Chapter 70: Conviction

In the small city to the south of the Luoxing Realm, Hansu was meeting with Li Laoda's friends. Far away to the north, another female cultivator was also striving forward for the future she envisioned.

It was October, and the cold wind cut like a blade. Ominous black clouds pressed low over the land. On the northwestern shore of the Luoxing Realm, where it nearly bordered the Shiyu Realm, the sea was perilous, whipped by violent winds and waves. From a distance, the sky and sea merged into one brooding expanse of darkness. Roaring waves crashed against jagged rocks on the shore, ink-black and wild. Suddenly, a human figure seemed to be flung by a wave onto the rocks, breaking apart with a puppet-like crack.

When the next wave receded, something like the glint of cold stars flashed in the water—a pair of eyes, bright and chilling. Countless waves surged and fell, and the owner of those eyes drew ever closer to the shore, her face and figure slowly becoming discernible through the spray.

A thunderclap seemed to split the sky, lightning flickered through the clouds, illuminating her face. Her hair was disheveled, grief etched deep between her brows. Clutched tightly in her hand was a man's long robe—the very garment left behind by the shattered corpse on the rocks moments before.

She was steeped in sorrow, staggering as she crawled towards the shore. In such ferocious wind and waves, every step, every movement, was a struggle. Her grip was so tight that veins bulged on her hands, her body covered in wounds, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Though only a few feet from the shore, the journey seemed endless. Yet as she moved, the sorrow in her eyes slowly gave way to confusion, then to a desperate struggle, and finally to a blade-like resolve.

Clearly, she had made a silent, unbreakable decision. Dragging herself onto the rocks, she finally collapsed, unable to go any farther.

The long, cold night gradually faded. The clouds thinned, dawn spilled swiftly over the land—the sky brightened.

Was it an illusion? The figure on the rocks suddenly stirred.

After a long while, she seemed to awaken from exhaustion, slowly pushing herself upright, still clutching the robe. She rose to her feet. The sun leapt from the sea, gilding her face with golden light. Had someone from the Yaohua Sect been present, they would have been shocked—for this was Su Yunmo, who should have been locked away in the Penitence Cavern!

The Penitence Cavern of the Yaohua Sect had always been a place of confinement for disciples who erred. Built into a cliff in the northeast of the sect’s territory, it consisted of nine levels, each with unique qualities: some chaotic with the five elements, some utterly devoid of spiritual energy. The sect’s enforcement peak would assign cells based on the disciple’s offense, innate attributes, and cultivation.

At that time, Su Yunmo was placed on the second level. Because of her special status, her own father was the one who brought her there. Daoist Master Tu Zhan’s purpose for imprisoning her was merely to give her time to reflect, even hoping she might improve through seclusion. Thus, her cell was chosen with great care.

Su Yunmo possessed a single water spiritual root and exceptional talent. The water cell would have been ideal for her cultivation, but Daoist Master Tu Zhan, fearing she might try to flee, worried that in such favorable conditions she might find an opportunity to escape.

After much deliberation, he ordered her confined in the metal cell. Though metal generates water, the water produced is minimal. The metal cell, wrapped in layers of unyielding metal, would both aid her cultivation and ensure her confinement—a perfect balance.

Unfortunately, he never imagined his daughter had a talent for merging with metal.

In her previous life, Su Yunmo had known only the exuberance of youth, chasing after men and caring little for her mother’s skill at crafting magical tools. Even in this life, she had not studied it; no one knew she possessed this craft.

After the deaths of Daoist Master Tu Zhan and Daoist Master Miaozhen, disaster befell the sect. Many of its leaders perished for various reasons, and Immortal Lu Tan was made acting sect leader. Su Yunmo lost all her support; even as a Golden Core cultivator, the offerings and resources she received dwindled. Fortunately, her mother’s disciple supported her by earning spirit stones through crafting. Eventually, pride had to yield, and Su Yunmo learned the craft from a junior fellow disciple, aided by secret techniques her mother had entrusted to her. Gradually, she was able to support her cultivation through her own labor. What followed was best left unspoken, but that period of hardship gave her a vital skill.

After her rebirth, unwilling to dwell on the past, she never displayed her tool-crafting abilities in front of others. Not even Daoist Master Miaozhen knew how much her daughter had inherited, nor that, despite her single water root, she could wield the art of fusing metal with such mastery.

