The elder's anger flared the moment he heard Riven's words. Without hesitation, he drew his sword from its scabbard, his expression turning cold and resolute.
"You will either come with us to the Law Enforcement Hall and undo the technique," he said, his voice sharp with authority, "or I will force you to comply."
Riven looked at him quietly for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his face, but instead of responding to the threat, he simply turned toward the old man.
"Let's go."
The old man calmly finished his tea and rose to his feet. "The flying beast is outside the city," he said, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Riven stepped closer and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. In the next instant, both of them disappeared, leaving behind a stunned silence that spread across the entire hall.
The elder reacted immediately. He expanded his qi outward, attempting to locate them, his perception sweeping through the nearby streets and buildings. However, beyond a certain distance, his senses found nothing. It was as if the two had completely vanished from existence.
His expression darkened as he withdrew his qi. "Search for them!" he ordered sharply.
Then, recalling what the old man had said, he added, "Seal the city gates. No one is allowed to leave." Without wasting another moment, he rushed toward the entrance of the city.
But by the time he arrived, Riven and the old man were already far beyond the city walls.
Outside the city, the old man looked around in disbelief. There had been no sense of movement, no passage of time, only a sudden shift from one place to another.
It felt exactly like teleportation. He had once used a teleportation array before, and the sensation was unmistakable.
Yet when he looked at Riven, who was now calmly walking ahead as though nothing extraordinary had occurred, he hesitated.
Questions rose in his mind, but ultimately, he chose not to ask and simply followed behind.
After walking for some time, they reached a clearing where a massive bird rested quietly. Its feathers shimmered in shades of deep blue, and its eyes were closed as if it were meditating.
As they approached, the bird opened its eyes and immediately recognized the old man. It stood up with a low, pleased sound before turning its curious gaze toward Riven.
Riven smiled and gently placed his hand on the bird's lowered head. "What kind of bird is this?" he asked.
The old man replied respectfully, "Immortal Master, this is a Skylance Roc, one of the fastest flying beasts in the entire plane."
"They are extremely rare, but as a top sect, we maintain a few of them for long-distance travel."
He paused briefly before continuing, "If we were to travel normally, it would take around a month to reach Thaloryn. But with this Roc, we can arrive in just a week."
Riven nodded and raised his hand. Qi gathered silently around his palm, condensing until several pills formed within it. The Roc's eyes brightened immediately upon sensing their presence, and without hesitation, it leaned forward and consumed them eagerly.
The old man watched this with quiet astonishment. He himself could manipulate qi into elemental forms like fire or water, but condensing it into physical objects such as pills was far beyond his current capability.
After consuming the pills, the Roc lowered itself obediently. Riven and the old man climbed onto its back, and with a powerful beat of its wings, it soared into the sky.
From the distance, a faint voice called out, "Stop!" but it was already too late.
The Roc shot forward like a streak of light, disappearing into the horizon.
On the ground, three law enforcement elders arrived moments later. They looked up at the sky, their expressions grim.
"They escaped…" the elder from before muttered, his voice filled with frustration.
Another elder narrowed his eyes as he observed the direction in which the Roc had flown. "Old Kai, that flying beast… isn't it from our sect?"
A third nodded. "Yes, that is one of our Skylance Rocs."
The elder known as Old Kai fell silent, a realization slowly forming in his mind. Without saying anything further, he turned and headed back toward the sect.
...
High above, the Roc cut through the sky with incredible speed. The old man used his qi to shield himself from the powerful winds, while Riven sat calmly beside him, completely unaffected. Not a single strand of his hair moved, as though the wind itself avoided him.
They were flying at the height of the clouds. Below them, the land blurred into shifting patterns of mountains, rivers, and forests. Within an hour, they had already passed over Veil City.
Riven took out the map and examined it carefully. According to its markings, they would reach the sea in about two days.
After studying it for a moment, he placed two fingers lightly on a point near the coastline.
"Stop," he said.
The Roc halted mid-flight. The old man looked at him confused, but before he could ask anything, the surrounding scenery changed instantly. The mountainous terrain vanished, replaced by a vast forest stretching endlessly below.
Even the Roc seemed startled, its wings faltering briefly before stabilizing again.
Riven gestured calmly. "Continue."
The Roc resumed its flight, though slightly slower than before. Riven continued to study the map, as though carefully adjusting their path.
After two hours of flight, they arrived above a small town. Riven nodded faintly. "The map is quite accurate."
They passed over the town unnoticed, the people below completely unaware of the massive flying beast crossing the sky above them.
...
After some time, the old man glanced toward Riven, hesitating as though he wished to speak.
Riven noticed and said without looking up, "Why don't you tell me about yourself? After that, I will tell you about me."
The old man thought for a moment before nodding.
"My name is Shen Chu," he began. "I was born on this continent."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "When I was fifteen, I joined the Drifting Mist Pavilion. At that time, the sect had only just been established, and the founder saw potential in me. He took me in as his disciple."
"After that, I simply cultivated. The sect provided me with everything I needed, and in return, I brought them recognition. I participated in tournaments, fought against many talented cultivators, and gradually rose to prominence."
"My master once wished to make me the sect leader, but I initially refused because it would have reduced my time for cultivation. However, after reaching the Nascent Soul realm, I eventually accepted the position."
His voice slowed slightly as he continued. "My master later entered seclusion, seeking a breakthrough, but he never succeeded. He passed away ten years after I became sect leader."
There was a brief silence before he spoke again.
"After that, I lost my focus. I stepped down and devoted myself entirely to cultivation. But during my seclusion, the sect was attacked. The new sect leader was killed, along with many elders and disciples… including my wife and my son."
He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.
"By the time I emerged and reached the Spirit Sovereign realm, it was already too late. The sect was barely holding on, but with my strength, it recovered and rose again."
He looked at Riven, his expression calm but heavy.
"My master once told me how it felt to be unable to move forward. Now I understand what he meant. I have reached a point where I see no path ahead."
Then, with quiet sincerity, he said, "Immortal Master… I seek your guidance."
Riven remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the shifting land below.
"I, too, once belonged to a sect," he said at last. "I had a master, a wife, and friends. All of them… are now in the past."
His tone was calm, but there was a depth within it that carried years of experience.
"Everything has been left behind."
After a brief pause, he continued,
"There was already a path for cultivation in front of me."
"But I created a path of my own."