Chapter 161: The Lotus Blooms in Fire
The steam from the teapot spiraled upward, curling in delicate tendrils that caught the morning light. I poured carefully, the amber liquid filling the porcelain cups with a shaky flow, as a result of my unsteady hands. Across from me, Feng Wu tapped a single finger against the table, a small gesture of appreciation as he cradled his cup with both hands.
But the serenity didn’t last.
“The Black Tortoise Tribulation?” Feng Wu’s voice cut through the quiet, laced with disbelief. His brow furrowed as he leaned forward, his cup momentarily forgotten. “This isn't some joke, right?”
I nodded, setting the teapot down. “Nope. No joke.”
“One of the four mythical beasts. I suppose your claims of being special aren't so wrong after all,’” He shook his head, clearly still trying to process it.
“Well, here I am,” I said with a shrug, lifting my own cup. My eyes were baggy, and my entire body hurt. Even sleeping was a challenge with this tribulation, and I ended up spending half of my night cycling my qi. “Don't know whether to call this a blessing or a curse.”
Feng Wu didn’t laugh. Instead, he sighed, rubbing his temple. “The Heavenly Interface keeps throwing surprises. The Verdant Lotus Sect has been studying its quirks, and we’ve already adjusted the curriculum to account for the way it accelerates growth. How to trigger certain quests, and how to complete them... It’s made the younger disciples ambitious. Li Na and Han Wei especially. They’re growing steadily.”
"Ambitious, huh?" I leaned back, trying to picture the younger disciples clashing over who could outpace the other. “I bet they’re eager to try their skills, but I hope they’re not reckless. Or at least, I hope they’ve mastered bandaging their own scrapes. The only reason I refined my body this far was because of my hydrosol and other medicines.”
Feng Wu raised a brow. “You think we’d let disciples train without the basics? Every Verdant Lotus disciple is taught first aid.”