Chapter 237: Chapter 165: Parting
“Shiming, come sit with me!” Elder Yin called out as he exited his cave abode, gesturing to Li Shiming.
His cave abode was not far from Elder Luo’s, both situated at the summit of Central Peak.
Master Luo’s ability to own a temporary cave abode at the summit of Central Peak in the Nine Peaks was partly due to the importance the Sky Sea Sect placed on him, and partly as a reward for the vital intelligence he had provided to the sect.
It was Master Luo who had provided accurate intelligence about the Beishu Mingxin Sect, allowing the Sky Sea Sect to make preparations in advance.
Li Shiming entered another cave abode, which resembled that of Master Luo’s but had more personal touches.
After all, this was a cave abode where Elder Yin had lived for many years, and some less important items were placed inside as decorations.
“Shiming, although you have Mr. Luo’s consent, you must still go to the Thousand Illusion Sect in Beishu by yourself,” Elder Yin slowly said after having Li Shiming sit down.
“How is that possible?” Li Shiming exclaimed in surprise.
He was well aware of the perils of Beihai; even Golden Core cultivators could not guarantee a safe passage across it.
The sea of Beihai was home to numerous Golden Core level sea beasts, and there were even rumors of Nascent Soul level sea beasts.
Even if he did not encounter Golden Core level sea beasts, dealing with lower-level sea beasts was no easy task.
In the oceans, some lower-level sea beasts were incredibly numerous and highly aggressive, to the extent that even much stronger sea beasts would avoid them.
For Li Shiming, a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, crossing Beihai was almost tantamount to suicide.
“Of course, I’m not asking you to forcefully breach Beihai. Every three years, Beishu Trading Company facilitates a resource exchange with the seven sects. It’s been about half a year, so Beishu Trading Company should be arriving soon. You can take their Flying Boat to Beishu, I will arrange it,” Elder Yin explained with a smile.
In fact, Sky Sea Island, home to the seven sects, was geographically part of Beishu as well, though quite distant from Beishu Continent.
But the geographical location of Sky Sea Island also gave rise to special resources. Being the largest trading company in Beishu, Beishu Trading Company naturally harvested these resources regularly.
Beishu Trading Company, Li Shiming did not expect to hear this name so soon. He had just received a bank card, or rather, a jade token from the trading company.
As Li Shiming left Elder Yin’s cave, he saw a familiar silhouette.
“Lan’er!” Li Shiming called out softly.
Yin Shilan walked quietly to his side, her eyes filled with reluctance.
She had learned from her teacher that Li Shiming had qualified to join the Thousand Illusion Sect, and for this, she had promised to immediately go with her teacher to Beishu.
She understood that it was for her sake that her teacher had stayed at the Sky Sea Sect. With her teacher’s aversion to trouble, if not for her willfulness, they would never have stayed.
Both for the promise and for her teacher, she had to leave with her teacher.
“I will come to find you!” Li Shiming’s heart was equally filled with reluctance, and he said with a forced smile.
“I’ll wait for you!” Yin Shilan’s voice was soft yet incredibly firm.
The two didn’t fly, instead slowly walking on the mountain path of Central Peak, enjoying the rare moments of solitude before parting.
“Lan’er, this is for you!” As time rushed towards their separation, Li Shiming took out a scroll he had drawn and handed it to Yin Shilan.
“I have drawn one for you too!” A smile came into Yin Shilan’s eyes, her spiritual connection with him easing the sorrow of parting.
Yin Shilan accepted the scroll and also took out a scroll from her own collection to gently place in Li Shiming’s hands.
Li Shiming soared into the air, transforming into a streak of sword light and disappearing into the distance.
Yin Shilan’s gaze followed the figure of Li Shiming until he was out of sight, then she reluctantly withdrew her eyes and unfolded the scroll in her hands.
A painting that was completely different from this world’s style appeared before her, making her eyes widen in disbelief as she gazed at the scene depicted on the scroll.
On the scroll was the scene of their first meeting: she stood on the Flying Boat as a ray of light pierced through the dark clouds and shone down on her.
This beautiful moment, a precious memory in Li Shiming’s mind, was captured on the scroll.
What most astonished Yin Shilan was the style of the painting because the image was so realistic, as if the view Li Shiming had seen that day had been solidified.
The moment of their encounter was recorded by Li Shiming on an IBMz15, and he had created a color printer to print the scene in the highest clarity possible from the data stored on the IBMz15.
The emerald boat drives through misty rain, a crane cries as the young man controls his sword under an umbrella.
Reflected light from Jade Peaks illuminates her radiant face, envying only the paired mandarin ducks, not the immortals.” a poem in the bottom right corner depicted the scene on the scroll, causing Yin Shilan to blush, recalling the embarrassing moments of that day.
Back at Eagle Beak Island, Li Shiming opened the scroll given by Yin Shilan. It was in the typical ink wash painting style, depicting a scene of a youth dancing with his sword in the rain, also from the day they first met.
However, this was how Yin Shilan had seen Li Shiming at that time, a young man swinging his sword across the sky, blocking the endless rain.
Li Shiming treasured the scroll, storing it in his mechanical room space, in a box containing important items.
Two days later, Master Luo took Yin Shilan and left the Sky Sea Sect, and Li Shiming had no chance to say goodbye.
He opened the map he had received from Golden Core Sword Cultivator Yun Xingyi. The map only showed the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of Beishu, but he knew very well that beyond those mountains lay the Thousand Illusion Sect.