The silence stretched in the courtyard as Lin Mu regarded his disciple and the little bird perched on his shoulder.
His eyes were calm, yet there was a faint flicker of amusent behind them. At last, he spoke, his tone steady but tinged with curiosity.
"So... what did they na this new ’cultivation ground’?"
ng Bai’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, while Ashy’s feathers puffed proudly as if they were about to unveil a great secret. The two exchanged a glance, then answered together with the synchronized excitent of children sharing a prize.
"The Huo-Lin Transcendent Will Valley."
Lin Mu blinked slowly. The words seed to hang in the air. "...Huo-Lin?"
ng Bai grinned wide, practically bouncing where he stood. "Yes, Master! They said the na represents the clash between Grand Elder Huo, an exalted Transcendent Immortal, and you, the Immortal whose will transcends all boundaries. Together, it honors both your nas and the battle that reshaped the Ash Fall Plains into what it has beco."
Ashy chirped in high excitent, hopping in place. "Everyone’s talking about it! The announcent was made by the City Lord himself, five days ago. The sects, the rchants, the wanderers—they’re all abuzz. They say this one battle of yours has already changed the fate of Ash Crown City!"
Lin Mu’s brows furrowed faintly.
A title bestowed upon land was not a trivial matter. It would bind history to the event, ensuring that generations would rember. He let out a slow exhale, saying nothing, which only encouraged ng Bai to continue, words tumbling out like an excited river.
"The area is sealed now. Guards patrol every periter. Nobody is allowed to enter without permission. If cultivators wish to use the grounds, they must submit an application through the City Lord’s office in the future. Already, countless sects and wandering immortals are lining up for a chance."
Ashy added with pride, "And the rchants! Hah! You should hear what they say in the taverns. They’re nearly tripping over themselves in glee. A land like this... it’s worth more than mountains of immortal stones. Inns, supplies, cultivation rights... every trade will flourish. The taxes alone will make the City’s coffers overflow! So rchants even whispered that Ash Crown City might rival the great provincial capitals in ti."
Lin Mu tilted his head slightly, but his silence only urged the bird and ng Bai to chatter on.
"They’ve hired hundreds of Immortal Formation Masters, Master!
Not just local nas, but renowned ones from far-off sects and neutral guilds. The City Lord spared no expense. I heard that they’re weaving an enormous grand isolation array around the entire valley."
ng Bai coughed and continued. "I listened a bit, and they said the supporting formations will stabilize the sword intent, preserve the Dao traces, and hold in the elental qi. Without it, the power you and Grand Elder left might fade in a generation.
But with this? The land could remain rich and fresh for tens of thousands of years, perhaps longer!"
The little bird fluffed up her wings and chirped like she had delivered a great prophecy. While ng Bai simply carried a bright smile and shimring eyes full of pride.
Lin Mu finally gave a slow nod. "A wise move. It is, after all, their territory. If they can turn it into prosperity, I have no reason to oppose."
ng Bai’s face lit with relief, as though he had feared his master might take offense. Ashy, too, puffed happily, clearly proud that the city recognized Lin Mu’s role and immortalized it in na.
The courtyard grew quieter, and after a pause, Lin Mu asked, "Where are the others?"
ng Bai answered at once. "Daoist Chu is in talks with the elders of the Xian Sword Sect. They’re preparing for upcoming missions, deciding how to deploy sect resources in light of recent events. Senior Cattaleya... I don’t know. She moves like the wind through the city. She might be deep in gambling circles, drinking in a tavern or sowhere unexpected entirely."
Lin Mu shifted his gaze to Ashy, who hopped closer eagerly. "And Little Shrubby? The twins?"
Ashy’s chirps turned almost musical. "Ah! They dashed to the cultivation grounds the mont you went into seclusion, Master!
They couldn’t resist. They said they wanted to ’eat’ until their bellies burst." The little bird flared his wings, mimicking the snakes writhing through qi and the beast rolling in flas. "They’ve been cultivating there since. Rolling in the energy like fish in a river, basking like lizards in the sun or uhh... snakes!"
Lin Mu chuckled softly, a rare warmth crossing his face.
He could picture it clearly. For Little Shrubby, whose essence thrived in fire, and the twin serpents who relished in all things Yin and Yang, such a land was nothing short of a feast laid by the heavens.
It was then that ng Bai stiffened suddenly, eyes widening as though struck by lightning.
"Ah! Master—I almost forgot sothing important!" he blurted.
Lin Mu raised a brow. "Oh?"
"The City Lord himself left a ssage. He requested that you visit him as soon as you awoke from seclusion. He said... he said there are matters of great importance he must discuss with you."
Ashy tilted his head and chirped in agreent, as if to emphasize the gravity of the words.
Lin Mu’s gaze deepened, his expression neither surprised nor dismissive. "...Is that so? Then I shall not delay. Since I am recovered, I will pay him a visit now."
He turned, his long sleeves brushing lightly against ng Bai’s arm as he strode toward the courtyard gates. His footsteps were steady, the faint golden glow of vitality restored coursing through his fra.
"Co," Lin Mu said, his voice soft but carrying the weight of command.
ng Bai brightened instantly, hurrying to fall in step with his master. Ashy spread her wings and fluttered after them, chirping eagerly.
Together, the three—Master, disciple, and beast—stepped beyond the threshold.
The air outside was no longer the sa as when Lin Mu had entered his seclusion. The city itself humd with transformation, rchants shouting louder, formations blazing brighter, whispers rising like waves through every street and inn.
And as Lin Mu walked through it, he could not help but sense that the world had already shifted in the fifteen days he had rested.
The duel had ended, but its echo was only beginning.
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