At dawn, the eponymous red tide of Red Tide Harbor was receding. Only the gentle glow of sunrise remained, spreading across the sea in shades of pale gold. The docks were already bustling with activity.

As the war between the righteous and devilish forces continued to intensify, trade routes were severed one after another; sea routes had long since grown unsafe. By all reason, people should have had more important things to worry about than commerce. Yet the greater the chaos, the higher the profit. With resources soaring in price, every single transaction now brought substantial profit. For that reason, as one of the key transit hubs, Red Tide Harbor saw several merchant ships depart at daybreak, each heading toward a different destination.

A small ship bearing a green flower emblem, however, remained quietly moored. Though the preparations being made aboard spoke of departure, everything moved at an unhurried pace, giving off a strangely leisurely impression. On the dock next to the ship, an old man was patiently explaining things to a sallow-faced young man.

"This ship's pretty fast, but it's not built for long voyages. We mostly use it for short trips to Resonant Jade Mountain. It's about eight hundred li from here, and it takes roughly half a day to reach. I've already made arrangements on the other end. Once you arrive, elders from my family will contact you and set you up with a ship to the Blue Sea Alliance's Giant Whale Harbor. But our ship only operates as far as that. If you want to go to the Myriad Immortal Society after that, you'll have to find your own way."

The hunched young man listened with full attention and missed no detail. From time to time, he asked questions. However, it was clear that the shopkeeper was only at the late stage of the Qi Refinement Realm, and he had never traveled too far. Much of what he knew came from rumors, and he could not provide Luo Chen with any deeper insight.

After a long stretch of advice, the shopkeeper finally turned his gaze to the woman standing behind Luo Chen. Her face was pale, almost without a trace of blood, and she was slender, as if a gust of wind could topple her. When set against Luo Chen's sallow complexion and hunched posture, it made for a truly deplorable sight. The shopkeeper sighed. "Honestly, the way you look, neither of you is fit for a long journey. Why not stay in Red Tide Harbor for now and recover before setting out?"

Luo Chen shook his head. "My attendant's condition can't be treated with ordinary medicine. We need high-quality herbs and such, and we can't really find those in Red Tide Harbor."

"That is true," the shopkeeper nodded.

He turned to glance at the ship. "Everything is ready. You can board now."

Luo Chen gave a soft acknowledgement, then beckoned to Heavenjade. "Let's go."

Just as he was about to leave, he paused and turned back. "Shopkeeper Wang, there's something you should keep in mind."

Shopkeeper Wang was taken aback for a moment, but then smiled. "Go on."

"Right now, Devil's Snare and the Penglai Immortal Sect have joined forces against the Blue Sea Alliance. They look unstoppable, and the alliance can only fall back for now. But the alliance still has an Ascendant. Things could change again. Coldlight Island is a key stronghold in the southeast, and everyone's going to fight over it. Resonant Jade Mountain sits across the same region. I don't know what your elder intends, but neutrality won't last forever. Eventually, you'll have to choose a side. And when Resonant Jade Mountain enters the war... Red Tide Harbor won't stay peaceful either. You should start thinking about a way out."

After speaking, Luo Chen boarded the ship without hesitation. Shopkeeper Wang stood at the dock, lost in thought. Only when the sailors waved farewell did he snap out of it. A bitter smile crept on his face. If things truly developed that way, how could a mere late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator like him stay uninvolved?

"Fellow Daoist Murong has remarkable foresight. It's too bad..."

With a sigh, the shopkeeper clasped his hands behind his back and walked back toward the town under the respectful gazes of mortals. Those gazes eased his heavy mood somewhat. Let the future unfold however it will. He did not have many years left anyway; who knew whether he would even live to see it?

***

After boarding the ship, Luo Chen fell silent. Han Zhan's voice sounded in his mind. "What is it? You are only business acquaintances. There's no real relationship between you. You don't usually open up like that to someone you barely know."

Luo Chen curled his lips faintly, feeling a trace of melancholy. "It just reminded me of the past."

"The past?"

"Yeah. Back when I was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, I lived in a large marketplace. I spent my days scrambling for cultivation resources and got to know quite a few shopkeepers. Later, when the Falling Cloud Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect clashed, Dahe Market was..."

At this point, Luo Chen suddenly grew interested. "Come to think of it, we have never really talked about the Jade Cauldron civil war all these years. You were a leading figure. You must know the inside story well. Would you like to tell me about it?"

"What do you mean by 'would you like to'? You're the one who's curious," Han Zhan scolded him with a laugh, but then fell silent. After a while, he muttered. "What do you want to know? Ask away. If I can tell you, I will."

Luo Chen licked his lips. "First question, did Skysail City intervene in the civil war?"

"Is that not common knowledge? You still need to ask?"

"Come on, just tell me. It'll take half a day to reach Resonant Jade Mountain anyway. We might as well do something to avoid boredom."

