The Ascendant River roared like a beast of heaven, jade-blue torrents surging with spiritual pressure. Disciples leapt in one by one, their qi flaring desperately to resist the crushing weight. The water itself was alive with trials—each surge carried elemental force that tested comprehension as much as endurance.
First Trial – The Torrent of Fire
The first wave of the river boiled red, flames bursting from beneath the surface. Dozens of disciples shrieked as their robes smoldered, qi shields burning away under the inferno.
Haotian sank lower into the current, calm as stone. The Flames of the Primordial Sun surged in harmony with the river fire, his body drinking it in as though basking in a sauna. Steam rose around him, the essence tempering his meridians instead of consuming them.
Beside him, Lianhua laughed softly, her Aqua Serpent Codex rippling around her body like flowing water. The fire slid off her serpentine currents harmlessly, turning her aura into glowing mist.
To outside observers, it looked less like they were resisting the trial and more like they were… soaking.
Disciples on the banks shouted:
"Bath Dao! Look! They're literally bathing in the fire!"
"It's working! They aren't even struggling!"
Meanwhile, one overeager disciple tried to copy them by "relaxing" in the fire torrent. A second later, his qi shield burst, and he shot out of the river like a screaming comet, crashing into the rocks.
Second Trial – The Crushing Stone Currents
The next section of the river churned brown, the water thick with earth essence until it flowed like mud. Massive stone boulders formed from the current, slamming into disciples and knocking them tumbling.
Haotian's qi flared with the Stoneheart Codex—his body rooted against the strikes, bones ringing like iron under each impact. The river's weight only tempered his muscles harder, every crash fortifying him further.
Lianhua flowed differently. She invoked the Cloud-Sundering Steps, slipping between the stones as though the mud currents parted for her. Where others flailed, she glided effortlessly.
Watching disciples were slack-jawed.
"They're not even fighting back!"
"Bath Dao has a stone-soaking mode! Truly, they thought of everything!"
Another disciple tried copying again by lying flat and "soaking." A boulder immediately flattened him into the mud before spitting him onto the shore.
Third Trial – The Lightning Veins
A surge of silver light split the current as veins of lightning crackled through the river. Every strike paralyzed disciples mid-stroke, sending bodies spasming before being swept downstream.
Haotian gripped the Fenglong Spear, his Heaven's Thunder Codex resonating with the river. He let the bolts course through him, channeling them into his weapon until the spearhead blazed with void-splitting thunder.
Lianhua spun her blade, lightning racing along its edge, her swordlight dancing in step with his spear arcs. Together, their strikes parted the river, creating a shimmering safe zone of crackling arcs.
From the banks, the scene looked surreal—two figures "bathing" in lightning as though enjoying a heavenly spa.
Disciples whispered:
"They've mastered Electro-Bath Dao!"
"Even thunder bows to them…"
Meanwhile, another imitator tried stretching his arms wide to "embrace" the lightning. The river answered with a thunderclap that launched him smoking out of the water.
Fourth Trial – The River of Illusions
The current darkened, reflecting the inner hearts of disciples. One by one, they screamed at phantoms of failure, betrayal, or temptation, thrashing until the current claimed them.
Haotian's golden eyes, the Eyes of the Universe, pierced through illusion as easily as reading a flawed scroll. Each mirage dissolved before him, revealing the true flow beneath.
Lianhua's Radiant Dawn Sutra shone from her body like dawn breaking the night, dispelling illusions with sheer radiance. She grasped Haotian's hand, their combined light piercing through the current.
To the onlookers, the pair seemed to float serenely downriver, glowing like lanterns, as if the illusions dared not even approach them.
Whispers spread like wildfire:
"Bath Dao cleanses even the heart's demons!"
"They're… they're soaking away illusions!"
Meanwhile, disciples floundered, shouting things like "No, Senior Sister, don't leave me!" before being swept out of the river unconscious.
When Haotian and Lianhua reached the deeper currents, the water surged with a mix of all elements—flame, stone, wind, lightning, illusion—crashing in waves meant to break even the strongest. Disciples still afloat screamed in desperation, their qi shields cracking, meridians trembling.