At first, when confined, Su Yunmo did nothing but weep. One day, she received a secret letter from Hansu, just four characters: “All is well, do not worry.” Uniquely, it was written in the hand of her beloved Lin Tai.

With that, she found her faith again. She devoted herself to cultivation, diligent and focused. The guards, observing her new attitude, reported to Daoist Master Tu Zhan, who believed his daughter had finally come to her senses and ordered the guards withdrawn, not wishing her to be watched constantly. The metal cell, wrapped in layer upon layer of wards, seemed secure, so he let the matter rest.

Once she was certain all was calm, Su Yunmo began quietly unravelling the cell’s bindings with the metal-fusing skill from her past life. Driven by the conviction those four words gave her, she worked patiently and cautiously for ten years, unnoticed. In that decade, her cultivation soared to the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment.

At last, one night, she succeeded in digging an escape tunnel!

It so happened a celebration was underway in the sect; most guards were absent, giving her the chance to flee. In her past life, she had suffered the bitterness of poverty, so in this life she always kept ample spirit stones, pills, and magic tools on hand—these now saved her. Daoist Master Tu Zhan had not confiscated her possessions, so she was able to rush west to the small mining camp where Lin Tai had been exiled.

Flying by sword day and night, she finally arrived after several days. The reality was even more dreadful than she had imagined. The camp was remote and dilapidated, bordering the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts. She lay in wait for two days, seizing the moment when the strongest guard left to drive away a monster, and sneaked inside to find Lin Tai.

When Lin Tai had been sent here, he was already a Golden Core cultivator, yet the highest-ranking guard was only at the early Golden Core stage. To prevent his escape, Daoist Master Tu Zhan had sealed his cultivation, allowing him only enough spiritual energy to mine.

A Golden Core cultivator forced to mine alongside errant, lowly disciples—one could imagine the scorn and ridicule he endured. When Su Yunmo found him, he seemed barely alive, a soulless shell who knew only how to dig.

Even when she stood before him, weeping with joy, he merely looked at her blankly and continued digging. Though Su Yunmo’s heart ached, she retained enough clarity to lead him away.

Lin Tai struggled briefly but soon followed her obediently. She led him on a twisting journey toward the Shiyu Realm by way of the Western Sea. In her previous life, she had befriended someone there, generous and bold; seeking refuge with him might offer a slim hope of survival.

But the sea was wild and dangerous, teeming with fierce monsters. Near the shore, whirlpools lurked, ready to drag the unwary to the depths. Even Golden Core cultivators had to be vigilant to survive.

But Su Yunmo had no choice. She had escaped the Penitence Cavern, and now Lin Tai too. The sect would surely discover their absence and send pursuers. If she did not risk the sea, they would be caught before long, and not only would Lin Tai be doomed, but she as well...

Without time to hesitate, she affixed defensive talismans to them both and hurried into the sea. For a month, they drifted, battling monsters and hazards, until at last they reached the border between the Shiyu and Luoxing Realms.

Throughout, Lin Tai remained vacant, moving only when she instructed him. Even in mortal danger, he never acted to save her. Su Yunmo protected him with all her strength, her heart heavy with pain at his condition.

But at last, the shore was within reach. Then, disaster struck. For a whole month, by some miracle, they had avoided undercurrents and whirlpools—only to encounter one now, just as they neared safety.

They exhausted every defense, but were still dragged under. The pressure and relentless spinning rendered her unconscious, and when she awoke, they had been cast a great distance by the waves, flung onto the shore. Before the might of nature, even cultivators were powerless. As the waves crashed in, she lost her grip on Lin Tai’s hand. Like a broken puppet, he was dashed and shattered upon the rocks.

At first, her grief was suffocating. But then confusion crept in. Lin Tai—was he ever truly alive? Smashed against the rocks, his body did not resemble that of a living man. Remembering his previous behavior, and those four words, she was left bewildered.

In both her past and present life, each time she believed her hardships over, when hope finally seemed to dawn, fresh calamity would arrive. These repeated trials slowly transformed her. She would live on, strive to uncover the truth behind Lin Tai. She would no longer fear inner demons, nor shrink back—she would have her vengeance on Immortal Lu Tan!

With the rising sun, her resolve was reborn. Su Yunmo tucked Lin Tai’s robe away and strode firmly toward the Shiyu Realm. Before she could claim her strength, she would first need to hide and bide her time in safety.