The morning sun filtered through the frost-laden canopy of the forest, casting fractured, diamond-like glimmers across the clearing. The atmosphere was notably less strained than the previous day, though the air still hummed with the weight of unanswered questions.
The revelations regarding the Origin Stone and Mu Chen's inexplicable nature had settled into a low, buzzing background noise, replaced now by a more focused curiosity.
Grandpa Yan sat in his rocking chair, though he no longer rocked. His gaze was fixed on the young woman standing by the wooden fence. Shen Xi looked out toward the mist, her silhouette framed by the green of her dress and the white of the frost.
Yan turned his eyes toward the treasure spirit, Shi, who stood hovering near the hut. "So," Yan began, his voice raspy and tinged with a strange hope, "is she truly one of them? Is she a seal-holder?"
Shen Xi didn't turn around, but her shoulders tensed. She waited for the answer with a bated breath that she tried to hide. Deep within her, she knew she was different. It wasn't just the speed of her cultivation or the way the world felt slightly out of sync with her spirit; it was the dreams.
In those dreams, the world was always drowning in fire and shadow.
She would see a woman dressed in a magnificent red robe—a figure that exuded a presence so stunning and heroic it felt as if she were the center of the universe. This woman would battle waves of demons whose power rivaled that of Ascendant cultivators, yet she faced them alone with a grace that felt invincible.
She was a being who could look down into the very river of time and demand to know was there anyone in existence who could rival her?
But then, the perspective would shift. The woman in red would look down, peeping through the layers of time itself as if she were looking directly at Shen Xi. In those moments, her eyes—usually so cold and regal—would fill with a heartbreaking mixture of helplessness and regret.
"Nine," the woman would whisper, her voice echoing through the eons. "This is the ninth... this time, we cannot fail."
Whenever Shen Xi woke, the woman's face would vanish from her mind like mist in the sun. All that remained were those heavy, cryptic words and a lingering sense of duty that felt older than her soul.
She had never told Grandpa Yan about these visions. She had tried to dismiss them as mere figments of a wandering mind, but she knew better. This was not only a dream.
You might see the same dream once, even twice—but not every time. If you do, something is waiting to claw its way out.
Shen Xi finally turned, her bright, mysterious eyes locking onto Shi. "Why is it that I have never felt such a power within me if it truly exists?"
The origin spirit, Shi, let out a soft sigh, his translucent form flickering. "I can feel the aura of a seal upon you, child. As for whether you are a true seal-holder... it is difficult to say with absolute certainty. A Heavenly Seal resides in the deepest recesses of its master's soul. They are primordial forces, carrying so much power that they usually remain dormant until the holder reaches the Soul Transformation realm. The reason is simple and cruel: the energy is too vast. If a cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm or below tried to draw upon that power, their body and spirit would be instantly disintegrated. The seal protects you by staying hidden."
Hearing this, both Shen Xi and Yan fell into a grave silence. The weight of such a destiny was not a gift; it was a burden that threatened to crush the wearer before they were even ready to carry it.
Yan leaned back, his eyes clouded as if he were looking back through decades of snow and blood. "I found her near the border when she was just an infant. I never knew who left her there or how she had arrived in such a godforsaken place. But as she grew, it became impossible to ignore that she was special. By the age of five, she had reached the Foundation realm. By twelve, she was at the Golden Core. Now, at twenty, she is already a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert. In all my thousands of years, I have never seen such monstrous cultivation talent."
Xiao Diao and Shi exchanged a glance. They were surprised, certainly, but after spending time with Mu Chen, their definition of "shocking" had been significantly recalibrated.
Shen Xi bit her lip, her voice a soft murmur. "Grandpa..."
Yan waved his hand indifferently, cutting her off with a paternal firmness. He reached out and patted her head, his ancient hand trembling slightly with affection. "Xian'er, it is alright. No matter who you are or what ancient force hides in your soul, you will always be my child. That will never change."
He turned back to Shi, his expression sharpening. "One thing has always puzzled me. The day I found her, the demons were in a state of absolute madness. They were more aggressive than I had seen them in centuries, throwing themselves at the border with a suicidal desperation. It felt like they wanted to devour her at any cost. Was it because of the Heavenly Seal?"
Xiao Diao, who had been listening from the sidelines while grooming his fur, stopped and looked up. He thought for a moment before speaking. "It's a strong possibility. Demons are born from the primordial darkness. They are creatures of void and consumption. If the Heavenly Seals are the ultimate source of primordial energy—the very essence of order and creation—then to a demon, a seal-holder isn't just an enemy. They are the ultimate meal. They probably wanted to devour her."
Shi nodded in agreement. "Diao is right. To the darkness, the seals are both a threat and the greatest prize."
At this point, everyone in the clearing was almost certain of the truth. Shen Xi was a seal-holder. The only question that remained was: which of the four seals did she command?
Shen Xi looked at Shi, her gaze full of expectation. "Is there truly no way to know? No way to confirm it now?"
