Han Yu frowned slightly.
"So it really was just punishnt," he thought. "A long, dangerous mission ant to waste ti and wear down."
If that was the case, then Zhao Liun had failed spectacularly.
Still, Han Yu did not relax.
He did not head toward the Mission Pavilion to report completion. That could wait.
Instead, he turned toward the Fifth Rib Peak.
His heart tightened slightly as the familiar mountain ca into view. His cave residence lay half way up, nestled along its side, locked behind formations of his own making.
As he approached the cave's door, his spirit sense focused sharply.
Two familiar presences were felt by him.
Alive.
Stable.
Han Yu exhaled slowly, a tension he had not fully acknowledged finally easing from his chest.
"They're fine," he murmured.
He stood in front of the cave entrance, his hand hovering for just a mont before he dispelled the protective formations.
SHUA
CREAK
The stone door slid open.
Inside, the cave was lit softly by spirit lamps. The air was clean. Empty supply boxes were stacked neatly along the walls.
And standing near the central table were two figures.
Xuan Qing turned first, her expression as still and blank as ever
ng Jueyan followed a heartbeat later, staring in disbelief before her face broke into a mixture of relief and shock.
"You're back," ng Jueyan breathed.
Han Yu stepped inside, the doors closing behind him.
"I'm back," he said quietly.
For the first ti since entering the sect, the cold mask of Ju Fan cracked just a little.
Han Yu did not rush the inspection.
He closed the stone doors behind him, activated several formations including sound isolating with practiced ease, and only then turned his full attention to the two won standing inside his cave.
The familiar space felt smaller than he rembered, perhaps because of how much he himself had changed, or perhaps because of the quiet tension that had lingered here in his absence.
Xuan Qing stood perfectly straight near the inner wall, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes open but unfocused. Her posture was flawless, her breathing steady, her expression blank to the point of being unsettling.
The Doll Seal still held her tightly, suppressing not just her emotions but the very sense of presence she once carried. If one did not know better, they might have mistaken her for an exquisitely crafted statue rather than a living cultivator.
ng Jueyan stood a step behind her, shoulders slightly hunched, her movents cautious but no longer fragile.
The bandage covering her ruined eye was clean and well wrapped, and her robes, though plain, were properly maintained. Her remaining eye followed Han Yu carefully, filled with a mixture of respect, relief, and restrained emotion.
He could also feel the wisps of Eight Emotions Energy coming from her, showing her true state of mind to him.
Han Yu's gaze lingered on them both, then he spoke in a calm, asured voice.
"Sit."
The word was simple, but carried unquestionable authority.
ng Jueyan imdiately obeyed, lowering herself onto one of the stone stools near the table. Xuan Qing followed a heartbeat later, her movents smooth and chanical, sitting with perfect posture and placing her hands neatly on her knees.
Han Yu stepped closer.
He began with Xuan Qing.
He extended his spirit sense carefully, threading it through the layers of formation energy and the residual imprint of the Doll Seal. He was ticulous, not wanting to trigger any unintended reactions.
His spirit sense brushed over her ridians, her dantian, her internal organs, and the subtle circulation of Qi that still moved despite the seal suppressing her cultivation.
Everything was stable.
Her body was strong, her foundation intact, and there were no signs of degradation or imbalance. Even her qi was steady, showing no signs of stagnation or corruption.
As expected.
Xuan Qing had always been resilient, and even with her cultivation sealed, a Core Condensation realm cultivator was still far beyond mortal limitations. She could go weeks without food, months without proper rest, and remain functional.
Still, Han Yu felt a faint tightening in his chest as he withdrew his spirit sense.
"She is… fine," he concluded quietly.
Xuan Qing did not react. Her gaze remained forward, her breathing unchanged.
Han Yu shifted his attention to ng Jueyan.
The difference was imdiately apparent.
Where Xuan Qing felt like a sealed but intact blade, ng Jueyan felt like sothing that had been shattered and crudely pieced back together. Not broken anymore, but far from whole.
Han Yu extended his spirit sense into her cautiously.
He examined her from the surface inward, layer by layer.
Her skin showed signs of healed trauma, the deeper bruising and micro tears long since repaired. Her muscles, once torn and abused, had largely recovered, though so stiffness remained.
Her bones, which had suffered major as well hairline fractures in several places, had knit back together properly, reinforced by the dicinal pills and slow physical conditioning she had done.
Internally, her organs were stable. Her blood flow was smooth, her breathing deep and even.
The most critical part lay deeper.
Her ridians.
Han Yu's expression darkened slightly as his spirit sense traced them.
They were still damaged.
They were broken in many parts, and even the partial healing that had happened with the pills was not proper.
Still, he noted sothing that eased him slightly.
There was no further deterioration.
The ridians and her Dantian had not worsened.
That ant ng Jueyan had followed his instructions properly.
He withdrew his spirit sense and looked at her directly.
"You have recovered well," he said.
ng Jueyan straightened slightly at the words, her remaining eye widening a fraction.
"Thank you, Master," she replied respectfully. "This slave followed your instructions carefully."
Han Yu nodded once.
"How have things been while I was gone," he asked. "Give a full report."
ng Jueyan took a slow breath, gathering her thoughts.
"In the ti Master was absent, nothing unusual occurred within the cave," she began. "No disciples ca here, and no elders summoned you. No ssages were delivered either."
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