In the vast garden, only three people were present. Chen Fan and Bai Mulan sat opposite the mature woman before them, the atmosphere thick with quiet tension.
"Do you have a master?" the woman asked, her voice calm yet carrying undeniable weight.
"Yes," Chen Fan replied without hesitation.
Hearing his answer, the woman fell silent for a moment, her expression remaining unreadable. Then, her gaze returned to him, unwavering.
"Normally, one can only become a core disciple by taking an elder as their master," she stated. "However, I can grant you the same treatment as a core disciple—or even a saint."
Bai Mulan's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the unexpected offer. She turned to Chen Fan, noticing the flicker of surprise in his own gaze.
"What's the condition?" Chen Fan asked, knowing full well that such an offer wouldn't come without a price.
"Three things," the woman said evenly. "You will accept any condition I impose on you in the future." She observed his face closely, gauging his reaction.
Chen Fan met her stare without wavering. "You won't ask me to kill someone who doesn't deserve to die or force me into some other extreme decision, will you?"
"As long as you can provide a valid reason, I may retract my request," she replied, as if expecting the question.
A brief silence followed before Chen Fan nodded. He was willing to take the risk. "Alright. I accept."
"Good." The woman wasted no time. "For now, you will receive the same resources as a core disciple. Depending on your performance, you may even be granted the privileges of a saint."
Without another word, she summoned a phone from a black-dot tattoo on her hand. Chen Fan retrieved his own device, and within moments, she had sent him a flood of notifications. His eyes lit up slightly as he scanned through the list—an additional 100,000 high-grade spirit stones, countless pills, and an overwhelming number of e-books filled with cultivation techniques. There were hundreds of them.
"Are all cultivation techniques digital now?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Only those accessible to core disciples," she replied. "The more advanced techniques are still kept in book form."
Chen Fan chuckled softly. The deeper he delved into the cultivation world, the stranger it seemed to become.
"Am I free to leave the sect whenever I wish?" he asked next.
"Yes," the woman affirmed. "However, should the sect call upon you, no matter where you are or what you're doing, you must return immediately."
Chen Fan exhaled slightly in relief. At least they weren't restricting his movements despite granting him their techniques.
"If there's nothing else, we'll depart immediately," the woman stated.
"We're using the teleportation door again?" Chen Fan asked.
"No. Only the Jade Spirit Sect allows access via the magical door. Our sect and the Azure Sky Sect have barriers that prevent teleportation," Bai Mulan explained, knowing her master preferred to keep conversations strictly to the point.
"Oh? Then how are we getting there?" Chen Fan turned to Bai Mulan, intrigued.
"You'll find out soon enough," she replied curtly, cutting the conversation short.
Chen Fan sighed inwardly. What a pair of cold women.
Without further delay, the mature beauty stood and strode toward another part of the garden, Bai Mulan and Chen Fan following closely behind. Soon, they arrived at a vast open field, where hundreds of people were already gathered. It wasn't just the disciples of the Ethereal Frost Sect—members of the Azure Sky Sect were present as well, all eager to return to their sects.
In the distance, two long trains stood apart from each other, separated by about 200 meters.
"A train?" Chen Fan muttered, puzzled by their means of transportation. But rather than dismissing it, curiosity sparked within him. He was eager to see what this train was truly capable of.
As he watched, the disciples began boarding in an orderly manner.
"Brother Chen!"
Hearing a familiar voice, Chen Fan turned toward the Azure Sky Sect's train, spotting Sun Xi waving at him.
"Let's meet again later!" Sun Xi called out before boarding along with his fellow disciples.
Chen Fan blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Sun Xi to be a disciple of the Azure Sky Sect. Shaking his head with a small smile, he decided to ask about it another time.
Boarding the train, Chen Fan noted that its exterior looked no different from an ordinary luxury train. But the moment he stepped inside, he found that the interior matched its elegant design—lavish seating, intricate decor, and an air of refinement.
