked behind at the mist and was surprised to see it disappeared.
"What is happening?"
Does this mean I have lost the chance to go to the immortal realm?
Su Jing went down the stairs, without a clear direction, wanting to have a more clearer understanding of her surroundings. Beautifully, the rain started to engulf the sky darkness, its droplets sparkling and bouncing off her body when touching.
Enlarging her palm, Su Jing tried to look at this strange rain, being surprised at how it wasn't gathering in her hand, but passing through - like an illusion! Her hair wasn't also getting wet, as proof of this predicament.
The same things couldn't be said about the ground, this phenomenon eroding the rocks and plants and making them appear transparent, like pieces of firefly fading.
Everything around her was being destroyed, and she was the only witness, unable to do anything.
Eventually, the stars disappeared one by one, and the dark sky bolt vanished, replaced by a sudden and blindingly bright sun. Su Jing rubbed her stinging eyes and felt disoriented by the sudden change.
When the man said that this was his sea of knowledge, did he refer to this illusion? But now it fell to bits, no remnants being left. Was he in danger or what happened?
Su Jing didn't reach the immortal realm as he promised, meaning that there was also the chance of him lying.
She found herself in a mess.
The vicinity looked different, looking more touched by the human hands this time. The stairs had a majestic charm. Their detailed craftsmanship reminded of high prestige.
Su Jing didn't have time to admire the view too much because a loud noise startled her.
It was heard from the other side of the mountain, where a stream made its way towards the valley.
Uncertain whether to investigate further, Su Jing stumbled on the steps, sensing a possible connection to the shattering of the ghost's sea of knowledge.
A strange sensation coursed through her body - as though it was warning her that she might overlook something crucial.
Su Jing gathered her courage and leapt over the border of the staircase, venturing into the tall grass and navigating through the unfriendly tangle of branches that lay ahead.
For a second, she thought it was the wrong way, but once she saw the woman beside the lake, Su Jing hid.
It was the young Miss Feng.
Su Jing couldn't fathom why she was here.
This was not the path towards the immortal realm, nor a safe space for mortals to live. She carefully concealed behind some trees, trying to assert the situation.
The young lady Feng was in a poor state, with multiple bloody wounds and torn clothes. Her shoulder had the worst look, being almost as a whole covered by the crescent colour.
Seeing how she was in a lotus position, as if meditating, Su Jing was unsure whether to disturb her - they weren't that close in the first place.
Before being able to decide on what to do, a powerful suction force manifested, creating a vortex that seemed to make the local winds more atrocious.
The trees swayed, and Su Jing's body seemed to lose all strength, causing her to fall to her knees, utterly drained of energy and overwhelmed by exhaustion.
Was Miss Feng unknowingly causing this? A golden light started to sprout from her clenched hand, slowly enveloping and spreading to the surroundings. Su Jing never saw such a scene and didn't know how to appreciate it.
The courage to approach Miss Feng quickly died down. She highly risks being perceived as a threat.
So she got comfortable on the slightly wet ground amid the bushes.
The girl appeared to be transforming in terms of power, even her wounds healing rapidly on their own. Su Jing was astonished, having been blown away by the incredible abilities she was witnessing.
"So the wench has been here all the time!"
Su Jing saw two men from the other side of the forest dressed in low-quality rags - most probably ruffians. One was menacingly swinging his sword towards Miss Feng, while the other held his spear in an attack position.
"Well, well, it seems the little birdie can't fly away forever." spoke one with a malicious grin.
The men laughed, being sure of an easy prey.
Trembling, Su Jing attempted to conceal herself, not wanting to be easily spotted. This conflict was not for her to intervene in, as she felt fear and apprehension toward both parties involved.
Contrasting her swinging moods, the lady showed no signs of fear. Her face was indifferent - as if these men weren't even talking to her.
"Do you take us as fools? Feng Zhihao, your family name won't protect you any longer."
He threatened her, greedily looking at the treasure in Feng Zhihao's hand.
Su Jing decided to watch for the moment and intervene with a distraction if things were getting too ugly.
The men attacked the young lady, putting Su Jing on edge.
Without warning, Feng Zhihao also lunged forward without a single weapon, her movements a blur of deadly precision. Catching the hand holding the sword, she bent it, making the ruffian scream painfully. The other individual had the same fate, being quickly reduced to pulp in mere seconds.
"Keep your guard up! We can't let her escape!"
"She's fast, brother!"
Feng Zhihao's strikes were lightning-fast, and her technique was flawless. She moved with the grace of a dancer, effortlessly evading their attacks and countering with high accuracy.
As a bystander, Su Jing felt relieved for choosing to remain on the sidelines. Her involvement might have just complicated matters further with her chickening around.
The two men's faces were pitifully struggling to get up. The girl hit them once more on the chest, making them throw up a pool of blood.
"You'll regret this!"
Feng Zhihao surprisingly smirked mockingly at the one who spoke, crushing his fingers one by one with her feet. The man's agonized screams were so piercing that they sent shivers down Su Jing's spine.
"Initially, I wanted you to send my regards to my dear third sister, but I've changed my mind."
With one hit, she finished them quickly. Feng Linhua took the sword and sliced it through their chest.
Su Jing couldn't look at this scene, being frightened.
When she thought things finally got peaceful, the bodies weren't in view anymore, a flame quickly burning them to dust.
What kind of flame is that? It looked more eerie than Zhu Taichang's- when he was already a menace in terms of power.
Initially, Su Jing had hidden to avoid any conflict with Feng Zhihao. But now, she hid because she was genuinely frightened for her life.
The girl swiftly tidied all the mess as if she hadn't committed two killings.
She sits in the same lotus position. Her palm opened, and a grey and dusty pearl appeared, looking especially old.
As Feng Zhihao pinched it, the colour changed, returning to the same golden hue, albeit somewhat dimmer now. Su Jing gazed at it in fascination and curiosity, drawn to the captivating and sparkling light it emitted.
Things seemed to go well, however, when Feng Zhihao tried to absorb the rest of its power, the energy that covered her hands seemed to backlash, making the girl cough and bend over from the pain.
Su Jing also sensed the peculiar pressure emanating from the bead.
However, Feng Zhihao struggled to control its energy, and the next moment, she accidentally unleashed an uncontrollable burst of power. The sudden surge of energy caused the bead to slip from her grasp, and it hung in the air, radiating intense energy.
The bead then landed in the waters of the nearby lake, creating a dazzling display of energy as it sank beneath the surface. Ripples radiate across the water, causing the lotus flowers and cattails to sway wildly.
Su Jing was also unable to comprehend the strange turn of events.
"This, this can't be happening. How could I be so careless?"
Feng Zhihao clenched her fists, her cold and determined demeanour snapping.
Walking towards the water, she didn't bother to lift her skirt and entered directly.
As Feng Zhihao gazed into the lake, the energy of the bead caused ripples that made it appear as if it was floating in the reflection. She reached out to grab it, but her hand landed in the real pool of water instead, while the bead remained in the reflection.
However, in the next moment, the radiance of the bead seemed to fade away, causing Feng Zhihao to freeze momentarily, staring at the spot where it should have been. She tried again to slide her hand into the water, this time covered by a thin layer of pure qi energy.