NOVPUBLi Hua and Li Wei exchanged amused glances before breaking into synchronous laughter. The moment their mount's talons touched the landing platform, the siblings dismounted with practiced grace, Li Wei pausing briefly to offer formal thanks to their transportation provider while Li Hua surrendered to the moment's joy.
She ran directly into her second brother's outstretched arms, her usual dignity temporarily abandoned as she embraced him. Li Hao's arms enfolded her in a crushing hug that would have damaged a non-cultivator's ribs, his boundless enthusiasm channeled into physical affection as he lifted her momentarily off her feet.
"You're really here!" he exclaimed, his voice carrying the delighted disbelief of someone receiving an unexpected gift. "Both of you! Together! At my sect!" 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Second Brother, put me down!" Li Hua exclaimed through her laughter, momentarily reverting to childish protest.
"Fine, fine," Li Hao relented with his characteristic good humor, gradually lowering her until her feet touched the platform. Though he released her from his embrace, his spiritual energy continued radiating unbridled joy, creating subtle ripples in the ambient essence around them.
Li Wei approached with more restrained dignity, placing a hand on their brother's shoulder in the formal greeting—a gesture immediately undermined by the genuine warmth in his voice. "It's good to see you, Second Brother. We've missed you considerably."
Li Hao grinned, his expression bright. "It's wonderful to see you both as well! How long can you stay?"
"Not long, unfortunately," Li Wei responded gently. "We'll likely need to depart by nightfall."
Hearing this time constraint, Li Hua turned and hurried back to Chen Liang, their transportation provider, who had been respectfully waiting near his silver eagle. From her storage space, she retrieved a small mid-grade spirit stone.
"We might be longer than initially expected," she explained, offering the spirit stone. "Would you please wait for us? This should compensate for any inconvenience."
The man's eyes widened in astonishment as he recognized the value of the offering. "Ah! Miss, this is far too generous for—"
Li Hua waved away his protest before he could complete it. "It's not a problem. I wouldn't feel right keeping you waiting without proper compensation." She paused, her celestial princess's consideration for those who served surfacing naturally. "Have you eaten today? The journey here wasn't brief."
Liang Cheng appeared momentarily flustered by her concern—clearly unaccustomed to such consideration from disciples. "It's fine, truly. I can find something when we return to the village."
Li Hua shook her head and produced a sealed bamboo container from her storage space—one of several nourishment packages she prepared before Grandmaster Yu's departure. "Please accept this. It's only proper that we ensure your wellbeing while you serve as our transportation."
The man's expression shifted from surprise to genuine appreciation, his face softening as he accepted both the spirit stone and the food container with a deep bow. "Then I thank you most sincerely, honored Miss. Your consideration brings credit to the Beast Tamer Sect."
Li Hua nodded, pleased by his acceptance. "We'll return by nightfall."
"Yes, Miss! I'll be prepared whenever you require departure!" he called after her as she returned to her waiting brothers.
As she approached, she noticed both siblings watching her interaction with expressions of mild surprise—Li Wei's subtle raised eyebrow and Li Hao's more obvious wide-eyed stare suggesting they had observed the entire exchange.
"Our sister has become exceptionally kind," Li Hao remarked with pleased wonder, affectionately patting her head. The gesture might have seemed condescending to others, but between them, it carried only genuine brotherly affection.
Li Wei's gaze held more thoughtful consideration, his scholar's perception noting yet another subtle change in his sister's demeanor since her return from the Forbidden Zone. But his observation remained unspoken as they turned toward the Smith Sect's interior, ready to make the most of their limited visitation time.
"Brother, take us to your room first," Li Hua requested as they passed through the imposing spirit-metal gates of the Heavenly Smith Sect.
"Sure, but our residences are segregated by gender," Li Hao explained, his usual exuberance tempered by sect protocols. "You'll need to conceal yourself when we approach the male quarters."
Li Hua nodded, unconcerned. "That's fine. The Void Cloak will suffice."
As they made their way through the compound, Li Hua and Li Wei observed the Heavenly Smith Sect's distinctive architecture and layout. Though smaller in overall size than their sect, the organization reflected a fundamentally different cultivation philosophy. Where Beast Tamers required expansive training grounds for spirit beasts and harmonization exercises, the Smith Sect emphasized concentrated spiritual energy for refinement work.
The central complex contained the standard cultivation components—main hall, dining hall, library—but with notable specialization. The medicinal hall was compact compared to Beast Tamer's extensive herb gardens, focused solely on treating disciples' cultivation injuries rather than the broader training in healing arts that Beast Tamers required for their spirit companions. Instead of meditation caves, the Smith Sect featured individual refinement chambers—specially constructed forging spaces with enhanced arrays that allowed disciples to work with volatile materials safely.
As they passed the central refinement pavilion, Li Hao gestured proudly toward a massive furnace glowing with multicolored flame. "The Heavenly Crucible—it's maintained this perfect spiritual temperature for over eight centuries. Each Sect Elder contributes a drop of essence to sustain it during their tenure."
Li Wei nodded appreciatively, genuinely impressed despite his scholarly reserve. "The energy balance is remarkable. I can detect at least five elemental currents in perfect harmony."
"Seven, actually," Li Hao corrected with uncharacteristic precision. "The wind and light elements are subtly interwoven with the more obvious five."
Their tour continued through specialized training areas where disciples practiced enhancement techniques unique to the Smith Sect—strengthening metal through spiritual resonance rather than physical hammering, purifying ores with essence manipulation, and carving formation scripts with spiritual projection rather than physical tools.
As they neared the entrance to the male disciples' residence, the siblings located a secluded area behind a garden. Li Wei stood watch while Li Hao monitored for passing disciples—both brothers instinctively guarding their sister despite her significantly advanced cultivation base.
"Clear," Li Hao whispered, uncharacteristically serious about this breach of sect protocol.
Li Hua activated the Void Cloak with practiced ease, her form shimmering momentarily before disappearing completely from ordinary perception.
Following her brothers through the male residence halls, Li Hua observed subtle differences from Beast Tamer Sect's architecture—reinforced spirit stone foundations, additional ventilation channels for spiritual discharge, and protective arrays embedded in doorframes that would contain accidental explosions within individual rooms.
When they reached Li Hao's quarters, her brother quickly unlocked three separate spiritual seals—standard protection for disciples working with potentially dangerous refinement materials. Once inside with the door secured, Li Hua quickly released the Void Cloak, materializing in the center of her second brother's living space.
