Beyond spirit realm of the starry sky

Song Clan — Abode of Song Yan

Ye Kaishan exited from the soul subspace of Song Yan. As he stepped onto the wet floor, hot vapors hung in the surrounding air, carrying a faint but unusual scent—not unpleasant, just oddly distinctive.

"Why is the floor wet? And why are there vapors in the air?" Ye Kaishan frowned.

"Because you are in my bathroom," came Song Yan's chilling voice from behind him, causing the surrounding temperature to drop slightly.

Ye Kaishan instinctively tried to turn around, but Song Yan didn't give him the chance.

"Don't move," she said coldly.

Ye Kaishan froze mid-turn.Shit, such a good chance! he cursed inwardly. But I'm her Dao companion—at least watching should be fine...

"Wait outside," Song Yan ordered, a hint of anger in her voice.

"YES!!!" Ye Kaishan replied immediately, teleporting out of the bathroom without delay.

He appeared in the courtyard of their abode.

"Sigh… And here I thought we were starting to get close," Ye Kaishan muttered to himself.

He looked around at the newly rebuilt courtyard and residence.

"Hmm, they've already rebuilt the residence for us… and expanded the courtyard as well," he said, walking slowly. "It's quite spacious." A satisfied smile crossed his face. "Well, being the daughter of the Matriarch sure has its perks," he thought.

"Is there anyone inside?" came an immature voice from the courtyard gate.

"Someone's at the gate?" With a thought, Ye Kaishan approached.

Opening it, he found a young girl no older than thirteen. Her long hair was styled with a peacock hairpin, and a water-shaped mark glowed faintly on her forehead.

Ye Kaishan observed her silently.

"Who are you?" she asked arrogantly, glaring at him as if he were an insect.

Ye Kaishan frowned. He didn't like her attitude, but decided not to take it seriously. She's just a young girl, he reminded himself.

"Why don't you tell me who you are and what brings you here?" he asked casually, his tone light as if speaking to a child.

In response, a sudden water jet shot toward him.

"Who gave you the audacity to question me? Men should know their place," she sneered.

The water jet halted an inch from Ye Kaishan's face.

The girl blinked in disbelief and tried to regain control—but the water began floating around Ye Kaishan instead.

"What did you do?! Why can't I control my water?!" she shouted, glaring.

"Because I'm controlling it now," Ye Kaishan said lightly. Using space manipulation, he had created an absolute spatial barrier around the water, cutting off her energy supply.

Giving her a wicked smile, he added, "Here. I'm returning your gift."

With a flick of his hand, Ye Kaishan gathered the water above her head and released the space control. Instantly, the water fell on her like a crashing waterfall.

"Waaah! St-Stop it!" she screamed as the water drenched her completely.

Her previously styled appearance now a soggy mess, she looked completely disheveled.

"Now, tell me—who are you and what brings you here?" Ye Kaishan asked again.

"You stupid man! Look what you've done! You've ruined all my clothes!" she yelled. "I made so many preparations to meet—" She cut herself off, mumbling.

"Meet?" Ye Kaishan tilted his head in confusion.

"Forget it. In this outfit, it won't work anymore," she snapped and turned to leave.

"And you!!" She glared at him. "I won't forget this humiliation!" she yelled as she ran off toward the training grounds.

"Weird girl," Ye Kaishan muttered.

"What happened?" came a calm, stern voice behind him.

Ye Kaishan turned to see Song Yan sitting on a chair in the courtyard, sipping tea.

He walked over and sat opposite her.

"Nothing, just a weird girl causing trouble," he said casually.

Placing her cup on the round table, Song Yan asked, "Have you recovered? You were asleep for more than two days."

"Well, I pushed my strength too far and completely drained my energy," Ye Kaishan replied with a wry smile.

Song Yan narrowed her eyes but didn't press further. "If you're alright, that's good."

She poured another cup of tea and handed it to him.

Ye Kaishan took a sip. The tea had a unique fragrance and a lingering taste.

After finishing her cup, Song Yan looked at him and said, "Now that we've forged the soul, we can take the next step forward."

"Yes, I was thinking the same," Ye Kaishan replied, enjoying the tea. After advancing, the Soul Tree should grow as well, he thought.

"We're at the peak of Soul Forging. The next realm is the 'Soul Body Realm.' In Soul Forging, we temper our souls to their personal limits. Likewise, in the Body Realm, we temper our physical form," she explained.

She paused, then added, "It's one of those realms that doesn't rely much on talent, but on endurance. The longer and harder you forge your body, the stronger it becomes."

Ye Kaishan gulped down the rest of his tea and stood up. "So what are we waiting for? Let's start!"

"Not right now. We'll start at night."

"But why not now?" he asked, confused.

"The time isn't suitable for training right now. Also, I have to visit my mother and gather some medicinal herbs."

"Should I come with you?"

"No. You just woke up from rest."

"Then where should I meet you?"

"Tonight. Behind Mylan Mountain, near the small pond," Song Yan replied.

With that, she left the courtyard, heading toward her mother's abode.

"Sigh… Should I explore the Song Clan now?" Ye Kaishan murmured with a grin.

With a single thought, he vanished from the courtyard.