Haotian and Lianhua simply sat cross-legged on the surface of the torrent, hand in hand, their dual cultivation resonance flaring. Opposing elements merged—fire and water, stone and wind, lightning and wood—spinning around them in seamless cycles.
The river currents crashed, but instead of resisting, the pair let themselves soak, their bodies glowing as their meridians absorbed the energy directly.
From the shore, the entire sect gasped as they saw the impossible: two figures literally bathing in the heart of the Ascendant River.
The legend of Bath Dao was sealed forever.
Council of Elders – The Aftermath of the River Trial
The Ascendant River gradually calmed as the last surviving disciples crawled onto the banks, shivering, burned, or drenched to the bone. Many had failed early, some staggered through battered but alive, yet only a handful had endured until the river's final stages.
At the forefront, Haotian and Lianhua stepped out together. Their robes glistened faintly, qi spirals glowing around them as if the river's essence itself still clung to their bodies. They walked with quiet serenity, faces calm, skin radiant, every breath exuding balance and strength.
Disciples on the shore broke into whispers:
"They… they didn't even fight the river…"
"They just soaked in it and came out stronger."
"Bath Dao is real. Bath Dao… is invincible."
The Sect Master and elders convened immediately afterward in the jade council hall.
Sect Master Long Tianzhao stood at the head of the chamber, robes flowing like storm clouds. He tapped his fingers lightly on the dragon-carved table, his sharp gaze sweeping across the elders.
"What we witnessed today," he said slowly, "was not ordinary cultivation. Those two… endured the river's flames, stones, thunder, and illusions not by resistance, but by acceptance. They absorbed the current into themselves. Their bodies and meridians tempered as if the river was… a bath."
Several elders nodded gravely.
Elder Zhanqing, stern and always the skeptic, leaned forward. His brows furrowed. "Bath Dao?" he scoffed. "Do not trivialize it with such names. This is clearly some form of body-tempering dual resonance. They must have discovered a harmony technique between opposing elements. The… soaking is incidental."
But his words lacked conviction. Even he had seen the way Haotian and Lianhua simply floated through trials that left others in agony.
Elder Minghua stroked her long sleeve, eyes shining with curiosity. "Incidental? I think not. The essence of Haotian's concoction was clearly an alchemical bath solution, refined through arrays. Did you not see how their skin radiated medicinal glow? They were absorbing tempering essences even as they bathed."
She tapped her fan lightly on the table. "He combined body cultivation, alchemy, and dual resonance… into a bath. Elegant. Efficient. I daresay revolutionary."
Great Elder Zhantian, who rarely spoke unless matters weighed heavily, finally raised his voice. "Revolutionary… yes. But also dangerous. To temper the body and spirit in such a way is to rewrite foundations. If lesser disciples imitate without comprehension, they will drown."
He paused, stroking his long white beard. "Yet… if perfected, Bath Dao may indeed be written into the sect's legacy."
At last, Elder Renshu chuckled from the corner, sipping his ever-present tea. "Bath Dao, Bath Dao… the name alone will echo for generations. Mark my words, they will laugh now, but in a hundred years, disciples will beg to study this method."
The others turned to glare at him, but his eyes twinkled knowingly. Those brats… they turned a bathhouse into a cultivation chamber, and the sect will never recover from the gossip.
The Sect Master finally raised his hand, silencing the debate.
"Regardless of what we call it, what cannot be denied is this: Zhenlong Haotian and Bai Lianhua have proven a new path within cultivation. They passed the river not with defiance, but with harmony. Not with fists, but with stillness. The sect must acknowledge this."
His eyes gleamed. "Bath Dao… hm. Perhaps the name is foolish. But its results are undeniable. From today forward, I will order this phenomenon recorded in the sect archives. Let history judge what it truly is."
The elders bowed in agreement, though some still muttered about "ridiculous naming."
Renshu smirked behind his cup. "Bath Dao enters the records… truly, a glorious day."
The sun had already dipped low when Haotian and Lianhua returned to their residence. Their robes still hummed faintly with qi, every breath drawing curious looks from passing disciples. But the moment their doors shut, the world's whispers faded, replaced by the gentle trickle of the bathhouse spring.
