The next morning, before dawn's first light, Li Hua stood in Elder Sun's study, posture perfect as always. Elder Fu sat beside the Vice Sect Master's desk, his expression giving no indication of their shared ordeal in the Forbidden Zone.
"Elder Sun, Elder Fu," Li Hua greeted formally, bowing. Inwardly, she wondered exactly what Elder Fu rembered of their expedition. When Mo Xing and she had followed the nine-tailed fox deeper into the ancient shrine, Elder Fu and the other disciples had still been unconscious from the attack.
"Disciple Li Hua," Elder Sun acknowledged with a slight nod. "I'm pleased to see you've returned safely. Elder Fu reports that you remained behind to investigate the anomalous entities. Were you able to discover anything more about their nature or origin?"
Li Hua maintained her composed expression, rembering that the fox had ntioned leaving a thread of consciousness within Elder Fu—enough to explain her extended absence without revealing too much information. "We encountered several more aberrations," she replied carefully, "but despite extensive observation, their origin remains unclear. They appear to absorb spiritual energy without converting it through any recognized cultivation pathway."
Of course, this was a calculated half-truth. She knew precisely what the entities were—dark matter manifestations from her first life—but had no legitimate way to explain such knowledge. In her original celestial existence, these 'dark matter' entities had road the outskirts of the Underworld, near the perable barriers separating the three primary realms.
As she maintained her composed report to the elders, a mory surfaced with unexpected clarity—she and Mo Xing sitting beneath the stars in the mortal realm, the only neutral territory where the Celestial Princess and Netherworld Emperor could et without violating heavenly decree.
"It's not about using them as weapons," Mo Xing had insisted, golden eyes reflecting starlight. "They need appropriate containnt. Left in the Human Realm, these dark matter entities would devour mortal essence without restraint or purpose. You know this."
The Princess she had been nodded, biting her lips in frustration. "I understand the danger they pose. But is there truly no way to grant them freedom? Must they be devoured or eternally confined?"
"My love," Mo Xing had said, his voice softening as he recognized her compassion, "if you could discover a thod to heal them, I would support it completely. I would rather see these fragnts restored or their essence reborn into proper form than confined to eternal imprisonnt." His golden eyes held genuine admiration for her persistent search for harmony, even while his pragmatic nature acknowledged the imdiate danger they posed.
"I'll continue researching in the Celestial Archives," she had promised, determination setting her delicate jaw.
The mory dissolved as Elder Sun's voice pulled her back to the present. "Your observations align with what Elder Fu reported. We'll dispatch several scouts to the Forbidden Zone to investigate further." The Vice Sect Leader made a notation on a jade slip before looking up. "Now, what else could I assist you with, Disciple Li Hua?"
Li Hua composed herself. "I wished to inquire about scheduling my monthly assessnt, Elder Sun. Given that I've been gone for two months, I have yet to complete one."
"Ah, yes! Let consult the schedule." Elder Sun reached for an ornate scroll case bearing the Beast Tar Sect's emblem. He carefully unraveled the parchnt. His finger traced along the ink until stopping in the middle. "In three days, during the afternoon, we have an assessnt session scheduled. It will be relatively small—just you and one other disciple. The location will be the Outer Sect training grounds."
Li Hua nodded thoughtfully. She wasn't intimately familiar with the outer sect layout, since she was an inner disciple. She would need to consult with her brother or perhaps review the sect's maps to prepare properly.
"Thank you, Elder Sun. I'll ensure I'm adequately prepared," she responded with appropriate deference.
Elder Fu, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, offered a slight nod of approval. "Your performance in the Forbidden Zone indicates you'll have little difficulty with the assessnt."
Li Hua nodded and then bowed respectfully to both elders.
With formal farewells exchanged, she exited the study.
Once she was out of the main hall, Li Hua decided to wander through the Beast Tar Sect's grounds. Though the compound was large by this world's standards, it couldn't compare to the sprawling celestial domains she was beginning to rember. Still, with fragnts of her first life now resurfacing, she found herself seeing the familiar surroundings through transford awareness—noticing details and patterns that she had previously overlooked.
There was unexpected beauty in this world—subtle harmonies and natural elegance she had never fully appreciated before. Despite the observant nature she had developed in her second life as an assassin, she had sohow missed the vibrant spiritual essence perating everything around her.
What had once seed mundane now revealed complex patterns of energy: the way morning dew amplified spiritual circulation in dicinal herbs, how spirit beasts' breathing synchronized with their bonded disciples, the natural formation arrays created by generations of practitioners walking the sa paths.
She made her way to the sect's agricultural fields where junior disciples learned to enhance food production through harmonized cultivation. Several young practitioners and their spirit beasts were already tending the plots, their movents creating ripples in the ambient spiritual energy. Finding a quiet spot beneath an ancient willow tree whose branches ford a natural cultivation array, Li Hua settled against its trunk, allowing her enhanced senses to experience the morning's subtle energies.
"Master, what are your plans now?" Little Firefly asked through their ntal connection.
Li Hua's fingers traced patterns in the soil beside her—unconsciously replicating celestial formations from her original existence. "Hmm, it seems I've already accomplished my imdiate goal of reaching the seventh rank. I no longer need to cultivate as intensively as before. I'll continue training, but perhaps five days a week instead of seven. I'll focus more on independent study and integration of these returning mories. At the assessnt, if I perform well, I'm hoping they'll reduce the evaluation frequency from monthly to biannual or even annual. That would provide more flexibility."
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