He slowly opened his eyes, "Finally," Space seemed to move like ocean waves as he exhaled a long breath.
[You finally did it!]
Yue Lan's excited voice sounded in his mind.
"Why are you getting excited? I'm sure it's nothing much for you." He slightly shook his head.
[Learning the Space Intent is taking a big step forward, don't measure everything from my standard, you are already exceptional enough.]
"Oh? Where is this praise coming from?" He lightly smiled while asking.
[...]
Shen Yuan slightly shook his head at her lack of reaction with a smile, "Alright get me out of here, it's already been months since I entered seclusion."
[Heh, wait until you have to enter seclusion for decades at a time.]
She sarcastically commented before taking him out of the Dual Cultivation Chamber.
...
Opening his eyes, he saw the morning sun rising in the sky, he stood beneath the cherry blossom tree as the petals fell softly with the breeze.
He took a deep breath as the fresh morning air filled his lungs, "What good weather."
Smiling lightly, he stepped forward, pulling out a chair that was set beneath the cherry blossom tree.
Settling down on it, he took a moment to appreciate the peacefulness of his garden.
[So, how does it feel to have mastered the Spatial Intent?]
Yue Lan's curious voice chimed in his mind.
Shen Yuan shrugged, leaning back as he took out a gourd of wine from his spatial ring. "I feel like a fish in water," he answered while uncorking the gourd and taking a sip.
The fragrant aroma of the wine mingled with cherry blossom improved his mood greatly, "But there is always something higher to pursue. This is only the Space Intent."
[That's true. You have so many intents to master, and Space is not even among the top tier among them.]
"Alright, no need to demotivate me now." He chuckled while saying, "I will get there slowly when the time comes."
[Hmm... You should be able to master Yin Intent and Yang Intent quite easily, but your Cultivation Base is restricting you.]
"My physique alone is enough for me to master those intents, I don't need to train a specific technique for them." He nodded in agreement as he knew it himself the best.
[True, but learning a technique will amplify your powers when you use the intents.]
"That's true. Hmm... I will try to look for them later, for now, I should increase my comprehension of the Intents and increase my Cultivation base while I'm at it." He took a big gulp out of the gourd as the wine tasted much better than usual.
[Haha, if you continue at this rate then you will need to change the map soon and head to a higher level area.]
Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching, "...I really don't want to remember how people used to talk in my previous life."
Han Qingyu looked at Wan Ling with a smirk before pulling her chair beside Shen Yuan to sit down.
Wan Ling's eyes twitched looking at her action as she pulled her own chair on the other side of him.
"You two..." Shen Yuan speechlessly shook his head, "Anyways, how long were you two standing outside the mansion?" He curiously asked.
"Hehe, I just came outside for a bit and thought of visiting you, it hadn't been long for me." Wan Ling replied with a shy smile.
Shen Yuan smiled at her as he remembered the first time he met her, she was nothing but a shy introverted outer sect disciple.
But now she had grown out of that personality so much.
"I wasn't outside for long as well," Han Qingyu also chimed in.
"Well, it's good that you guys weren't outside for long. Anyways, here try this wine, I found this in the Outer Sect market when I went there to shop last time." He said before taking out an exquisite bottle of wine from his storage ring.
Han Qingyu's eyes lit up as she saw the beautiful bottle, "It's so pretty.
Shen Yuan uncorked the exquisite wine bottle, the rich aroma wafting into the air as he poured it into three red jade glasses which he pulled from his storage ring.
"Here, let's toast to... well, whatever you guys want." He handed a glass to each of them, raising his own with a smile.
"To a surprise reunion?" Han Qingyu said with a playful grin, her gaze shifting briefly to Wan Ling.
Wan Ling hesitated before lifting her glass, her lips curling into a soft smile. "To Senior Brother's successful win in the competition."
Shen Yuan chuckled. "I'll take that. Cheers."
They clinked their glasses lightly before taking a sip. The wine's sweet yet robust flavor spread across their tongues, leaving a pleasant warmth that seemed to match the peaceful atmosphere of the garden.
"This is delicious," Wan Ling said, her eyes wide with surprise. "Where exactly did you find this in the Outer Sect market?"
"Yeah," Han Qingyu chimed in, swirling the wine in her glass. "I don't remember seeing anything this fancy last time I visited."
Shen Yuan leaned back in his chair, smirking. "You just have to know where to look. But since I also don't know where to look I bought out half the market. That's when I found this shop. The owner brews these herself. She called this one 'Crimson Blossom.' Fitting, don't you think?"
[Wow, lying bitch, you stole these wines from the disciples of Ironwood Mountain Clan when you took away their spatial rings. And this backstory...]
'Minor details. And not like I didn't buy out half the market the last time I visited that place.'
Wan Ling glanced at the cherry blossom tree, nodding. "It does match the atmosphere here perfectly."
Han Qingyu tilted her head, her silver hair shining under the sunlight. "Brother Yuan, you really do big things alone. Maybe next time, you should take me there. I'd love to see you in action."
"Why not me as well?" Wan Ling interjected, narrowing her eyes at Han Qingyu.
"Of course," Shen Yuan interrupted before their bickering could escalate. "I'll take you both. It's a small shop, but the owner's got a knack for unique wines. I'll introduce you to her at that time."
[Haha, good luck finding this shop out there.]
Han Qingyu smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Then it's settled. You'll be taking the two of us there."
Wan Ling nodded, though her gaze lingered on Han Qingyu a moment longer before shifting back to Shen Yuan. "It's a deal then."
The three of them continued sipping their wine, enjoying the tranquil morning. After a while, Han Qingyu leaned forward, setting her glass on the table.