Inside, the misty chamber glowed with residual essence. Lianhua flopped onto the jade edge of the pool, her damp hair clinging to her neck, and let out a playful laugh.
"Well, well, husband," she said, her voice lilting with mischief. "The elders have spoken. You're officially the Founder of Bath Dao."
Haotian groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Don't start."
She leaned closer, violet eyes glinting like starlight. "Sect history will remember you not only as a spear genius, not only as a cultivator of ten elements… but as the man who bathed his way through the Ascendant River Trial."
Haotian muttered, "I should have named it something else before they did."
"Oh no," she teased, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Bath Dao is perfect. Simple. Memorable. Glorious. Future disciples will recite your bath-time wisdom for centuries." She grinned, whispering: "Perhaps even sing ballads."
Haotian closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "I regret everything."
But her laughter melted the gloom, and he couldn't help but smile faintly. He turned his gaze serious again, eyes of the universe flickering with golden light.
"Jokes aside, the trial proved something important," he said. "Our resonance lets us fuse opposing elements smoothly. But we're still incomplete. Without Light and Shadow, the circle isn't whole. We need both to achieve the full Ten Elemental Body."
Lianhua straightened, her playful expression softening. "The Radiant Dawn Sutra is already with me," she said quietly, streams of light flickering faintly across her skin. "But shadow…"
Haotian nodded. "The Ebon Night Codex. We'll need the environment of the Whispering Abyss for it. It won't be easy, and it won't be safe."
For a moment, the steam and silence lingered. Then Lianhua leaned into him again, voice warm but firm. "Danger or not, I'll walk that path with you. Bath Dao, Spear Dao, even Shadow Dao—whatever Dao you create, I'll follow."
Haotian chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "You just want more baths."
Her lips curved in a sly smile. "Exactly. But only if you're in them."
The two sat together in the rising mist, the laughter fading into comfortable quiet. Outside, the sect still buzzed with gossip, disciples debating the mysteries of Bath Dao. But inside the bathhouse, Haotian and Lianhua were already looking beyond—to light, shadow, and the road to perfection.
Two days after the river trial ended, the Grand Assembly Plaza was packed. Disciples lined the marble steps as Sect Master Long Tianzhao rose from his seat on the jade dais, his voice booming across the mountains.
"Disciples of the Azure Dragon Sky Sect, the Ascendant River has tested you. Some endured, others fell, and a few emerged transformed. Today, we honor your standings."
Golden light spilled across the plaza as a projection of names and rankings appeared in the sky.
1st Place: Zhenlong Haotian
2nd Place: Bai Lianhua
3rd Place: Su Ming (Inner Peak disciple)
4th Place: Wen Qingyao (Alchemy Hall)
5th Place: Duan Jian (Martial Hall)
Gasps echoed through the plaza, though none were surprised by the top two. The sight of Haotian and Lianhua, serene as ever, was already etched in every disciple's mind from the trial.
Sect Master Long Tianzhao raised a hand. "The top three will each be granted access to the Celestial Armory Vault for seven days, as well as contribution rewards. Zhenlong Haotian and Bai Lianhua, your names shall be engraved upon the Dragonstone Pillars for your harmony in the river."
The disciples cheered, but beneath the noise, the whispers spread like wildfire:
"Bath Dao… they bathed their way to first and second place…"
"Even the Dragonstone will record it now!"
"We… we must master Bath Dao too!"
On the elder's platform, Elder Renshu sipped his tea, eyes twinkling. Bath Dao's legacy grows longer by the day.
Back in the quiet of their residence, Haotian unrolled a long scroll across the table. It was filled with careful diagrams—formation arrays, talisman inscriptions, pill recipes. Lianhua leaned over his shoulder, chin resting lightly as she watched him work.
Haotian's voice was calm but steady. "The Whispering Abyss will be unlike the river. Its environment is drenched in corrupted dark-element chi. If we simply enter unprepared, our meridians could destabilize."
He began setting aside bundles of herbs, powders, and jade slips.
