Nova stepped out of the Lotus Palace into the late evening setting sun, the storage ring of cultivation resources secure in his robes. His mind was still processing the dao discussion, the seventeen Laws he'd just begun to comprehend settling into his consciousness like new foundations being laid.
The path from the Lotus Palace wound through manicured gardens toward his personal servant quarters. Almost no one came this way, only the grand elders and her disciple—it was the Sect Leader's private domain, after all. Most kept a respectful distance.
Which is why Nova was surprised when he sensed someone approaching from the opposite direction.
A presence. Strong. Golden Core Realm, if he read the spiritual pressure correctly. Moving with confidence and familiarity toward Luna's palace.
Nova rounded a corner and came face to face with the newcomer.
Sera`s POV.
Seraphine Frost's day had been going well.
She'd finally achieved a breakthrough in her Ice Law comprehension—transitioning from early Law to mid Law understanding. The shift had been subtle but profound. Where before she could freeze water and create ice constructs, now she was beginning to touch the deeper principles. Stasis at a molecular level. The cessation of kinetic energy itself.
With her early Law mastery, she'd gained basic control over electromagnetic forces—manipulating the attraction and repulsion between molecules, influencing how matter bonded and separated. Mid Law was opening doors to gravity manipulation and even hints of the strong nuclear force that bound atoms together.
Twenty years old and already at early Golden Core Realm with mid Law comprehension. People called her a genius. A prodigy. The Saintess of the Black Tide Sect.
Seraphine tried not to let it go to her head, but she couldn't deny the pride she felt. Especially considering she'd been born in a small village with no cultivation background. If not for her Divine Grade ice-element spiritual veins awakening at age five, she'd probably still be there, living an ordinary life.
But Master Luna had found her. Taken her as a personal disciple. Given her resources and guidance that had propelled her to heights she'd never dreamed possible.
The path to the Lotus Palace was familiar. Seraphine had walked it hundreds of times over the past fifteen years. She knew every stone, every flower, every—
Someone stepped around the corner ahead.
Seraphine froze.
A young man. Perhaps mid-twenties. Impossibly handsome in a way that made her breath catch and her heart skip a beat. Long black hair with subtle highlights that caught the light. Dressed in simple servant's robes that somehow looked elegant on his frame. And those eyes—deep, clear, holding an intelligence that seemed almost ancient.
That face... it seemed familiar but also not familiar
But what really made her react was the spiritual pressure.
Subtle. Controlled. But undeniably there. Power radiating from him in waves that made her cultivation instincts scream danger.
Assassin!
Seraphine's hands moved on pure reflex. Ice qi surged through her meridians as she dropped into a defensive formation, one hand already forming the first seals for her Frozen Barrier technique. Frost began crystallizing in the air around her.
"Who are you?!" she demanded, her voice sharp with authority. "State your purpose or—"
"Sera, calm down." The young man's voice was smooth, almost amused. "It's me."
Seraphine didn't lower her guard. "I don't know any—"
"Oldy," he said simply.
Seraphine blinked. Her concentration wavered. "What?"
"It's me. Nova. Your 'Oldy.'"
No. Impossible. Nova is ancient. Withered. White-haired and dying. This is some kind of trick, some shapeshifting technique—
But then she focused on his aura. Really focused, past the overwhelming presence and spiritual pressure to the fundamental signature underneath.
And... she knew that signature. Had sensed it hundreds of times over the years during their brief conversations. The quiet, steady presence of someone who'd simply existed for so long they'd become part of the background.
"Nova?" Seraphine lowered her hands slowly, the ice qi dissipating. "Is that really you?"
"Yes."
"But... how? What happened to you?"
Nova's expression remained calm. "I encountered a heavenly opportunity. I came to report it to the Sect Leader."
A heavenly opportunity. The standard explanation for miraculous transformations in the cultivation world. Seraphine knew better than to press for details—asking about someone's fortuitous encounters was considered extremely rude, almost offensive.
But still. This was...
This is Oldy. The ancient servant I used to chat with when visiting Master Luna. The one who always had a kind word despite his obvious suffering. The one who treated me like a person rather than a prodigy to be put on a pedestal.
The one she'd... felt something for, years ago. Before she'd pushed those feelings aside because he was dying, because there was no future there, because it would have been cruel to both of them.
And now he looks like... like...
Seraphine felt her cheeks warm and her heart race. Those old feelings, carefully buried, came rushing back with a vengeance.
"I see," she managed to say, struggling to maintain her composure. "Well. Congratulations on your fortune."
An awkward silence stretched between them.
Seraphine's mind raced. He can't walk around looking like that. Even with servant's robes, people will notice. Will question. Will cause problems for him.
She needed to help. Wanted to help.
Her hands moved almost without conscious thought, drawing upon her Ice Law comprehension. She focused on electromagnetic manipulation, pulling ambient spiritual energy from the air and condensing it, restructuring it at the molecular level.
Energy to matter. One of the fundamental applications of Law mastery.
Ice qi crystallized in her palm, but instead of forming ice, the molecules restructured themselves into something denser, more stable. White ceramic-like material flowed and shaped under her will, guided by her understanding of matter manipulation.
Nova watched silently as she worked, his eyes tracking her movements with interest.
The mask took shape—a full-face covering, pure white with elegant black patterns spiraling across its surface. The design was both beautiful and unsettling, giving off an air of mystery and danger.
But Seraphine wasn't done.
As a formation master, she understood how to weave spiritual patterns into physical objects. Her fingers traced runes across the mask's surface, each one glowing briefly before sinking into the material. Complex formations overlapped and interconnected, creating a web of protective enchantments.
Divine sense blocking. Anyone at Golden Formation Building Realm or below would find their spiritual sense simply sliding off the mask's surface, unable to penetrate or identify the wearer.
She'd made the mask stronger than necessary, but... she wanted him protected. Safe.
Because he's my friend, she told herself firmly. That's all.
"Here," she held out the completed mask. "This will help. The formations will block divine sense up to Golden Formation Building Realm. Should give you some privacy."
Nova took the mask carefully, examining it with obvious appreciation. His fingers traced the black patterns, the hidden runes. For a short moment, he simply studied it, his spiritual sense brushing against the formations.
Seraphine felt a moment of anxiety. Was he checking for tricks? For hidden dangers?
Of course he is. This is a demonic sect. Trust doesn't come easily here. It was a dog eat dog world.
Finally, Nova looked up and smiled—a genuine expression that made Seraphine's heart do an unwelcome flip.
"This is beautifully crafted," he said. "Your formation work is exceptional, Sera. Thank you. This is incredibly thoughtful."
He put the mask on, and the effect was immediate. The white mask with its black patterns covered his entire face, leaving only his hair and general silhouette visible. The mysterious air it gave him was almost overwhelming—he went from striking to genuinely intimidating.
But more than that, Seraphine felt her own spiritual sense slide off the mask's surface when she tried to probe it. Her formations were working perfectly.
"You're welcome," Seraphine said softly. "Just... be careful, Oldy—I mean, Nova."
"I will," he promised.
"I should go," Nova said. "And you probably have business with the Sect Leader."
"Right. Yes. I do."
They stood there for another moment, neither quite moving.
"It's good to see you well, Sera," Nova said finally. "You've grown even stronger. Mid Law comprehension at your age is extraordinary."
He noticed. How did he notice.
"Thank you," Seraphine said, trying to ignore how her heart was racing. "You... you seem different too. Not just your appearance. Something fundamental."
"Perhaps," Nova said cryptically. "Time changes everyone."
Then he was past her, walking toward the outer grounds with that same fluid grace.