Mu Chen and Shen Xi moved together along the winding mountain path, the world behind them seemed to vanish into a sea of white, leaving only the two of them and the silent, ancient pines.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Purple Origin Cave, Mu Chen did not pull out the token; he simply kept walking and the barrier ahead parted to grant them passage.
The cave had hollowed out nearly the entire mountain, filling the interior with the concentrated spiritual energy of the peak itself.
Far above, the mountaintop had been naturally breached, allowing pillars of golden sunlight to filter through the mist in long, shifting columns that dissolved into dancing motes at the cave floor.
From the spring located deep within the cavernous space, dense spiritual energy flowed with such abundance that it formed a visible, roiling mist. It was a physical manifestation of richness, a place where the Qi of Heaven and Earth were so concentrated it felt nearly liquid.
Nibi, who had been resting comfortably in Shen Xi's arms, suddenly gathered herself and jumped down. Her paws made no sound as she began a meticulous survey of their new home.
Mu Chen and Shen Xi watched the dramatic cat selecting the largest, flattest stone near the spring. She turned in three tight circles on the stone's surface, testing its texture and warmth, before finally collapsing into a contented sprawl and closing her eyes.
"She approves," Shen Xi observed, a small, amused smile playing on her lips as she watched the golden cat.
"High praise indeed," Mu Chen agreed, his voice echoing softly against the cave walls.
Shen Xi turned her attention to the far corner of the cave, where an expansive herb garden had been laid out. It was a lush patch of earth, already planted with various exotic flowers and rare medicinal plants that thrived in the high-concentration environment.
"Mu Chen, I am very satisfied here," Shen Xi said, her eyes sweeping over the tranquil scene.
Unlike the cramped, multi-occupant buildings located on the outskirts of the mountain in the outer sect, it was not only remarkably spacious but also possessed a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere, entirely free from the constant bother of unwanted visitors or the prying eyes of the lesser disciples.
"This is perfect for us," Mu Chen said, stretching his limbs as he took in the quiet. "It was worth all the trouble."
Shen Xi moved toward the garden, picking up a wooden ladle to begin watering the newly planted seeds. As she moved between the rows of exotic flora, her expression softened into one of immense enjoyment.
Mu Chen watched her for a moment before reclining onto a large, comfortable bed.
"Shen Xi, why don't you simply use the Runes to condense the water for irrigation?" he asked curiously. "It would be much faster than doing it by hand."
Shen Xi didn't look up from her task, her movements steady and deliberate. "Just like you don't act until things become relevant enough to truly bother you, I feel the same about this. Using runes would be efficient, yes, but it would not be nearly as interesting or satisfactory as doing it myself."
"Makes sense," Mu Chen replied.
He glanced over at Nibi, who was already deep in sleep on her chosen rock. It seemed the cat had found her perfect place, and for the moment, the world outside the Purple Origin Cave ceased to exist.
...
The next morning, a disciple arrived outside the cave's entrance. Mu Chen stepped out to meet him.
"Brother Mu Chen," the disciple said. "I have brought your reward for achieving first place in the Mountain Selection Ceremony. You have been granted a place for the Marrow Baptism."
The disciple reached into a satchel and handed Mu Chen two distinct tokens. They were exquisite works of art, carved from a rare, heavy stone into the likeness of a giant, coiled dragon.
"As for the other token," the disciple continued, "it is intended for Shen Xi. It was granted specifically by the Spirit Rune Peak Master."
The Lord of a Summit possessed the authority to grant entry places for the Baptism of the Marrow outside of the scheduled rewards. Typically, only disciples who were highly favoured by a Peak Master received such a prestigious boon.
Mu Chen nodded, thanking the disciple for the trouble. He took the tokens and returned to the cool interior of the cave, finding Shen Xi near the spring.
He handed the token to her, leaving it entirely up to her to decide whether she wished to attend the Fountain Pond the next day.
"That sounds interesting," Shen Xi said, turning the intricately carved stone over in her palm. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity. "I've been a little bored lately, we can go."
She was a little surprised that the White-Browed Elder of the Spirit Rune Peak would grant her such a reward so soon, but she did not refuse the gesture.
Nibi, sensing the shift in energy, jumped down from her rock and squeezed in between them. She began batting at the token in Shen Xi's hand, her tails swishing excitedly. To anyone watching, it looked as if the cat was also eager to see what the baptism had to offer.