Haotian and Lianhua laid out their supplies in silence, both moving with the ease of shared understanding.
Pills: healing elixirs, spirit recovery draughts, and a carefully prepared stock of Crystal Vein Pills to ensure their spirit stones would be used to their fullest once inside the abyss.
Talismans: Phantom Wards for illusions, Beast-Binding slips for abyss creatures.
Formations: suppression arrays for abyssal chi, corruption-purging circles, and stabilizers to balance yin and yang circulation.
Lianhua traced the runes with her fingertip, her expression serious. "If not for these safeguards, the abyss might corrupt us before we even touch the Nether Night Codex. Your foresight… it makes me proud."
Haotian gave her a small smile. "We'll need discipline as much as protection. I'll begin with cultivating the Nether Night Codex first. Shadow before light. You'll continue strengthening the Radiant Dawn Sutra. When the time is right, we'll switch and—"
"—dual cultivate," Lianhua finished for him, cheeks faintly warm, though her eyes were unwavering. "Yin and yang. Light and shadow. Only by joining them can we complete the Ten Elemental Body Physique."
Haotian nodded. "Exactly. We'll not only balance the extremes, but use them to temper one another. Only then can we reach beyond even the so-called limits of immortality."
The two sat together in silence for a moment, the weight of their plan pressing upon them. Outside, disciples still whispered "Bath Dao" like a secret spell, but within their chambers, the Zhenlong couple prepared for something far greater—the abyss, and the final step toward elemental completion.
The Celestial Armory Vault stood like a fortress within the sect's deepest mountain. Carved into the living jade of the peak itself, its massive dragon-carved gates shimmered with layers of ancient seals, each older than the sect itself. Only the Sect Master's personal command and the flow of contribution points could open its treasures.
Haotian and Lianhua stood before the gate alongside Su Ming, the third-place disciple. Sect Master Long Tianzhao raised his hand, dragon qi surging through the formation. The seals cracked open like thunder, revealing rows of glimmering weapon racks, pill cauldrons, crystal shelves, and scroll libraries within.
"You each have seven days," Tianzhao intoned. "What you can comprehend or refine during this time is yours to keep. The vault does not gift power freely—only those who grasp its essence may claim it."
The gates rumbled shut behind them.
Day 1–2: Browsing the Treasures
Lianhua wandered among towering shelves of jade slips, her fingers brushing against scrolls of long-lost martial arts. She paused before one—a Sword Sutra of the Flowing Radiance, clearly kin to her Radiant Dawn Sutra, but filled with intricate sword movements that aligned perfectly with her style. Her eyes lit up.
Haotian, meanwhile, ignored the more ostentatious treasures. His golden Eyes of the Universe scanned each scripture and manual, instantly detecting flaws like ink blots on paper. Even the vaunted sky-grade manuals here were imperfect. He jotted down corrections quietly, not claiming them outright but storing insights within his mind.
"Most of these are valuable," he murmured to himself, "but… flawed. Useful, but not yet perfect."
Day 3–4: Weapon Hall
Haotian stopped before a rack of weapons sealed in crystal light. His hand hovered over an ancient spear with dragon patterns etched into its shaft—the Azure Dragon Soul Spear, a weapon said to have been wielded by a founding ancestor.
His Fenglong Spear trembled faintly on his back, as if resonating with the dragon-etched weapon. He did not claim it outright, but instead studied the forging inscriptions along the shaft, memorizing each formation array for later correction.
Lianhua teased him from across the hall, her own attention caught by a sword of pale radiance. "If you take that spear, everyone will finally believe you're the Sect Master's secret son."
Haotian groaned. "Don't start."
Day 5–6: Alchemy & Forging Annex
The vault's alchemy chamber was a paradise for Haotian. Shelves upon shelves of rare herbs rested in stasis arrays, glowing softly. He quickly took samples of spirit herbs necessary for refining higher-grade Crystal Vein Pills and new elixirs designed to resist corruption—a direct preparation for the Whispering Abyss.
Lianhua, watching him work, chuckled softly. "You never stop. Even surrounded by weapons and treasures, you're still correcting pills."
