Chapter 29: Whispering Woods

Three days passed in a blink.

Deep within the Whispering Woods.

"Looks like the Flawless Abyssal Physique is my limit for now."

Theo rose, rubbing his slightly numb thighs after a night of motionless meditation in the high branches of a tree, and caught a small bundle dropped by a mechanical courier bird.

Inside were two items—a small, dark vial of liquid, and an indigo-blue talisman, both crafted with fine, high-grade spiritual materials.

Young Theo recognized them instantly: Elder Vespera’s handiwork.

A crumpled letter lay nestled within.

"Brat, may these words find you alive."

"You and that Heavenly Peak girl actually went into the deep zones together? Wonderful! Truly, madness doesn’t fall far from the tree!"

The handwriting was erratic and stained with soot—clearly, Vespera had been too busy blowing things up to hold the brush steady.

Theo chuckled wryly and read on.

"Now that you’re in the wild and training, it’s time to be practical. Rein in that reckless streak of yours—no touching glowing mushrooms."

"A real survivor should secure leverage before pursuing greatness. It’s time you considered collateral."

"And watch that Reborn Empress carefully. You’ve got leverage on her, and now you’re both deep in the same woods. Such fortune is a rare test subject."

"Strike while the iron is hot! If she tries to sacrifice you to a beast, use the blue talisman to paralyze her nervous system!!!"

Vespera’s paranoia was palpable—the last strokes nearly tore through the thick parchment.

The madwoman was practically demanding he bring back a paralyzed sovereign for her dissection table by next week.

Theo: "..."

Can anyone relate? Harassed about capturing test subjects at a bio-alchemy lab.

Now sixteen in this world, and still not spared the crazed mentor pressure.

Well, in the Silent Thunder Sect, crazy elders acting like overprotective parents wasn’t entirely uncommon.

"Is this really my fault...?"

Theo rubbed his temples, laughing softly.

He couldn’t begin to imagine the ice block that was Liana tied up on Vespera’s surgical table.

Just picturing the two of them in the same room made him shiver.

"Guess I’ll have to disappoint the old lady."

Shaking his head, Theo tucked the vial into his spider-silk jacket.

In just a few weeks, the boy reflecting in the calm forest streams had grown more defined features, his casual confidence even more striking.

His once-malnourished frame now boasted incredibly dense, lean muscle—the very picture of "slender clothed, sculpted unclothed."

Dressed in his custom-tailored dark martial attire, he cut the image of a dashing young rogue.

...If one ignored the mop he still occasionally used as a walking stick.

"Hey, Her Majesty awaits."

Theo hopped down from the tree, landing silently on the forest floor.

The humid morning mist had left the foliage dripping wet—his boots made absolutely no sound against the moss.

Soon after.

Footsteps approached the small clearing.

Theo turned instinctively, the ration bar in his mouth slipping out unnoticed.

Her porcelain features glowed in the dawn light, a high ponytail swaying behind her.

The fitted, silver-trimmed garments accentuated her graceful, deadly figure.

Her legs weren’t just long—they were practically longer than fate itself, and the sheer black greaves traced their contours with unmistakable clarity.

Black... armor weave?

Theo quickly realized it was likely a material called "Dark Cloud Gauze"—lightweight yet durable, resistant to both extreme cold and scorching heat.

Not to mention exorbitantly expensive. Such protective gear cost far more than standard heavy armor.

Whoever invented this thing was an absolute genius.

"I’ll wait for you at the edge of the Thunder Gorge in one hour."

"Try to make it."

Liana’s words came out of nowhere, her tone colder than ice.

"Thunder Gorge? Why?"

Theo had no idea why she’d suddenly dropped that dangerous location.

The ice block of a girl clearly had no intention of explaining.

Curious, Theo activated his Destiny’s Eye.

[Name: Liana]

[Age: 15]

[Constitution: Primordial Sovereign Body]

[Realm: Body Cleansing (Peak Stage)]

[Destiny: Crimson (Bears the Emperor’s Will, with Profound Lightning as her destiny and Autumn Waters as her spirit. Possesses the bearing of a Celestial Conqueror)]

[Evaluation: A life fraught with tribulations, yet she always emerges unscathed. Though her wings are still recovering, when the winds of change arrive, she will soar above the Nine Domains, an Empress reigning over all realms.]

[Recent Circumstance: Defecting from the main patrol route, intending to visit the legacy grounds of the fallen Thunder to obtain one of its core spirits... the "Aurora Spark." To repay a life-debt, she plans to bring along a certain mortal "burden" to ensure he claims the residual treasures.]