The first night passed, and the next day came. Hong Wei continued his journey in the arms of Seren.
By now, he felt he was starting to get used to flying. It wasn't nearly as overwhelming as the day before. The sensation of floating high in the air, the sharp wind buffeting against the barrier around him, and the blur of landscapes below… it had all become just a little more familiar.
But the comical sight of a man hugging a flying woman? That was unavoidable.
And so, like that, their journey continued.
By the fourth day, they were already nearing the region around Silent Mist Mountain.
The mountain was massive, with its peak veiled in thick clouds and faint silver mist drifting along its slopes. Even from a distance, its presence felt imposing.
Seren increased her flying speed, trying to pass it as quickly as possible. She didn't want to rest near the mountain if possible. But even though they were only skimming along its side, the mountain's scale proved greater than she expected, and the day began to fade into night.
And so, as dusk settled and shadows stretched across the land, Seren was forced to search for a suitable place to rest using her divine sense. But just as she was sweeping the terrain, she sensed the presence of several cultivators gathered not far from them.
She paused mid-air.
Because she knew Hong Wei didn't want to get involved with other people, especially during this early stage of his journey, she tried to steer them away. She didn't detect anyone in the Spiritual Core Realm, which meant no immediate threat, but caution still guided her instincts.
But, just then, suddenly, a voice called out.
"Senior sister, if you're looking for a place to rest, you can come here and join us."
It was a young girl's voice, soft and gentle, like silk sliding through the wind. Both Hong Wei and Seren heard it clearly.
Despite his exhaustion, with today's flight having been even more intense than any previous day, Hong Wei still tried to gather himself. His body was worn out, but his mind sharpened with alertness as he tried to look around for the source.
It was then that Seren's voice echoed directly within his mind.
"Master, it's a group of cultivators. There are a few at the Foundation Establishment Realm… and one in the Golden Core Realm. It seems like they're just resting here for the night. Should I accept their invitation?"
Hong Wei let out a quiet sigh of relief. Just one Golden Core cultivator? That was manageable.
After a brief moment of thought, he nodded.
"Alright. Let's go," he said softly.
Seren floated downward, but she didn't land directly beside the group. Instead, she chose to descend some distance away, maintaining caution.
Once on the ground, Hong Wei took a few seconds to steady himself. His legs were stiff from so many hours in the air, and his balance wavered slightly.
He inhaled, exhaled, and slowly calmed himself before finally walking forward, Seren beside him, as they approached the flickering campfire and the silhouettes of the cultivators resting not far away.
Seated around the fire were a girl and an old man. The girl, dressed in graceful traveling robes with delicate embroidery at the cuffs, looked to be in her late teens.
Her features were refined and elegant, her expression calm and composed, with a gentle aura. She was clearly no ordinary cultivator.
The old man beside her, with his long white beard and sunken but sharp eyes, gave off the steady pressure of someone at the Golden Core Realm.
The rest of the people around them were clearly guards. Standing in practiced positions, as they kept their vigilance.
A short distance away was a large, ornate carriage, pulled by a resting demonic beast with iron-hued scales and two short horns curving back from its head.
When Hong Wei, walking at the front with a hint of tiredness in his steps, finally approached the campfire, Seren following one step behind him, every eye turned to them.
The sight was strange to all of them.
A mortal youth leading the approach, while a powerful cultivator, whose cultivation clearly surpassed even the elder among them, walked behind him in quiet deference? That alone was already hard to make sense of.
But the strangest part was what they had witnessed just moments earlier: the sight of a man tightly hugging a graceful woman as she flew through the skies.
Try as they might, none of them could erase that image from their minds.
Still, no one spoke of it. They all pretended not to have seen anything, quietly adjusting their postures as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Hong Wei, feeling the odd atmosphere weighing around him, could only thicken his skin and act as if everything were normal. He kept his expression steady and eyes calm as he took in the group, one face at a time, before finally settling his gaze on the young woman seated near the old man, the one who had extended the invitation.
He cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Thank you for your invitation, Young Miss."
The girl smiled brightly and waved her hand with cheerful ease. "No problem! It's fate that we've met like this, so please, esteemed guests, come and sit down."
With the young woman's warm welcome, the tense atmosphere gradually eased, and Hong Wei and Seren finally stepped forward and joined them around the campfire.
Thanks to Yao Xueyi's easygoing nature and constant conversation… most of it directed toward Seren, whom she watched with a gaze full of admiration, Hong Wei was soon able to piece together who these people were and what they were doing here.
Yao Xueyi was from the Clearwind Yao Clan, a reputable clan situated in the Stonevein Ridge. She was the clan's young miss, traveling to Qinghe City for some purpose, accompanied by an elder of the clan and a group of guards. They had stopped here to rest for the night, much like Hong Wei and Seren.
Time passed quietly. Hong Wei didn't speak much, quietly listening while glancing occasionally at the flames. Seren, as usual, said only a few words here and there, answering briefly when addressed.
Yao Xueyi, on the other hand, talked the most, her tone bright, her words flowing without pause. But far from being annoying, her enthusiasm brought life to the otherwise quiet campsite.
And perhaps growing more comfortable with them, at one point, Yao Xueyi suddenly asked with a hint of curiosity, "Senior Sister, don't you have a flying sword? Why did you fly… like that?"
Seren's expression remained composed, but a faint pink hue touched her cheeks. Still, her voice was calm as she answered, "I don't have one."
That simple response stunned everyone.
How could a cultivator with such strength not possess something as basic as a flying sword?
Even those who were only half-listening couldn't help but glance in her direction with surprise. For a brief moment, the campfire fell into silence.
Then, without a second thought, Yao Xueyi reached into her storage ring and brought out a finely crafted sword. Its blade shimmered faintly in the firelight, and it was clearly of good quality, something most Foundation Establishment cultivators would prize.
Extending it toward Seren with both hands, Yao Xueyi said with sincerity, "Then you can have this sword as a gift, Senior Sister."
Seren looked at the sword in slight surprise, but she didn't immediately reach out. Instead, her eyes shifted toward Hong Wei, silently waiting.
Only after he gave a small nod did she take the sword from Yao Xueyi and say. "Thank you."
With that, the night passed peacefully.
Eventually, Hong Wei laid down and drifted off into sleep. Seren sat beside him, cross-legged in quiet meditation, her presence steady and vigilant.
...
Author's Not:
It seems this novel is coming to a stop, I would either rewrite it later, or just drop it entirely, but, for everyone, who had arrived at this chapter, I just would like to ask, how was this book? Is the plot engaging? Is it difficult to follow? How about the story?
Your input would help me determine what should I do with this novel going forward.
Thank you for reading until this point!