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Leaving the romantic spectacle behind, Xu Zimo led Lan Keâer deep into the Water Region.
By now, cultivators were few and far between. Along their path, they barely encountered a soul.
At the very heart of the Water Region, a mighty river had transformed into countless water dragons, rampaging through the area.
Each collision between dragons felt like the sky and earth were collapsing, and from within, faint dragon roars could be heard.
The vast sea surged with towering waves, rolling violently before crashing deep into the ocean and erupting like explosions.
This was a folded space, though it didnât look large, the sea itself was immeasurable in depth.
Xu Zimo pulled out Shadow Tyrant, sat cross-legged, and carefully guided the blade toward the center of the torrents.
Each impact from the water dragons caused the blade to tremble.
Yet with every collision, the blade shone brighter, growing ever more refined and pure.
"Water flows from the heavens, rushing to the sea and never returning."
As Xu Zimo watched Shadow Tyrant undergo its baptism in the torrents, his heart gradually eased.
Lan Keâer sat beside him, bored out of her mind. âKeep telling me the story. What happened after you fainted and ended up in Purple Fragrance Village?â
After stabilizing Shadow Tyrant, Xu Zimo split off part of his consciousness and began to speak:
âYou found me by the river and saved me. At first glance, your heart raced, probably because of how unbelievably handsome I was. Then you carried me home. I was unconscious at the time. As for whether you did anything to me while I was out, well⌠thatâs anyoneâs guess.â
âShameless. You think Iâd fall for you?â Lan Keâer snorted.
âDo you want to hear the story or not?â Xu Zimo asked calmly. âYou tell it or I do?â
âI do,â Lan Keâer nodded obediently. âYou tell it.â
âMy days in Purple Fragrance Village were the happiest time of my life,â Xu Zimo said earnestly as he continued.
The two of them sat by the roaring ocean. The torrents surged with waves and water dragons circled, slamming against Shadow Tyrant.
The young man quietly told his tale. The girl watched him, smiling at the funny parts, sometimes playfully punching him with her tiny fists.
Xu Zimo had so much he wanted to say to Lan Keâer. The stories he told were memories from their time together in Purple Fragrance Village.
Of course, he embellished a few details, mainly to make himself seem more handsome, wise, and heroic.
He spoke for seven days and seven nights. By the time Shadow Tyrant had fully absorbed the Water Element, he finally stopped.
For the storyteller, it was a reliving of experience.
For the listener, it was living those moments alongside him.
Xu Zimo retrieved Shadow Tyrant. With one swing, it roared not only with thunder but also with the power of a heavenly river crashing down from the nine heavens.
He stepped through the air, his purple robe billowing. His face, usually mischievous when telling stories, now looked resolute and fierce.
When he slashed, thunder dragons wrapped around water dragons, roaring in unison, sending towering waves blasting into the sky.
Lan Keâer simply stood there watching him, her gaze deep and unreadable.
...
Now that the Water Element tempering was complete, Xu Zimo prepared to lead Lan Keâer westward, toward the Fire Region.
Between the Water and Fire Regions was a small vacuum zone, and beyond that stood another massive gate: a gate of fire.
As they entered the Fire Region, they were greeted by a vast, boundless sea of flames.
The temperature near the entrance was mild, but the deeper one went, the hotter it became.
In this blazing domain, numerous fire spirits had taken the form of animals, running wildly.
Firebirds soared overhead. Fiery lions rolled through the sea of flames like mischievous cubs.
These spirits had no consciousness, no will to attack.
Even if you killed them, it was like snuffing out a flame, meaningless.
The two didnât walk far before Xu Zimo suddenly stopped.
From the flame wall beside them, spiritforce began to ripple. A lotus of blazing fire appeared out of nowhere.
About the size of a palm, it radiated a rich fragrance despite being formed from flames.
Just as Xu Zimo reached out to pick it, someone beat him to it.
A flash of blue light passed by, and the fiery lotus disappeared.
Xu Zimo frowned. A blue-robed Daoist had appeared beside him.
The Daoist, holding a horsetail whisk, smiled and said, âBoundless Heavenly Lordâs blessings upon you, benefactor, this lotus is fated with me.â
Xu Zimo smiled and shook his head.
âDaoist, youâre mistaken. This lotus is clearly fated with me.â
âYou misunderstand, benefactor,â the Daoist said with a cheerful grin, revealing the pressure of an Imperial Meridian Realm expert.
âTell me, who is holding the lotus now?â
Xu Zimo chuckled, then took out a jade pendant gifted to him by Xu Qingshan.
He said with a smile,
âThen Iâll leave the decision to you, Daoist.â
As Xu Zimo looked about ready to crush the pendant, the Daoistâs face froze. He laughed awkwardly and said,
âDivine treasures belong to the virtuous. I am unworthy. Clearly, this lotus is fated with you, benefactor.â
âToo kind,â Xu Zimo said, taking the lotus from the Daoistâs hand with a smile.
The Daoist gave him a long, meaningful look and said, âUntil fate brings us together again, benefactor.â
As the Daoist walked away, Xu Zimo frowned slightly. An Imperial Meridian Realm expert fighting over a tier-4 spiritual herb? That didnât make sense.
âOld fox and little fox,â Lan Keâer muttered with a wrinkle of her nose.
âYou donât get it,â Xu Zimo said, peeling open the lotus bud and revealing eight lotus seeds inside.
Each seed sparkled like a star, and they all had different colors, eight in total.
Xu Zimo also pulled a pure white thread from the lotus stem.
Using spiritforce, he bored tiny holes in each seed and strung them together on the thread.
A seven-colored bracelet was now complete.
Xu Zimo gently took Lan Keâerâs right hand and slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.
âPretty, isnât it?â
âChildish,â Lan Keâer replied with a slight smirk.
âThis braceletâs way more valuable than that guyâs Forget-Me-Not,â Xu Zimo said.
âSo what? Tier-4 herb over tier-2, big deal,â Lan Keâer replied. âTo me, thereâs no difference.â
âNo, itâs not about grade,â Xu Zimo shook his head. âItâs because this bracelet carries⌠all of my love for you.â