Liang didn't respond. But inside, his senses sharpened.
This woman…
Her voice softened, thoughtful now.
"Hmm… Heaven-Severing Mortal Unity Scripture, too? How peculiar. What an interesting little soul you have."
A subtle shift flickered across his face-a faint tightening at the corner of his mouth.
She knew both scriptures.
Who was she?
As if reading his thoughts, she let out a dry chuckle.
"No need to overthink it, little fellow. I was just curious."
She raised a frail hand, pointing toward the river.
"Go on. Feed your Spectral Root with it. That's why you came, isn't it?"
Liang's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer.
Then he stepped forward.
The river lay still. The air around it had turned colder-biting deep into his soul.
He knelt, lowering his hand toward the surface.
His fingertips hovered inches above the water.
This was no ordinary river.
