Today’s Third Update

  Elder Sun approached swiftly, suspicion growing heavier with each step. Upon closer inspection, his heart jolted—it wasn’t just the few Blue Star Grass near the garden gate. Even several clusters of the far more delicate Purple Night Orchids across the way had begun to wither. Their leaves curled slightly at the edges, tinged with yellow—not as completely lifeless as the Blue Star Grass, but unmistakably weakened.

  He remembered clearly that when he had inspected the herb garden at noon, every plant had been thriving—leaves plump, vitality shimmering faintly beneath the sunlight. Only a few short hours had passed. How could such a change occur?

  Carefully, he uprooted one of the completely withered Blue Star Grass plants and examined it closely. The stem was shriveled and brittle; the leaves crumbled at the slightest touch. It was obvious that all moisture and life had been drained in an extremely short time. He then checked the soil around the roots—still moist, spiritual energy intact, perfectly suitable for these shade-loving herbs.

  “This is strange…” Elder Sun frowned deeply, murmuring to himself.

  “The environment hasn’t changed, yet the essence of the plants is gone… This feels like some kind of domineering extraction technique. Or perhaps… an unusual object capable of absorbing plant essence passed through?”

  He paced slowly through the garden, replaying every detail of the day in his mind. The area was protected by formations—ordinary beasts or insects couldn’t possibly enter. From afternoon until now, only one person had stepped foot inside…

  “Yun Che?”

  Elder Sun halted, sharp light flashing in his eyes.

  “He was the only one here today. But he’s merely a newly admitted outer disciple with mottled spiritual roots—he likely hasn’t even mastered Qi sensing. There was no abnormal spiritual fluctuation on him at all. How could he possibly cause spirit herbs cultivated for over ten years to wither instantly?”

  The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became.

  To say it had nothing to do with the boy—the timing and location were far too coincidental.

  To say it was related—by all logic, it should have been impossible.

  “This matter cannot be ignored. These herbs may not be top-grade, but cultivating them is no small task—and this concerns my reputation as well.”

  His expression hardened. “I must uncover the truth.”

  With a flick of his sleeve, spiritual power stirred within him. Beneath his feet, a faint but functional seven-colored cloud formed, lifting his body into the air. He soared toward the servant disciples’ quarters. Though Elder Sun wasn’t among the most powerful figures in the sect, such flight was still an awe-inspiring sight to low-ranking disciples.

  Before long, he descended before the crude courtyard of the Miscellaneous Affairs Division.

  “Who is in charge here?”

  His voice was calm, yet imbued with spiritual power—like distant thunder rumbling through the courtyard.

  Inside, Liu San, the yellow-robed disciple who had been meditating while scheming how to skim supplies from newcomers, nearly lost his soul. He scrambled out the door, saw Elder Sun hovering midair with a dark expression, and collapsed to his knees with a thud, kowtowing frantically.

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  “D—Disciple Liu San greets Elder Sun! I failed to welcome you—this disciple deserves death!”

  Elder Sun frowned slightly at his panic, though a faint, unspoken satisfaction flickered in his heart. Among inner disciples and favored juniors, he held little authority. Only before these lowest-ranking disciples did the weight of the title "Elder" truly manifest.

  Keeping his expression neutral, he asked,

  “Do you have records for a disciple named Yun Che?”

  Liu San’s heart dropped.

  Of all people—this elder had come for that cliff-jumping trash?

  Cold sweat poured down his back. His tongue stumbled as he rushed to speak.

  “Yes! Yes, Elder! Junior Brother Yun Che is diligent and hardworking, never complains, and rises before dawn every day to haul water—truly a role model for us all! I’ve always admired him deeply and strive to follow his example—”

  His words tumbled over one another, desperate to paint himself in a good light.

  Elder Sun felt both amused and impatient. He cut him off sharply.

  “Enough. Where is Yun Che now?”

  “N—North District, behind the Body Tempering Hall, the Kan Courtyard,” Liu San answered hurriedly.

  Before the sentence finished, Elder Sun had already turned into a streak of light, vanishing toward the north.

  Liu San collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, regret twisting his gut.

  “Yun Che… Just what kind of fortune did you stumble into to alarm an elder personally? I’m finished. If he rises in status after this, how could I survive?”

  He clenched his teeth, swearing inwardly that once Yun Che returned, he would treat him like an ancestor to make amends.

  Elder Sun arrived at the Kan Courtyard. His divine sense swept across the area like flowing mercury. Inside dozens of crude rooms, disciples slept or stirred weakly—yet Yun Che was nowhere to be found.

  His expression darkened.

  He entered the registry hut, quickly located Yun Che’s assigned room, and stood before it. Without opening the door, his divine sense penetrated inside.

  Zhang Hu lay snoring thunderously on the bed, utterly unaware.

  Elder Sun examined every inch of the room—bed, table, bundles, even cracks in the walls. Apart from ordinary disciple belongings and a faint mortal aura, there was nothing abnormal.

  “So he left quickly…” Elder Sun murmured.

  “Eager to return home, it seems. Hmph. A monk can run, but the temple remains. We’ll see after three days. If something is amiss with him…”

  A shadow flickered in his eyes. His figure vanished quietly from the courtyard, heavy with sweat and exhaustion.

  Yun Che knew nothing of the undercurrents stirring behind him.

  He was sprinting through the mountain forest, the yellow Divine Travel Talisman affixed to his leg. The paper clung to his skin, warm to the touch. A steady, gentle current flowed from the runes into his leg meridians. Gradually, a thin milky-white glow formed beneath his feet, illuminating the dark forest faintly.

  Each step carried him lightly over grass tips and tree branches, swift as a swallow.

  Even more surprising—night beasts sensed the faint yet pure aura of immortal power emanating from the glow. Though weak, it was enough to instill fear. One by one, they retreated, sparing Yun Che the need for vigilance.

  A cool night wind brushed past, carrying the fragrance of leaves and soil. Yun Che felt rare ease and freedom, pushing his speed to the limit as he raced toward home.

  He ran through the night without stopping.

  At dawn, he paused and drank a few mouthfuls of spring water soaked by the stone bead. The fatigue of the night vanished almost instantly.

  Looking back, the mountains were far behind. Another half day would bring him to the county town—home before noon.

  When the familiar village appeared ahead, decorated with red silk and a massive longevity banner, Yun Che’s heart quickened.

  With a burst of speed, he appeared before his home in a blur—and the tide of human warmth and hypocrisy surged to meet him.

  But when his mother’s trembling hands grasped his, when his father’s pride shone unhidden in his eyes—the ice within Yun Che’s heart quietly cracked.

  No matter how cold the world was,

  Home was still home.

  Yun Che has no idea that his brief presence at the herb garden has already stirred hidden undercurrents within the sect. What happened there was no accident—it was fate revealing its edge for the first time.

  The shifting faces of relatives remind him that such praise is fleeting. The only things truly worth protecting are far deeper.

  When Yun Che returns to the Frost Profound Sect, it will no longer be just water-carrying and ridicule awaiting him.

  The real path of cultivation is about to begin.