My Xianxia Harem Life

Chapter 362: Chapter 362 Vacation

Adam shook his head, deciding not to waste any more words on his disciple.

The boy was clever, but sometimes far too talkative for his own good.

He took a deep breath and said in a calm, measured tone,

”Let’s go somewhere quiet. I want to hear about your trip to the Frozen Flame Sect.”

”Of course, Master. Please follow me. I’ll have a feast prepared in your honor,” Riley replied eagerly, straightening his back as he gestured toward the inner path of the mountain.

Adam chuckled softly but shook his head.

”No feast. I’ve had enough of those to last me another million years. The last time someone insisted, I nearly drowned in spirit wine and roasted spirit beast meat.”

Riley smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. ”Heh... understood, Master. Then I’ll just prepare some tea instead.”

”That’s better,” Adam said, his tone softening as he followed Riley.

They walked side by side, the mountain air cool and filled with spiritual energy.

Wisps of mist curled around their feet as they passed through towering pines and glowing spirit stones embedded in the cliffs.

The path wound upward, leading to a secluded terrace where the view stretched endlessly over the valley below.

Birds with shimmering feathers flew between the peaks, and the faint hum of an ancient formation could be heard beneath the earth.

They made small talk as the two continued their ascent in comfortable silence until they reached a stone pavilion overlooking a vast sea of clouds.

There, the wind was calm and fragrant with spirit herbs growing along the ledges.

Adam stopped and turned to face his disciple.

”Now,” he said quietly, his tone carrying a weight of authority, ”tell me everything. What truly happened during your trip to the Frozen Flame Sect?”

Riley’s expression changed, the warmth fading from his face as memories of that journey began to surface.

***

An hour later, the two sat at a carved jade table overlooking the misty valley below.

The faint scent of spirit tea filled the air, curling upward with the steam from their cups.

Between them, silence reigned — heavy, thoughtful, and not without tension.

Elder Adam had already asked everything that needed to be asked about the Frozen Flame Sect, yet both men sat quietly, as though measuring the weight of each unspoken word.

Riley held his teacup with steady hands, his expression calm, almost serene.

But beneath that façade, his thoughts churned.

Of course, he hadn’t told the whole truth.

He spoke carefully, sticking to the story he and Selena had agreed upon.

According to his account, they had been ambushed by corrupted evil disciples, saved only because a mysterious cultivator appeared at the last moment.

Everything matched perfectly with Selena’s version — every detail, every timeline.

They had planned it all days in advance, anticipating Elder Adam’s keen eyes and sharper intuition.

Selena herself had been the first to sense that Riley possessed something extraordinary within him, something he refused to reveal.

She never asked, never doubted — she simply chose to protect him in silence. Perhaps it was love.

Or perhaps it was the unspoken bond between two people who shared both risk and secret.

Elder Adam slowly exhaled, setting down his cup. His gaze was sharp, yet distant, as though he were peering through the mist and into the past.

”The Divine Executioner...” he murmured. ”That name again. I wonder what his real goal is.”

”Is he not doing good for the land, Master?” Riley asked, his tone light, innocent. ”Surely someone who kills evil sects and demons can’t be evil himself, right? We should hunt down those dark cultivators — wipe them out to the last disciple.”

Adam let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no amusement in his eyes.

”If only righteousness were that simple, my boy.” He lifted his cup again, his reflection shimmering in the tea’s surface. ”The Immortal Continent is but a fragment of the greater whole. Beyond our skies lie other immortal realms — vast, ancient, and filled with powers that make even our greatest sects look like insects. If balance is lost here, even slightly, it could draw the eyes of those realms. And if that happens...”

He paused, his voice lowering to a grave tone. ”All we’ve built could be reduced to dust in an instant.”

Riley kept his face composed, though his heart gave a small, nervous flutter. ”But surely, that’s just a possibility, Master? Something that may never come to pass?”

”Perhaps,” Adam replied with a faint smile. ”Perhaps not. The balance of heaven and earth has always been a delicate thread — one that countless beings have tried to control.” He leaned back slightly, his eyes softening.

”Still, I suppose I’m worrying too much. You were lucky to come back alive, Riley. Another moment, another misstep, and you might have—”

He didn’t finish. A loud crash echoed from outside, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps pounding up the steps toward the pavilion.

”Master! Master! Master!” came an urgent shout, panicked and raw.

The peaceful air shattered like brittle glass.

The tea rippled in their cups as the door was flung open, and one of Riley’s men stumbled in, his face pale, robes torn and bloodstained.

Elder Adam’s eyes narrowed instantly, his relaxed posture vanishing.

”What happened?” he demanded, his voice now carrying the weight of command.

The heavy wooden door swung open with a violent bang, striking the stone wall behind it.

A man stumbled in, his chest heaving, face flushed with both fear and fury.

”Master Riley!” he gasped, eyes darting between Riley and Elder Adam. ”Something terrible has happened!”

Riley set his teacup down gently, not spilling a drop. His calm composure contrasted sharply with the panic filling the room.