...
At dawn the next day, Mu Chen and Shen Xi emerged from the Purple Origin Cave, beginning their descent toward the lower mountain ranges.
As they moved through the paths frequented by other disciples, the reaction was immediate. They smoothed their robes and adjusted their expressions, desperately trying not to lose their composure or appear unrefined in the presence of such a striking beauty.
However, the mood soured when they encountered a group belonging to Lu Hong's faction. These disciples were less subtle, their gazes lingering with a blatant, disrespectful intensity that bordered on harassment.
Shen Xi, who had spent enough time around Mu Chen to adapt a bit of his decisive, no-nonsense nature, chose not to ignore the affront.
Without breaking her stride, she raised a hand and unleashed a lightning-fast Rune. Under a sudden, thunderous roar that echoed through the mountain pass, several of the Purple Belt disciples from Lu Hong's faction were instantly struck.
The sound of the blast was sharp, leaving the men charred on the outside, their expensive robes singed and their faces covered in a thick layer of black soot.
"What do you mean by this?!" a Purple Belt disciple named Yuan Hong shouted, his voice cracking as he frowned in outrage.
Although the lightning hadn't been powerful enough to cause serious internal injury, their current appearance was a devastating embarrassment. They stood there blackened and dishevelled, looking for all the world as if they had just spent a month mining coal.
"Watch your eyes," Shen Xi warned them, her voice cold and level. "This is just a warning. Next time, I will not be so lenient."
"You..." Yuan Hong started to retort, his face flushing beneath the soot. However, he suddenly remembered exactly who Shen Xi was—a genius favoured by a Summit Lord and a woman with the strength to match.
He wisely decided to remain silent, if he laid a hand on Shen Xi , not even Lu Hong could protect him.
"Yuan Hong, you truly deserve it!" a woman named Lu Yan shouted from a short distance away. She was a Purple Belt disciple from Lu Zong's lineage, and she clearly wasn't going to miss an opportunity to mock her rival.
She laughed openly, her eyes dancing as she took in their soot-stained faces. "Are all the disciples in your faction reincarnated perverts? It's no wonder you got a taste of lightning."
Yuan Hong's face darkened even further. He stamped his foot in frustration and signalled for his group to move on, leaving the mockery behind. Their main objective for the day was the Marrow Baptism, and there was no sense in starting a major feud before such an important event.
The Bone Marrow Baptism was a prestigious ritual performed once every two months, lasting for a duration of ten days.
As Mu Chen and Shen Xi approached the site, they saw between the massive mountain ranges flowed a river so vast it resembled a crashing ocean, its waters a deep, vibrant jade. The river wound through the stone like a coiled dragon.
When the water rushed over the falls with its immense power, the sound it produced was a long, deep, and ancient roar that felt as though a giant, primordial beast was exhaling.
"Junior Brother Mu Chen," said a Purple Belt disciple named Zhou Li, who belonged to Shen Xiao's lineage. He had approached them to act as a guide. "Our Sky Sect possesses a unique spiritual vein called the Source Dragon Vein. The reason why the spiritual energy of our sect is so majestic and abundant is because this Source Dragon Vein is suppressed directly beneath our foundations."
Mu Chen and Shen Xi nodded in understanding. This must have been the handiwork of Ancestor Tian Cang. Given that the man had been the master of the entire Sky Heaven, bending a dragon vein to his will would have been a relatively trivial task.
"It is here, in this Source Pool, that the Baptism of the Marrow takes place," Zhou Li explained, gesturing toward the vast and seemingly endless body of water that stretched before them. Although the sect officially referred to it as a pool, it possessed the depth and horizon of a small sea.
Zhou Li continued to explain the mechanics of the ritual. To obtain the fabled Dragon Primordial Marrow, it was necessary for the disciples to hunt down beasts formed entirely from the dragon's condensed Qi.
During the baptism itself, a phenomenon of intertwined dragon shadows would appear over the practitioner. The degree of the baptism's success was measured by these shadows, the lowest degree being the Baptism of One Dragon and the highest the Baptism of Nine Dragons.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for sharing this information," Mu Chen said, offering a polite nod.
Zhou Li waved his hand indifferently, a small smile appearing on his face. "It's no problem at all. It is my duty to guide my junior brothers."
Mu Chen smiled and nodded, his gaze turning toward the jade waters of the Source Dragon Vein.