A wry smile curved Adam's lips as he scratched his head inside the cultivation chamber.
Xie Lian grinned at him by the doorway. "I can't wait to see you breakthrough. The palace formations cruelly need some refreshing, and I somehow believe you'll be the first to reach the required realm to fix them."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Right. Definitely not because you're impatient to enjoy their effects, see me build the bastion, or witness firsthand how strong I'll become."
She twirled a lock of purple hair in front of her broadening grin. "Touché. Anyway, you know them best." She slid the door close, waving her slender finger and chirping. "See you later, and good luck with your cultivation."
As the door closed, the outside sounds vanished. No more footsteps, water dripping from the bamboo bridges into the gardens' ponds, or wind ruffling chiselled bushes. Only calm.
