Mirror Dream Tree

At the spot Merin had glanced toward just moments ago, a ship marked with glowing runes drifts invisibly across the ocean waves.

The runes hide it completely from the naked eye, and even Merin's mental domain failed to sense it, both because it was too distant and because its protective inscriptions cut off all probing energies.

On its deck, Yueling and her team stare at a projection of Merin flying through the clouds.

Suddenly, Som says, "That attack on Merin… someone orchestrated it."

Meng tilts his nose toward the sky and inhales sharply.

"It's the hound from the Number Two team," he growls.

Both teams had been sent across the Wind Layer by the Tao Court to this continent on the far side of the Eastern Ocean.

This world is vast, and a dense Wind Layer surrounds its borders.

There are only three paths to cross it: either ascend past it into the Void Layer — where only a Sky Serpent can survive — descend through the deadly Abyss Rift deep enough to reach its far side, or shatter the Wind Layer itself — a feat only possible if one wielded more power than the world itself or if they had the White Divine Tiger's blessing as its guardian.

The White Divine Tiger had personally ferried them across as a favour to the Tao Ancestor, who wished to prepare for the Wind Layer's collapse three thousand years from now and set plans in motion for the Tao Court to conquer this side of the world.

Their mission was to gather intelligence and, more importantly, to capture a spiritual master, as the Tao Lord was curious about the secrets of spiritual cultivation.

"Yang Yu," Yueling calls, voice sharp as her gaze, "come out — we already know you're here."

In the next instant, Yang Yu and his team rise smoothly from the ocean, water streaming from their armour as they step onto the deck.

Yang Yu's eyes narrow.

"Why did you stop us?" he demands.

Som sneers. "With your strength as Earth Grand Masters, capturing someone at the level of a Sky Grand Master would've been a death wish."

Hei Lan, one of Yang Yu's team, folds his arms and says, "Did you forget? We have heavenly runes and can form the Sky Binding Array."

Meng shakes his head. "Are you dreaming? Those runes were given to protect us — you'd never be able to capture the Dragon Master or any other Spirit Master with them."

Yang Yu narrows his eyes at the projection of Merin. "So… you have a plan to capture him?"

Som grins. "Our captain, Yueling, has already advanced to the Sky Grand Master realm."

Yang Yu looks back at them. "If you're a Sky Grand Master, then why didn't you support us? Are you worried we'd steal your credit?"

Som's grin fades, replaced by a cold look. "Our captain isn't like you."

Hei Lan frowns. "Then what's your reason? The Spirit Master was injured, and all his focus was on that Demon Shark. It was the perfect opportunity."

Yueling waves her hand, and the projection flickers, revealing an underwater city bathed in blue light.

"This is the Sea People's city," she says. "And it's close to where they were fighting. The Sea People weren't interested at first — this fight didn't concern them. But if we had appeared there using methods they'd never seen before, it would have. Our priority is to avoid stirring them."

Yang Yu sighs. "And the plan?"

Yueling's gaze sharpens. "The Dragon Master is heading toward Sky Island. I've already sent Kuzan, Tie, and Silli to prepare the Sky Binding Array. It will hold him for a few moments — long enough for us to deploy the Sky Nail Array and seal his cultivation."

Yang Yu nods. "Then we'll help."

Som snorts. "We don't need your help."

"Som," Yueling chides without looking at him, "enough. Go and start the ship."

Som clicks his tongue and mutters, "Credit-stealing thieves," as he turns away.

The others focus on the projection as Merin begins to descend toward a small island with a ship docked nearby.

---

Merin lands on the small sandy island, carrying the huge fin with him as he walks into its centre, where a forest surrounds a quiet lake that hosts only ordinary beasts and fish.

As soon as his feet touch the sand, Yanli, his siblings, and the rest of his group hurry toward him with concern, but Merin quickly assures them he's fine.

