Chapter 549: Fang Fu’s Surprise
The transport plane flew steadily over the Northern Lands.
Outside the porthole were endless snowfields and glaciers, reflecting a blinding white light under the July sun.
Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.
In his sea of consciousness, the dark golden great marsh slowly breathed. Each contraction and expansion carried an increasingly harmonious rhythm.
The cultivation memories of the Returning Ruins Seal and Water Drop flowed through his consciousness, corroborating one another, yet each extending along different paths.
Seven hours later, the transport plane began its descent.
The outline of Frostfall Airport appeared in view. Compared to when he had left more than half a month ago, the snow around the airport seemed a bit thinner, but the chill was still biting.
When the cabin door opened, a familiar, crisp, cold air rushed in.
Xu Wuyi walked down the gangway, carrying his backpack. His black Martial Arts Uniform remained perfectly still in the frigid wind, his Qi and Blood circulating naturally to keep the cold three inches away from his body.
Chen Zhang was already waiting by the tarmac.
"Martial Artist Xu, you must be tired from the journey." He stepped forward with a smile. "The car is ready. Shall we head directly to the Cold Pool Villa?"
"Yes." Xu Wuyi nodded. "Grandmaster Liang said she’ll be free tomorrow morning. I’m heading over in advance to stay nearby for the night."
"Alright."
The two boarded a hovercar and drove away from the airport.
This time, they headed in a different direction than they had toward Black Stone Academy, moving toward a more remote mountainous region of the Northern Lands.
Along the way, the population gradually thinned, and buildings were replaced by vast forests of snow-covered pines and exposed, grayish-black rock formations.
"The Cold Pool Villa is located deep within the ’Silent Snow Mountains.’ There’s a cold pool there that never freezes, and it’s the heritage site for the Static Water Flowing Deep lineage."
Chen Zhang explained.
"Grandmaster Liang spends more than half the year in seclusion there. Aside from a few disciples and old friends, she rarely sees outsiders."
"Her agreeing to meet you this time is partly out of respect for Senior Flame Venerable, and partly because..." He paused. "It’s also because your Heart Image does indeed share some commonalities with the Static Water Flowing Deep lineage."
Xu Wuyi nodded slightly as he watched the snowy landscape rush past the window.
After meeting a few times, Chen Zhang was no longer as cautious as he had been initially and took the initiative to discuss more in-depth topics.
As a Senior Steward of the Sky Tower, he clearly had deep connections with the Static Water Flowing Deep lineage.
The hovercar drove along the mountain road for about an hour and a half before finally stopping at the entrance to a valley.
At the mouth of the valley stood a green stone stele, twice the height of a man, engraved with four large, ancient words: Static Water Flowing Deep.
The calligraphy was as gentle as water ripples, yet it exuded a bottomless tranquility.
"The car can only go this far." Chen Zhang pushed the door open and got out. "There’s an artificial magnetic field inside the villa grounds, so hovercars can’t enter. We’ll have to walk from here. It’s about another kilometer."
Xu Wuyi picked up his backpack and stepped onto the stone stairs at the valley entrance.
The stone steps wound upward, flanked by dense snow-covered pines with branches weighed down by thick snow. The air was exceptionally fresh, carrying the unique, cold fragrance of pine needles and ice.
After about a ten-minute walk, the path ahead suddenly opened up.
A wide, open valley appeared before them.
In the center of the valley, a deep pool about a hundred meters in diameter spread out like a mirror. The water was an inky blue, clear yet bottomless.
The surface of the pool wasn’t frozen, nor did it have the slightest ripple, resembling a massive, blue-black gemstone.
A few simple wooden cabins were scattered around the pool’s edge, their eaves covered in white snow, blending seamlessly with the surroundings.
A woman in a pale blue robe stood by the side of the pool, her back to them.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around.
It was Fang Fu.
"Martial Artist Xu, Steward Chen." Fang Fu nodded slightly. "Master is already waiting for you."