His gaze landed on Bai Mulan and the sect master, who were already seated on a plush sofa. Without much thought, he moved to sit beside Bai Mulan.
Feeling the cushion shift, Bai Mulan stiffened slightly before realization struck her. Damn, my cold personality! She groaned inwardly, berating herself.
She had completely forgotten to tell Chen Fan that this particular couch was reserved for her and her master.
Silently, she glanced at her master, who had already closed her eyes, appearing indifferent. Resigning herself to the situation, Bai Mulan could only endure the unexpected awkwardness.
Stealing a sideways glance at Chen Fan, she noticed that the train had already begun moving. Before long, it accelerated into the sky, activating an invisibility spell to keep it hidden from the outside world.
She paid little mind to it—after all, she had experienced this countless times before. However, when she caught sight of Chen Fan staring out the window like a child discovering something new, she found herself unexpectedly amused.
The contrast between his usual sharp, composed demeanor and his current expression—bright-eyed and filled with wonder—was oddly entertaining. He even smiled like a child who had found a fascinating new toy.
However, her amusement was short-lived. The moment Chen Fan turned his head in her direction, she instinctively snapped her gaze forward, only to find her master's eyes slightly open, watching her intently.
A faint, knowing smile tugged at the woman's lips before she closed her eyes once more.
Bai Mulan immediately lowered her head, her ears tinged red. It's over. Master must think I'm some kind of easy woman now.
Bai Mulan couldn't find the right moment to inform her master about the Devil Sect. With everything that had happened, she decided she would tell her immediately upon their arrival at the sect.
The room soon fell into silence. By now, Chen Fan had satisfied his curiosity about the flying train. It was truly impressive. Despite its incredible speed, there wasn't the slightest shake or disturbance—It feels just like being in a normal room.
Glancing to his right, he saw that both women remained silent for the entire journey. The red-haired woman had her eyes closed as if she were asleep, while Bai Mulan idly scrolled through her phone.
Noticing how little Bai Mulan spoke, Chen Fan decided against starting a conversation. Instead, he turned back to the window, watching the endless expanse of clouds below. His initial excitement gradually faded, though he still remained curious about the Ethereal Frost Sect.
Sun Xi had once mentioned that the entire sect seemed to be made of ice, fitting its name perfectly. Intrigued, Chen Fan pulled out his phone to search for information about the place. However, to his disappointment, he couldn't find a single picture. With a sigh, he switched to browsing cultivation news, hoping to expand his knowledge of the cultivation world.
Boom!
A sudden explosion shattered the tranquil atmosphere. Both Chen Fan and Bai Mulan's heads snapped toward the window, their expressions turning serious.
At the same moment, the red-haired woman's eyes flew open, and in an instant, she vanished from her seat.
Through the window, they saw the entire area engulfed in a thick, ominous red mist. Chen Fan's instincts flared with alarm, and he immediately put his phone away.
Bai Mulan did the same. Her mind raced as she recalled the warning she had received earlier. Damn it… So it's happening now?
Now that she thought about it, the best time for the Devil Sect to launch an attack would be when their group was separated. She cursed herself for not speaking to her master sooner.
Recalling the information she had gathered, she realized it was frighteningly accurate. She and Chen Fan were supposed to be trapped in a secret realm, and now, with just the two of them isolated, this was the perfect moment for an ambush.
Her grip tightened on her sword, the icy blade gleaming coldly in her hands. But before she could react, the blood-red mist erupted through the door, rushing toward them like a devouring tide.
Everything turned red.
When they opened their eyes again, the world around them had changed.
The entire landscape was steeped in a suffocating shade of crimson. The ground was slick, covered in a liquid that looked disturbingly like blood. The sky above them glowed with an eerie red light, casting the whole place in a nightmarish hue.
And behind them loomed an abyss, vast and unfathomable.
Chen Fan's gaze swept around the unfamiliar surroundings, his mind rapidly piecing together what little information he could gather. He remained vigilant, taking in every possible detail—until an outburst from Bai Mulan shattered the heavy silence.
"F*CK."