Black Vortex

After entering his bedroom and sitting shirtless on the bed, Xǔ Tiānlí followed Mù Qīngyǔ’s instructions, beginning to attempt the so-called “Qi Accumulation Art.”

‘Seriously, could there really be a spell ordinary people could use?’ he wondered.

‘And could practicing it truly awaken one into a Spirit Wielder?’

Having lived for so many years, this was the first Xǔ Tiānlí had ever heard of such a thing.

He couldn’t help but think, ‘I couldn’t possibly be getting scammed, could I…’

‘No, that’s not right,’ he immediately corrected himself.

‘Master is, after all, an expert who has lived in seclusion for many years.’

‘She definitely has her own unique methods.’

At the very least, her age couldn’t be as it appeared, under twenty-five.

He mused, ‘Perhaps she has already lived for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.’

Dismissing the doubts in his mind, Xǔ Tiānlí closed his eyes and began to enter a meditative state.

His master had told him to use his imagination, to visualize himself walking upon the spiritual imprints that had yet to awaken.

The image that surfaced in Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind was…

Mù Qīngyǔ, sitting on the sofa in the same posture, her ample chest barely contained by a small blue bra, rising and falling slightly with each breath.

‘No, what am I thinking?!’

Xǔ Tiānlí abruptly opened his eyes, rubbing his temples as he banished the distracting thoughts.

‘What in the world is happening?’ he chastised himself.

‘How could I be thinking such things at a time like this?’

‘Even if Master truly is that beautiful, her actual age might be…’

‘Calm down, calm down!’

Xǔ Tiānlí composed himself and closed his eyes once more.

This time, the image that appeared in his mind was no longer Mù Qīngyǔ in just a bra, but rather…

Mù Qīngyǔ in the back mountain, having just emerged from the small pond, water droplets glistening on her fair skin…

‘Damn it!’

Xǔ Tiānlí slapped himself twice across the face.

‘This isn’t right,’ he thought, ‘why is it getting even more exaggerated?’

‘Could it be that I really won’t succeed all night, leaving Master to wait in vain?’

‘No, absolutely not.’

‘The first lesson cannot end like this, no matter what.’

Xǔ Tiānlí readjusted his state, closed his eyes, and his breathing became steady.

This time, a fleeting image appeared in his mind: the scene where Mù Qīngyǔ’s forehead had rested against his.

Although he still felt that her talk of unblocking his meridians was merely comforting, her gentle actions and words had indeed stirred a ripple in his heart.

Xǔ Tiānlí did not want to disappoint her.

He followed the instructions of the Qi Accumulation Art step by step.

Then, this time, he vaguely sensed it—a shimmering, golden path, though ethereal, lay beneath his feet.

‘So that’s it!’

‘Master, I’ve understood again!’

In the blink of an eye, Xǔ Tiānlí found himself walking on that golden path.

These paths intertwined like the roots of a tree.

Xǔ Tiānlí quickly realized these were his own spiritual imprints.

Although they only emitted a murky glow, it at least proved that he, Xǔ Tiānlí, could truly become a Spirit Wielder!

Unlike what he had seen on Mù Qīngyǔ, Xǔ Tiānlí’s spiritual imprints emitted only a faint light, and walking upon them, he could feel a rough, uneven texture.

It was as if they had been ravaged, barely clinging to life.

‘No wonder Master wanted me to practice this Qi Accumulation Art,’ he mused.

‘She wants to tell me that I’m not completely useless.’

As he reached the end of all the golden paths, Xǔ Tiānlí saw a black shadow appear at the culmination.

It resembled a black bird perched within a golden nest.

‘What is that?’

‘A crow?’

‘Or a swallow?’

Xǔ Tiānlí attempted to reach out and touch it, but he was blocked by an invisible barrier.

This was like a wall, seemingly insurmountable, yet somehow appearing as if it could be easily crossed.

As long as he could surmount this wall, Xǔ Tiānlí would be able to transcend the boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary, truly taking the first step on the path to becoming stronger.

But just then, the perched black bird suddenly opened its eyes, its crimson gaze fixed intently on Xǔ Tiānlí.

In the real world, the red mark on Xǔ Tiānlí’s forehead reappeared, and the external environment also underwent a transformation.

At first, it was merely a subtle current of air, but before long, this airflow grew fierce and turbulent.

Eventually, gales swept through the entire street, carrying countless debris, and above Xǔ Tiānlí’s residence, they converged into a vortex shimmering with dark red lightning.

Meanwhile, Mù Qīngyǔ, having figured out how to use the shower in Xǔ Tiānlí’s house, was already soaking in a bathtub full of water, her cheeks flushed with a comfortable warmth.