Han Zhan sighed helplessly. "Fine. Yes, Skysail City was involved. In fact, they were behind it from the very beginning."

Luo Chen nodded. Back when he was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had analyzed the Jade Cauldron civil war countless times. With such a great tide rising, if a minor figure like him failed to follow the current, death was inevitable. He had drawn some conclusions based on the rampant spread of low-grade enchanted treasures across the Jade Cauldron Domain, along with the enchanted artifacts Skysail City had prepared in advance—artifacts made specifically for war rather than ordinary clashes. Still, for Skysail City to have started the war themselves was indeed concerning.

"How so?"

"How else? How do you think I reached the Nascent Soul Realm?"

"Was it not a Nascent Soul Pill?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I did obtain a Nascent Soul Pill and its formula from an ancient ruin. But I didn't have a proper place to break through. As you've seen, the sect system in the Eastern Wilderness is deeply entrenched. Without backing from a higher power, it's practically impossible for an Adept to advance. Actually, one of the Skysail City Adepts who explored the ruin with me reported to a Sage that I'd acquired the formula. At first, they intended to just seize it, but the Sage changed his mind. Instead, he provided me with access to a fourth-tier spirit vein to help me break through. The price? Once I succeeded, I was to stir up a civil war in the Jade Cauldron Domain... so they could profit from it."

Though his account was brief, the danger of that time was easy to imagine. The Adepts of Skysail City had even gone so far as to shamelessly call upon their elders. Yet in the end, Han Zhan had turned disaster into fortune. Of course, the consequence was that the Falling Cloud Sect behind him was dragged into the mire of war. Now, Luo Chen knew for sure why the Falling Cloud Sect had pressed forward step by step while the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had never dared to go all out. They had been wary of Skysail City all along.

"Second question. What is your relationship with Ice Torrent?"

Unlike the first question, this one truly caught Han Zhan off guard. He had not expected Luo Chen to ask this. Luo Chen then recounted everything he had seen and heard in the Great Snowy Mountains, especially the moment when Han Zhan protected Ice Torrent.

After a while, Han Zhan smiled bitterly. "Well, what can I say... Didn't I tell you before? I was quite close with Ice Torrent. To be more specific, we almost became Dao companions. But her talent was exceptional, so the Ice Fortress focused on raising her and wouldn't let her marry out. As for me... I was too proud to marry into Ice Fortress. So we went our separate ways."

"That's it? So you protected her and fought the Whitebone Dark Serpent for her?"

"It's not as simple as that. Feelings... came second. More importantly, Ice Torrent secretly let me use the Ice Prison to begin practicing Soul Split. That was a huge favor, especially since it's tied to how I survived my Nascent Soul tribulation. If I didn't repay it... I wouldn't have been able to settle things in my heart."

As expected...

Luo Chen had once cultivated within the Ice Prison himself. It was indeed an exceptional place. There, he had subdued the fourth-tier Withering-Flourishing Fire, which brought him tremendous benefits in alchemy, spellcasting, and even qi and physique cultivation. He knew that Han Zhan had cultivated there before him, but there was also new information in that answer: Soul Split. This was most likely one of the three core arts of the Falling Cloud Sect.

"And what happened after that? I heard Senior Sister Ice Torrent failed her tribulation. How is she now?"

"You call her Senior Sister?"

"Yeah. The Luo Tian Sect I founded used to be affiliated with the Ice Fortress. Later, I became a guest elder there, so I just started calling her Senior Sister."

"Well, about that..." Han Zhan sighed. He seemed genuinely regretful. "She failed the tribulation. Her vital essence, spirit, and qi were all damaged. I used a secret technique to restore her divine soul and relied on Ice Fortress's treasure coffin to stabilize her body. In the end, I managed to save her life. But she'll have to remain in slumber for a hundred years or maybe even longer. As for the Nascent Soul? Unless she finds some kind of top-tier spirit medicine, she won't have another chance in this lifetime."

Luo Chen opened his mouth but found himself speechless. Ice Torrent was truly a good person. Though he had not known her long, he could feel her sincerity. Hearing the truth now, he felt deep regret. Was forming a Nascent Soul truly that difficult?

Back in Jadecold City, he had been enlightened on a method of forming a Nascent Soul while still at the fourth stage of Golden Core. He believed that, with proper preparation, success was certain. But Ice Torrent was at the peak of Golden Core, had the support of a major sect, and even someone like Han Zhan protecting her, yet she still failed. What, then, of his own future?

A trace of discouragement rose in his heart. He could not tell whether it stemmed from his injuries that had yet to fully heal or from the recent escape that had worn down his resolve, but lately, he had been finding himself more prone to such thoughts.

However, Luo Chen quickly steadied himself. The future had to wait. For now, he could only take one step at a time.