Ren Mi · Chat

Above a sea of clouds stretching ten thousand li, several colossal flying boats tore through the air, streaks of multicolored spiritual light slashing across the sky like roaming dragons. At the prow of the Mingqing Sword Sect's flying boat, Xie Yi was sprawled across the carved railing with his legs crossed, utterly devoid of dignity. His vermilion cross-collared immortal robes snapped loudly in the fierce wind, while the gold-set red-stone waist ornaments and the bells on his wrist guards clashed together in a crisp, intricate jingle. He had a stalk of spirit grass—pilfered from who knew where—clamped between his lips, and was idly tossing a freshly knitted snow-fox fur ball in his hand, radiating lazy nonchalance. Flying alongside, no more than ten-odd zhang away, was the Azurewood Flying Boat of the Rongxi Sect. On the opposite deck, several Rongxi Sect disciples were glaring fixedly at Xie Yi, their eyes practically hurling daggers. "Peacock of Mingjue Peak, what are you looking at!" One Rongxi Sect disciple finally snapped, pointing at Xie Yi as he cursed. "We haven't settled the score for last time—when you ravaged our medicine garden and swiped three century-old purple-leaf ganoderma!" Xie Yi spat out the grass stem, propped himself on the railing with one hand, and swung himself upright, his crow-black hair flying loose in the wind. He raised an eyebrow, the red mark at the corner of his eye seeming to radiate smugness. "Oh-ho, if it isn't the fellow cultivators of Rongxi Sect~" He waved cheerfully. "What's the matter? Did this young master's devastating good looks blind you? Didn't I already pay spirit stones for that medicine garden thing?~" "What could a few spirit stones even buy!" The opposite side jumped up in fury and hurled a vine spell of blue-green straight at him. Xie Yi didn't dodge or flinch. A cluster of crimson heavenly fire suddenly burst from his fingertip. He flicked his finger, and the tiny spark drifted lazily into the vines, burning them to a wisp of green smoke in an instant—and singeing the corner of a small banner hanging on the enemy flying boat black into the bargain. "Oops, slipped." Xie Yi clapped his hands, grinning in the most insufferably smug way possible. "Second senior brother, stop causing trouble..." Standing not far away, Ren Mi let out a soft sigh. He wore a blue-green immortal robe with a white inner garment, the collar slightly open, and a vermilion sash trailing at his waist; the long, fine tassel silver earrings swayed gently as he tilted his head. He quietly took two steps back from Xie Yi, still wearing the flower crown Xie Yi had forcibly placed on his head. Xie Yi refused to let him retreat and, with mischief in his fingers, reached out to tug at Ren Mi's flower crown again. "Junior brother, am I handsome today?" "Handsome. You're the handsomest." Just as Xie Yi turned to taunt the Rongxi Sect disciples again, the temperature around them plummeted to freezing without warning, and fine ice crystals even condensed in the sea of clouds. A figure in ink-black robes landed on the deck without a sound, and the ambient moisture instantly congealed into white frost that spread silently outward along the hem of his robes. Si Wei stood upon the frost, his silver-white hair cascading like a frozen waterfall, a thin layer of ice crystals covering the loose strands at his brow, and the moon mark between his eyebrows gleaming coldly in the frosty air. The immense pressure of early-stage Spirit Transformation swept over the entire flying boat, coating it in a thin layer of frost in an instant—even the magic treasure the Rongxi Sect disciples had just summoned crusted over with ice. He glanced at the Rongxi Sect's flying boat and gave a slight nod of apology, then swept his gaze like an icy blade toward the red figure at the prow. "Eldest senior brother, I was wrong..." Xie Yi changed his tune faster than turning a page, immediately standing at strict attention. Behind his back, his hand secretly stuffed the snow-fox fur ball into his storage ring. Si Wei precisely seized the back of Xie Yi's collar and hauled this flailing red peacock back. "Shut up." Si Wei did not shout, but the softly trailing final syllable, as light as if it had landed on a bamboo branch, carried a chill that made one's spine run cold. "The master sent word. He is already waiting at the Ember Sun Sect." Si Wei slowly lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping coldly over the embers still clinging to Xie Yi's fingertips. "Cause any more trouble, and you'll be punished the way you were as a child—with the time increased tenfold." Xie Yi begged for mercy profusely, but on the sly he winked and grimaced at Ren Mi, shouting through voice transmission. "Third junior brother, say something for me!" Ren Mi silently turned around and pretended to admire the sea of clouds. "Second senior brother, you're on your own." "If I help you, eldest senior brother will punish me too." Xie Yi was choked with fury and was just about to curse him for being heartless when Si Wei yanked him off balance. Sunlight spilled across the deck in scattered gold, carrying the lively, boisterous energy of youths as the boat sped toward the Ember Sun Sect.