"Hoo—"
"Hoo—"
On the soft sand, two figures lay sprawled on their backs, their chests heaving rapidly, gasping for breath.
Not far from them, a woman in a fine, soft cloth dress sat barefoot on a reef, idly swaying a slender wooden stick, her demeanor composed.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, one figure finally rose from the sand. Staggering, he walked to the sea and plunged headfirst into the water, letting his body drift with the waves.
A faint smile touched the woman's lips, as if finding the scene quite amusing.
Another hour passed before the other figure on the sand managed to prop himself up.
He tried to stand, failing several times. In the end, he gave up and lay back down.
He turned his head to look at the figure in the sea, his eyes filled with a dazed expression.
He never would have imagined that this would be the scene when he met that man again.
Bei Xinghan's mind replayed the events of a month ago, still as vivid as ever.
At that time, driven by some impulse, he had requested his master’s permission to enter the sect’s secret realm. Naturally, his request was met with opposition.
However, he was no longer listening to his master and chose to act on his own. He used his identity and the trust the elder guarding the secret realm had in him to sneak in.
The secret realm he entered bore a majestic name: the Wave-Slaying Secret Realm.
Its name originated from the realm's original owner, True Master Bantian.
True Master Bantian was a Mahayana cultivator renowned for his swordplay in the Xuanqing Sect. He created the sword technique Wave-Slaying Art, which shook the world.
Coupled with the fact that the secret realm contained mountains and seas, it was thus named the Wave-Slaying Secret Realm.
Years ago, True Master Canghai had intended to comprehend True Master Bantian's sword intent within the Wave-Slaying Secret Realm to break through, but he never returned.
After True Master Canghai's disappearance, the Xuanqing Sect dispatched a large number of disciples and elders to search for him, but they were unable to find any trace of him.
When Bei Xinghan stepped into the secret realm, he held little hope.
He simply did not want to be left with any regrets.
As expected, after entering the secret realm, he found no clues for several consecutive days.
The obsession in his heart gradually faded.
He could say with certainty that if he found nothing in the next month, he would choose to give up.
But then, a turning point arrived. He inexplicably found himself in a space that did not belong to the secret realm.
There, he saw his father, True Master Canghai, who had been missing for many years.
And also a terrifying woman.
Bei Xinghan's mind conjured up True Master Canghai's shocked and bewildered expression when he saw him.
He saw his own helplessness mirrored in his father's eyes.
They looked at each other in silence, the quiet stretching for a long time. Finally, it was the woman who broke the peculiar atmosphere.
Only then did Bei Xinghan learn that this seemingly harmless woman was actually the true owner of the Wave-Slaying Secret Realm, True Master Bantian.
To be honest, Bei Xinghan initially found it difficult to reconcile the name True Master Bantian with the beautiful woman before him.
After all, they seemed like two completely unrelated beings.
But later, Bei Xinghan understood how superficial his thoughts were.
Describing this woman as "Bantian" (overthrowing the heavens) was truly fitting.
Perhaps it was Bei Xinghan's intense resentment that caused True Master Bantian to suddenly turn her gaze towards him and say gently, "What? Can't handle this much intensity yet? It seems I really overestimated you."
Bei Xinghan's face stiffened. Gritting his teeth, he once again gathered his strength and got up from the sand, hobbling towards the sea.
As the chilling seawater submerged his head, Bei Xinghan's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.
This independent space was peculiar. It was unclear what power sustained it, as there was no spiritual energy present.
Every time he was exhausted, he could only rely on the unknown power within the seawater to mend his fatigued body.
Bei Xinghan relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and felt the invigorating sensation of his strength slowly returning. His thoughts drifted once more.
He had fulfilled his wish, finding the missing True Master Canghai. Yet, now he faced an even greater challenge.
That was how to defeat True Master Bantian and escape this independent space.
Speaking of this, one must talk about True Master Bantian.
It turned out that True Master Bantian was naturally free-spirited and disliked being constrained. Therefore, she had never considered taking disciples, let alone seeking a partner or starting a family.
However, sometimes a change of thought can happen in an instant.
As True Master Bantian’s birthday approached, she suddenly felt that taking a disciple might not be a bad idea.
However, by then, her time was running out, and she would not be able to meticulously guide a disciple.
Since she intended to take a disciple, she would never do it carelessly.
Thus, she racked her brains and came up with a brilliant idea.
True Master Bantian carved out a separate cave dwelling within her secret realm as a place of inheritance.
As long as a qualified disciple entered the secret realm, they would be screened by the cave dwelling and subsequently teleported inside.
Then, upon passing the trial, the disciple would inherit her legacy and learn her swordsmanship.
True Master Bantian believed her plan was foolproof, but she overlooked one point: she had no experience in teaching disciples, and the trials she set were as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Therefore, the first inheritor, True Master Canghai, after entering the secret realm, was teleported to the cave dwelling and became trapped within, unable to escape.
It wasn't until the second qualified disciple, Bei Xinghan, entered the secret realm and was also brought into the cave dwelling that the father and son finally met.
Bei Xinghan was actually not dissatisfied with the current situation.
Both reuniting with True Master Canghai and undergoing trials from a sword dao master were good things for him.
The only thing that worried him was his unexplained disappearance, which would undoubtedly cause unrest throughout the Xuanqing Sect, and his master and friends would worry about his safety.
Imposing labor upon elders and effort upon fellow disciples, Bei Xinghan felt remorse.
He had been giving his all during this period, hoping to pass the trial as soon as possible.
However, the outcome...
Even True Master Canghai, known as the Emotionless Sword, who had spent a hundred years without passing the trial, could he succeed within a century?
Bei Xinghan's expression grew increasingly bitter.
Bei Xinghan closed his eyes, contemplating a way to escape. He did not notice True Master Canghai glance in his direction from nearby.
What was True Master Canghai thinking at this moment?
He himself could not say.
He and Bei Xinghan had been living together for nearly twenty days.
Yet, they had not exchanged a single word.
It wasn't that he was cold and heartless, but rather that he didn't know how to begin the conversation.
The moment True Master Canghai saw Bei Xinghan, he recognized his identity.
The resonance from their bloodline was impossible to ignore, and he had once sealed his Emotionless Sword Qi within Bei Xinghan's body. That peculiar sense of connection was something he would never forget, no matter how much time had passed.
His feelings upon recognizing Bei Xinghan's identity were the same as his current ones.
So complex that he himself could not distinguish them.
He let out a soft sigh, turned his back, and chose to evade the issue.