”What is it?” he asked, his voice cool and steady — a tone that somehow made the disciple’s trembling worse.

The man bowed quickly, words tumbling from his lips.

”M-Master, three of our women have been taken! They were tending to the spirit pond when a group of masked cultivators appeared out of nowhere. We tried to pursue, but they vanished—”

He didn’t finish. The next instant, a powerful gust of wind swept through the hall, scattering papers and rattling the teacups.

Riley was no longer at the table.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing before the disciple — so close that the man froze in shock, unable to even react.

The look in Riley’s eyes had changed; the gentle calm had been replaced by a glacial sharpness that made even air seem to tremble around him.

”Show me,” Riley said in a low, deadly tone.

His spiritual pressure surged for an instant before he vanished, his figure dissolving into the air like smoke.

The disciple gawked, eyes wide, heart hammering. ”W–wait for me, Master Riley!” he shouted, stumbling forward as he sprinted after him down the corridor.

Inside the now-silent room, the lingering wind stirred the edges of the tablecloth.

Elder Adam stood still, his expression unreadable for several heartbeats. Then he exhaled, his gaze narrowing with both awe and suspicion.

”That speed...” he muttered, almost to himself. ”Impossible. Even among the elder disciples of the sect, few could move like that.”

He turned his head toward the doorway, the faintest glimmer of unease flickering in his eyes. ”Riley... just what have you become?”

Without another word, Adam’s figure blurred and disappeared as well, his robes whipping in the wind he left behind.

Outside, the peaceful mountain air had already turned chaotic.

Disciples were running through the courtyards, shouting orders and gathering weapons.

Riley’s expression hardened as he turned to the trembling men gathered before him.

His voice, calm but sharp as a blade, cut through the murmurs.

”Who took them?” he asked. The question carried such authority that no one dared hesitate.

One of the men stepped forward at once, his fists clenched and knuckles white.

”We don’t know, Master,” he said quickly. ”They wore masks. There were five of them in total. We tried to stop them, but...” His voice faltered, shame flashing across his face.

”They were too strong. We fought as best we could, but some of our brothers were gravely injured in the process.”

The air around Riley grew colder. He didn’t speak.

Instead, he closed his eyes and released his divine sense — a wave of invisible power that swept across the sect like a silent storm.

The very earth seemed to tremble as his perception expanded outward, blanketing every peak, hall, and valley within miles.

He could see everything in an instant — the flow of qi, the movements of every disciple, the faint ripple of footsteps hidden in the western direction.

It took him only seconds to locate them: five figures well hidden inside the sect.

When Riley opened his eyes, a cold gleam flickered within them — sharp, merciless, and deadly calm. ”I’ve found them,” he said quietly.

The nearby men shivered; even those standing several steps away felt the pressure of his killing intent pressing against their skin.

He reached into his sleeve and produced a small jade bottle, tossing it to the nearest man.

The bottle emitted a faint glow, the scent of potent medicine leaking through the seal.

”Take these pills to the injured ones,” Riley ordered. ”Each should take one. It will heal their wounds and stabilize their spirit veins.”

The man caught it carefully, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground. ”Y–yes, Master Riley! Thank you!”

Riley gave a short nod and, without another word, stepped forward. In the next moment, his body rose smoothly into the air — no talisman, no treasure, no visible technique.

One instant he was standing on the ground; the next, he was soaring upward as if gravity itself had released its grip on him.

The wind roared, swirling around his figure like a tempest, and within seconds he was no more than a glimmer of light vanishing into the vast blue sky.

The disciples below stared upward, mouths agape. None of them spoke, afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Behind them, Elder Adam remained still for a long moment, his eyes following the shrinking figure of his disciple.

Then, slowly, he exhaled, his heart pounding despite his composed expression.

”He... can fly?” he whispered to himself, disbelief clear in his tone. ”Without the aid of a flying treasure?”

He frowned deeply. That was no minor feat.

To fly freely through the air required one to reach the Core Heart Harmony Realm, a level far above what Riley should have been capable of.

The realization sent a chill down his spine, and yet, deep within, a spark of intrigue and pride flickered in his chest.

A wry smile curved Adam’s lips.

”It seems my dear disciple has been hiding his true strength far more deeply than I imagined,” he murmured. ”To think he’s grown this powerful under my nose...”

He glanced at the disciples, still frozen in shock, and straightened.

”Tend to the wounded and secure the sect’s perimeter,” he commanded, his voice regaining its usual authority. ”I’ll handle the rest.”

Before anyone could reply, his body blurred, leaving only a ripple of spiritual energy in the air.

Elder Adam had vanished.

High above the sect, the wind howled as two streaks of light cut across the horizon — one silver, one gold.

Riley flew ahead, his eyes locked on where the kidnappers hid.

His fury radiated in waves, shaking the clouds around him.

Behind him, Adam followed closely, curiosity and concern warring in his heart.

”Riley...” Adam thought grimly as he accelerated. ”Just what kind of secret are you hiding from your master?”