‘After all, it was Xǔ Tiānlí who soiled my body,’ she thought.

‘So it’s perfectly fine to use his water to wash up.’

‘After I finish bathing, I’ll go tease Xǔ Tiānlí with this damp body.’

‘His guilt towards me will deepen, and he’ll treat me better and better…’

‘Ha, just thinking about it is amusing.’

Boom!

“Is a torrential downpour coming?”

Outside, beyond Mù Qīngyǔ’s full view, the vortex covered the entire street.

The clouds pulsed with dark red lightning, and a heavy rain poured down.

Strangely, while the scene within the vortex seemed to be experiencing a natural disaster, the streets outside were pristine, as if separated into two distinct worlds.

“What in the world is this?”

“It can’t be an ordinary thunderstorm, can it?”

On the outer edge of the vortex area, two people stood, exchanging bewildered glances.

Both wore badges bearing the Heaven’s Will Bureau insignia, identifying them as patrols from the bureau.

As Mù Qīngyǔ and Xǔ Tiānlí descended the mountain, these two had ascended Wufeng City’s back mountain under the moonlight, unknowingly brushing past them.

Initially, they had been dispatched by their superiors to investigate after an observer spotted a towering red light on the back mountain, along with the significant spiritual energy it contained.

They had expected to find a Spirit Wielder making a grand display of their presence.

After much searching, they hadn’t found any person, but instead discovered the remains of an otherworldly demon.

This was no small matter.

Wufeng City had enjoyed peace for a long time; this was the first sighting of an otherworldly demon in nearly a decade.

Otherworldly demons, like Spirit Wielders, had existed alongside humanity since the dawn of history.

No one knew their origin, only that they were inexhaustible and unceasing, pouring forth like a tide from otherworldly gates that could appear anywhere.

Even though only a head remained, such a discovery was enough to alarm their superiors.

After reporting their findings, they hastily descended the mountain, intending to return to their branch to discuss the discovered otherworldly demon’s head in detail.

Then, they saw a massive black vortex swirling above a nearby street.

Orders had already been issued from above: they were to protect themselves while investigating this black vortex.

“Old Liu, why do you think they don’t let the external agencies handle this kind of thing, but send us, the official employees?”

“You ask me, who should I ask?”

“Our superiors clearly take this anomaly very seriously.”

“Take it easy, Old Cui.”

“Do you think it could be that so-called reclusive expert who made a move and helped us eliminate this otherworldly demon?” Old Cui quipped.

“You’ve been reading too many novels,” Old Liu retorted, rolling his eyes.

“Everyone knows that’s just a fairy tale for kids.”

“Ah, haha.”

As they spoke, new intelligence arrived from their superiors, confirming that the anomaly was not caused by an otherworldly demon, but by spiritual power.

The building at the center of the vortex was a residence.

Looking at the map sent from above, Old Cui couldn’t help but frown.

“Hiss, I know the person who lives here.”

“It’s Xǔ Tiānlí.”

“Xǔ Tiānlí?” Old Liu paused.

“That name sounds familiar.”

“He’s the new recruit who just reported today.”

“A lot of people have been talking about him lately because his talent was too abysmal, and the Young Lady of the Four Sacred Courts publicly broke off their arranged marriage,” Old Cui clicked his tongue.

“I have a good relationship with his father; he’s a decent young man.”

“Now I remember.”

“Could this be his doing?”

“You might say Old Xu had a big outburst, but Xǔ Tiānlí… to put it bluntly, he’s probably going to remain mediocre his entire life.”

‘That kid couldn’t have gotten into trouble, could he?’ Old Cui frowned.

At that very moment, the vortex suddenly dissipated at an astonishing speed.

All the wind, rain, and lightning vanished, and the street returned to tranquility.

Were it not for the lingering traces of the heavy rain, one might even doubt whether the earlier phenomenon was merely an illusion.

“Let’s go.”

“Our superiors said they can no longer detect any spiritual power.”

“It’s likely that Spirit Wielder has fled.”

“Old Liu, you head back first.”

“I’m going to visit an old friend.”

“Alright, be careful.”

Bidding farewell to his colleague, Old Cui stepped into the street that had previously been inaccessible, heading directly to the location at the center of the vortex—Xǔ Tiānlí’s home.

Just as he hesitated whether to approach, the door opened by itself.

‘Is Xǔ Tiānlí coming out?’

However, what he saw was an unfamiliar woman.

She stood at the doorway, her golden eyes calmly observing him.

‘It’s not Xǔ Tiānlí?’ Old Cui was bewildered.