Destiny Pavilion was filled with a succession of ancient courtyards and lush plants.
The manor carried an air of decay and age, especially after they left Su Xuan and his sister’s courtyard. In some places, weeds grew from the cracks in the stones, making it seem as if no one had lived there for a very long time.
Su Xuan felt more and more uncomfortable as he walked, and the atmosphere felt increasingly eerie. From the outside, the manor did not look very large, but walking inside felt like entering a different world. He had been walking for a long while and still had not seen the outer wall.
Furthermore, this ancient manor known as Destiny Pavilion appeared as if it had not been cleaned in 100 years. In some corners, the weeds were even three meters high. All of this made his heart sink with apprehension.
However, his sister, Su Tao’er, was still full of curiosity. She looked left and right, appearing quite interested in her surroundings.
As for Su Xuan, when he was still in the Kingdom of Tiansheng, he had heard that the Phantom Sea was an evil place.
The Phantom Sea was not actually a sea anymore. The seawater had long since dried up, leaving behind a sunken basin. Within this basin, the mountain ranges and great rifts that once sat at the bottom of the sea remained, though they were now covered in dense forests or had become bottomless canyons.
He had also heard that the Phantom Sea bordered the Pluto Capital. At night, strange and supernatural events were common there.
The seawater of the Phantom Sea had vanished ages ago. Yet, for some unknown reason, people would often drown on dry land without explanation.
There were countless legends of this nature. Therefore, being in the heart of the Phantom Sea and surrounded by vast mountains, Su Xuan never once let down his guard toward Destiny Pavilion.
By this time, Si Yan had led them to a courtyard on the west side.
While Su Tao’er was looking around, she suddenly heard a shrill, eerie cry. Startled, she quickly turned her head, but only saw a dark shadow vanish from her sight.
“Yuling, don’t run!” Si Yan shouted. “This is a new disciple I’ve taken in. She’s your Junior Sister, not someone coming to catch you!”
But the person turned a deaf ear. With a sudden burst of Stellar Qi, the figure vanished completely.
“Pavilion Master, who was that?” Su Xuan asked, quite surprised.
Si Yan shrugged, appearing unconcerned. “That is one of Tao’er’s senior brothers. Twenty years ago, he went down the mountain to travel the world. Unfortunately, he was captured by the women of the Xuannv Sect to be used as a Cauldron for Essence Gathering. He was imprisoned for over seven years before he finally returned. They squeezed him dry every single day. He weighed over 200 pounds when he left, but when he returned, he was only 120. It is truly pitiful. That is why he runs whenever he sees a woman. He is terrified of being harvested again.”
“Those witches from the Xuannv Sect,” Su Xuan snorted coldly. “How despicable!”
“Alas, my poor disciple was used as a Cauldron by those young, cute girls for seven years,” Si Yan sighed as he continued walking. “It makes me quite envious — no, I mean, quite angry!”
After passing through another long corridor, they encountered someone else in a different courtyard. This man was burly and capable, standing under a tree with his arms crossed and wearing a bamboo hat. A long sword leaned against his side as he leaned against the trunk in a carefree pose, seemingly in deep meditation.
When he saw the group, even when his eyes fell on Si Yan, he merely gave a contemptuous smile and closed his eyes again, as if no one else existed.
This made the atmosphere extremely awkward.
However, Si Yan did not even look at him properly. He led the three of them straight past as if the man did not exist, though he still offered an introduction. “This is your current First Senior Brother. His mind is not quite right either. He constantly fantasizes about being the greatest sword master in the world. He’s quite foolish. In the future, just call him Senior Brother when you see him.”
Su Tao’er let out a giggle. It was a lovely sound, like silver bells. “Perhaps this Senior Brother really is the greatest master in the world!”
Si Yan blinked and said with some disdain, “How could that be? I taught him his sword techniques. At the same level of cultivation, he cannot even last a few breaths against me. He is absolute trash.”
Su Tao’er skipped forward and took Si Yan’s hand. “Then that means you are the greatest master in the world, Master!”
The young girl’s hand was very soft. As Si Yan felt her grip, he recalled the suggestive scene from earlier, and his mind wavered slightly.
Hearing this, Su Xuan could only sneer inwardly. ‘Thousands of sword cultivators exist in this world, but to claim to be the number one in sword arts… even the Sect Leader of the Tianjian Sect wouldn’t dare boast like that. After all, that Sect Leader, who devoted himself to the sword for 500 years, was defeated by the Sword God decades ago!’
Finally, Su Xuan’s brow furrowed when he noticed his sister was still holding Si Yan’s hand.
He coughed a few times to remind her. “Tao’er, do not be rude!”
Su Tao’er stuck out her tongue and stepped back.
Of course, Su Xuan did not scold her because he felt she was being offensive. It was simply that seeing his unmarried sister grabbing another man’s hand made him feel instinctively uncomfortable.
It had only been two days since Su Xuan and his sister arrived.
On the first day, the apprenticeship ceremony went smoothly, but they had only met Si Yan and had not walked around the manor. Now that they were exploring, he felt that something was deeply wrong. Whether it was Si Yan, who was laughing and introducing his seemingly crazed disciples, or this gloomy manor that looked as if it had been abandoned for 100 years, his sense of unease grew stronger.
As for Su Tao’er, she had always lived in the deep courtyards of the palace and rarely ventured out. She had never seen such strange people or things before, so her large eyes sparkled with interest. She found everything quite fascinating.
Eventually, they arrived at a courtyard on the south side.
This courtyard was different from the messy and dilapidated ones they had seen before.
It had clearly been meticulously maintained.
The courtyard was filled with blooming peach blossoms, and their fragrance was overwhelming as they crowded along a small path.
To the side, there was a pond filled with koi. The fish seemed to be competing for food, occasionally leaping out of the water and creating small splashes.
Under the bright moonlight, Su Xuan even saw a swing covered in vibrant flowers and vines, swaying gently in the wind.
This time, not only Su Tao’er but even Su Xuan felt the gloom from earlier vanish, and his mood brightened.
Su Xuan said with a hint of delight, “This must be the residence of one of Tao’er’s senior sisters. It is truly elegant.”