Chen Zhang quickly bowed. "Instructor Fang, we’re imposing."
"It’s no trouble." Fang Fu’s gaze fell on Xu Wuyi, and a flicker of barely perceptible surprise crossed her eyes. "It’s been just over half a month, and your aura, Martial Artist Xu... has grown even more profound."
"I’ve made some slight progress," Xu Wuyi said.
Fang Fu didn’t press further and turned to lead the way. "Please, follow me."
The three of them followed a small path along the edge of the pool toward the furthest wooden cabin.
The cabin was slightly larger than the others. A few strings of wind chimes hung from the eaves, tinkling crisply in the cold wind.
Fang Fu stopped at the door and said respectfully, "Master, Martial Artist Xu has arrived."
"Come in," a calm female voice called from inside.
The voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear and carried a strange Penetration Power, as if it could reach directly into one’s heart.
Fang Fu pushed the door open and stepped aside, gesturing for Xu Wuyi to enter.
Xu Wuyi stepped inside.
The interior of the cabin was more spacious than he had imagined, and the furnishings were extremely simple.
Against the wall was a row of bookshelves neatly stacked with ancient books and scrolls.
A dark gray rug was spread in the center of the room, with three cattail cushions placed on it.
A woman was kneeling before a low table by the window, holding a fine-tipped brush and writing slowly on rice paper.
She looked to be no more than in her early thirties, with delicate features and a scholarly air about her. But what was most striking were her eyes.
Calm and profound, as if they could contain everything, yet also hold nothing at all.
Just like the cold pool outside the window.
Xu Wuyi took a step forward, bowed, and said, "This junior, Xu Wuyi, pays his respects to Grandmaster Liang."
He knew that although Grandmaster Liang Sixian looked young, she was actually over fifty years old—older than his own parents—and held an extremely high seniority.
Liang Sixian didn’t respond immediately. She finished her last stroke, set down the fine-tipped brush, and then looked up.
Her gaze fell on Xu Wuyi, calmly studying him for a few seconds.
"Sit." She pointed to the cushion opposite her.
Xu Wuyi sat down as instructed, while Fang Fu quietly moved to the side and stood in attendance.
Chen Zhang tactfully remained outside to wait.
"I’ve read Senior Flame Venerable’s letter," Liang Sixian said, her voice still calm.
"He said your Heart Image is ’Heavy Water,’ possessing the dual characteristics of ’heaviness’ and ’yin-like softness,’ which shares common ground with our ’Static Water.’"
"Yes," Xu Wuyi nodded. "This junior has encountered some confusion in my Cultivation and came specifically to seek your guidance, Senior."
Liang Sixian nodded slightly. "Show me your Heart Image."
No unnecessary pleasantries, just straight to the point.
Xu Wuyi didn’t stand on ceremony either and closed his eyes.
In his sea of consciousness, the dark golden great marsh rippled slowly.
He didn’t fully manifest his Heart Image, only releasing a sliver of the Mental Realm of ’heaviness’ and ’breathing.’
The air within a three-meter radius around him suddenly grew viscous. The rug beneath his cushion sank slightly, and the wooden floor of the cabin let out a faint groan.
But this time was different from before.
The Mental Realm of ’heaviness’ wasn’t static. Instead, it slowly contracted and expanded in time with some grand rhythm.
When it contracted, the air seemed to be squeezed inward by an invisible hand.
When it expanded, it returned to normal.
This contraction and release was like the breathing of a living being.
Standing to the side, Fang Fu’s eyes flashed with clear astonishment.
’She remembered that just over half a month ago, although Xu Wuyi’s Heavy Water aspect had a sense of flow, it was more of an artificially induced ’movement’.’
’And this ’movement’ wasn’t ’motion’ or ’flow’ in the ordinary sense; it was as if it had gained life of its own.’
’You call this ’a combination of motion and stillness’?’