Before Shi could answer, the sounds of light, casual footsteps approached from the forest path. Mu Chen emerged from the trees, looking refreshed. He had clearly gone to take a bath in the nearby lake, his damp hair catching the light. However, the most striking thing wasn't his appearance, but the creature sitting directly on top of his head.
It was a feline, looking very much like a cat with brilliant golden fur. But instead of one tail, five long, elegant tails swayed behind her like silken banners.
Xiao Diao stared at the sight, his jaw dropping. "Hey, Mu Chen! Where the hell did you find a five-tailed cat?"
Mu Chen didn't slow down, walking toward the rocking chair with his hands in his pockets. "I found her by the lake," he said, his voice as bored as ever. "I was finishing up, and when I started walking back, she just hopped onto my head. She's been there ever since."
He reached up and scratched the cat behind her ears. The creature leaned into his touch, purring with a vibration that seemed to make the air itself hum. "She's a good cat," Mu Chen added, glancing pointedly at Diao and Yan. "She's silent. Unlike some people who keep screaming about every little thing that happens."
The five-tailed cat—Nibi—let out a small, soft meow in agreement. She bared her tiny, needle-sharp teeth in a mock yawn before curling up on Mu Chen's head and going back to sleep.
Diao and Yan looked at each other, feeling a collective flush of embarrassment. Screaming about every little thing? They were talking about the survival of the spirit world and the end of the demonic threat! But to Mu Chen, it was clearly just noisy drama that keeps interrupting his peace.
Xiao Diao let out an awkward, forced laugh. "Right. A lazy brat and a lazy cat. A match made in heaven."
He paused then, the humour fading as he realized something. He looked at Yan with a desperate intensity. "Wait, I forgot to ask in all the excitement... where exactly are we? Is this Moon Continent?"
Shen Xi was the one who replied, her voice soft. "Yes, this the Moon Continent. You are currently standing within the heart of the Frozen Forest."
Xiao Diao nodded, his whiskers twitching. "I thought as much. When we first arrived, the spiritual energy felt like it was laced with ice. I knew we were no longer in the Sky Continent the moment I took a breath."
The spirit world was a vast expanse divided into nine primary continents. Four of them—Sky, Moon, Sun, and Thousand Beast—were the domains of the living races. The other five were shadowed lands, ruled entirely by the demonic hordes.
"The Frozen Forest?" Diao asked again, his eyes wide. "Doesn't that mean we are right at the intersection? The border where the Moon Continent meets the Beast Continent?"
Yan nodded. "Correct. And that feline on the boy's head... she likely wandered across the border from the Beast Continent side. They are rare creatures, even there."
At the mention of the Beast Continent, a flash of nostalgia crossed Xiao Diao's features. For a moment, his arrogant front crumbled, and he looked incredibly small. He thought of his home, the towering spires of his clan's estate, and the parents he hadn't seen in a millennium.
Mu Chen noticed the shift in the mink's aura. He looked at his shoulder and asked simply, "Xiao Diao, do you want to go home?"
Xiao Diao hesitated, his tail drooping. "I do. More than anything. But..." He looked toward the direction of the formation they had arrived through. "I want to see what happens at the Enlightenment Lake first. I want to see which seal has appeared. And then..."
His voice trailed off, his eyes darkening with a cold, suppressed fury. He had not forgotten the enemies who had ambushed him. He had not forgotten the betrayal that had forced him to self-destruct and spend a thousand years as a flickering ghost.
"Mu Chen," Diao said, his voice firming up. "Once we are done with the lake, I want to return to my clan. It has been far too long."
Mu Chen spoke directly. "Do what you wish, Diao. You aren't my servant. You've never been. You're my little brother."
The words were spoken casually, but they carried a weight that made Xiao Diao's heart swell. It had been ten years since the two had met. In that decade, Mu Chen had spent more time with the mink than with anyone else in his life.
To Mu Chen, the Heavenly Demon Mink wasn't a legendary beast or a useful tool; he was family.
Diao's fur puffed up, his tail lashing behind him as he tried to hide his emotion with his usual bluster. "Little Brother? How the hell did I become the little brother? I'm thousands of years old, you brat! If anything, I'm the big brother!"
Though he barked the words, the joy in his golden eyes was impossible to miss. For the first time in his long, lonely existence as a remnant, he felt like he had a place where he truly belonged.
Grandpa Yan watched the interaction, his respect for Mu Chen growing despite the boy's lack of manners. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Mu Chen... can you tell us for certain? Is Xian'er truly a seal-holder?"
Mu Chen didn't even stop his rocking. He reached out, picked up a fresh apple from the table, and took a large, crunchy bite. He chewed slowly, enjoying the juice, while the others waited in a silence so thick you could have cut it with a blade.
He swallowed and looked at the group, his eyes flicking toward Shen Xi.
"She is," Mu Chen said.
For a moment, the clearing was so quiet that even the wind seemed to stop. No one dared to draw a breath, and not a single person in that clearing doubted him statement.