A little while later, the captain reports that the ship is damaged and too risky to sail as it is, so they'll need to spend two days on this island to repair it before making a short trip to Tuba Island—a larger island with a proper city where they can fully repair the ship.

Merin agrees, and the group sets up camp near the forest.

By dawn, most of them are asleep or meditating, exhausted from the fight.

Meanwhile, Merin carries the shark's fin some distance away and begins studying its life structure.

Two days pass quickly, though he hardly notices.

When Yanli visits to inform him that the ship is ready to leave for Tuba Island, Merin tells her to go without him and return to pick him up after the full repair.

Yanli simply nods and leaves; she knows once Merin's deep in his studies, nothing can distract him.

He stays in his trance-like comprehension for several more days, finally emerging after grasping only one per cent of the shark's life structure—but that one per cent is enough.

He now knows why his spells failed to harm the shark: its scales are imbued with the artistic conception of resistance.

With that kind of defence, it would take three times the force to penetrate its hide.

Merin ponders how to face future foes like this.

His artistic conception of strength will help him exert greater power.

And his Rule of Vitality grants him nearly endless stamina, allowing him to fight for days if needed.

If he can't kill such beasts in a single strike, then at least he can wear them down over time.

Merin rests and begins to plan.

His realm will improve slowly, so there's little he can do to force that path.

After some thought, he comes to two options: deepen his comprehension of the artistic conception of strength or begin studying the artistic conception of resistance to boost his defence.

He decides to focus on resistance for now, as he can't see a straightforward way to improve his strength any faster.

He returns to studying the shark's life structure, weaving its blueprint into his Dragon Transformation Technique.

He also integrates the life structures of the snakes he had previously studied into the Lizard-Dragon transformation, hoping to evolve it into the fourth level as quickly as possible.

Within his mental world, his dragon form grows as he adds these structures.

Its short tail stretches longer, its scales harden into a sleeker, more compact shape with a faint lustre surrounding its body like a shimmering barrier.

Its muscles grow denser, its bones take on the elasticity of a serpent's, and fins sprout along its back.

As his understanding of the shark's life structure reaches about ten per cent, Merin's focus is interrupted — a ship enters his mental domain.

He senses it's their vessel, and he opens his eyes.

With a breath, he purifies himself and his clothes using natural energy, then looks at the large fin.

He can't take it on board intact, nor can he discard it with so much research left to do.

He breaks the fin into smaller pieces, careful to preserve its structure, then flies up to meet the incoming ship, the pieces held close as he soars across the ocean.

Merin lands on the deck and immediately notices a new member among them — a little girl with porcelain-white skin and delicate features like a doll.

When the girl sees him, her eyes light up. "Brother, you smell nice."

Merin glances toward his sister Nora, who stands nearby. "Who is she?"

Nora replies, "We found her drifting in the ocean while returning."

Merin's gaze sharpens as he looks at the girl.

He tries to probe her with his mental energy, but it meets an unyielding barrier, like hitting a wall of iron.

Bending down, he asks gently, "What's your name?"

The girl scrunches her face in thought. "My mother calls me 'my baby.'"

Merin keeps his voice soft. "Where is your mother?"

"My mother told me not to tell anyone," the girl answers, innocent and matter-of-fact.

"Do you know where she is, then?"

The girl nods.

"Then can you show us the way? We can take you to her."

She shakes her head. "Mother told me not to go. She'll come pick me up."

Merin's thoughts race as he considers what to ask next.

Before he can speak, the girl tilts her head and says, "Brother, why is there a tree inside you?"

Merin frowns. "A tree? What do you mean?"

"You're like a tree," the girl says, voice light and curious, "but you're not here. You're very far away — farther than my mother."

Merin feels a jolt of shock inside but keeps his face calm.

"Really?" he says, straightening.

The girl smiles and then spots Yanli coming up from the cabin.

With a happy squeal, she dashes toward her.

Merin watches her go, deep in thought.

What kind of being is this child — someone who can see his true body across worlds?