Haotian replied without looking up: "Steel and jade can be stolen. Knowledge can't."
She smiled faintly at that.
Day 7: Closing the Vault
On their final day, the pair sat cross-legged in the scroll library, exchanging insights. Lianhua demonstrated a radiant sword movement from the Flowing Radiance Sutra, while Haotian countered with an adapted spear form born from the Voidpiercer Sutra. The clash of light and void cracked the vault floor slightly, forcing them both to laugh sheepishly.
When the gates opened once more, they stepped out refreshed, carrying only a few physical treasures but countless corrected insights within their minds. Su Ming, who had chosen to focus on weapon resonance, shot them both a respectful look, though his eyes betrayed envy at their quiet confidence.
Sect Master Long Tianzhao studied Haotian and Lianhua, his gaze lingering for a long moment before he nodded. "Good. With this foundation, you may step into the abyss and not be swallowed whole."
That evening, back at their residence, Haotian began arranging their supplies once more. The herbs from the vault had already been refined into purification pills and stronger ward talismans, while the formation diagrams he had copied were being re-inscribed onto fresh jade plates.
Lianhua sat opposite him, her Radiant Dawn Sutra glowing faintly as she absorbed light essence from a crystal lamp. "The abyss will test us differently than the river. Do you truly think we'll be able to withstand the corruption?"
Haotian set down a jade plate, his golden eyes calm. "With preparation and discipline, yes. I will cultivate the Nether Night Codex first. You'll strengthen the Radiant Dawn Sutra until its light can cut through shadow. Then, when the time is right, we'll switch. Dual cultivation will harmonize them both. Only then will the Ten Elemental Body Physique be complete."
Lianhua nodded slowly, then gave him a mischievous smile. "Bath Dao, Nether Dao, Radiant Dao… in the end, every Dao you touch turns into something new."
Haotian groaned quietly. "…Don't remind me."
The Mission Hall was alive with chatter, jade slips glowing as disciples browsed for opportunities to earn contribution points and prestige. Haotian and Lianhua walked side by side, their presence immediately drawing eyes. Ever since the River Trial, whispers of Bath Dao trailed them like an echo.
They stepped before the great jade wall, where missions shimmered in glowing script. Haotian's gaze locked immediately onto one:
[High-Danger Mission: Survey the Whispering Abyss. Objective: chart abyssal fluctuations, slay beasts of the dark, and recover abyssal essence stones. Recommendation: minimum team of six core disciples.]
Haotian pressed his palm against the jade slip to register their names. The glow wavered, then dimmed. A moment later, the supervising elder appeared—Elder Han, the Mission Hall overseer, stern-faced and sharp-eyed.
"Zhenlong Haotian. Bai Lianhua." His brows drew together. "You wish to take the Abyss mission?"
Haotian bowed respectfully. "Yes. The two of us."
Han shook his head immediately. "Impossible. This mission is classified extreme-risk. The abyss is no simple trial ground. Its corruptive qi and abyssal beasts devour squads, not individuals. Sect protocol demands a minimum team of six. Even you two cannot overrule that."
Lianhua exchanged a quick look with Haotian. He frowned, deep in thought. If we cannot take the mission as a pair, how can we enter the abyss to cultivate the shadow element?
Lianhua bit her lip. We can't openly tell them why we must go, but how else can we bypass this?
The hall was tense until heavy footsteps sounded from the entrance.
A group of core disciples entered together, their jade badges gleaming with rank. At their head was Su Ming, the third-ranked of the Ascendant River Trial, followed by Wen Qingyao of the Alchemy Hall and Duan Jian of the Martial Hall.
Su Ming gave a respectful cupped-fist salute. "Elder Han. We, too, have set our sights on the Whispering Abyss. The sect needs strong disciples to take on such danger. We request to be assigned together with Zhenlong Haotian and Bai Lianhua."
The elder's brows lifted. "You… wish to join them?"
Su Ming nodded, his expression firm. "I witnessed their harmony in the River Trial. If anyone can lead a mission into the Abyss and return alive, it is them. I trust Zhenlong Haotian's judgment—and I wish to temper myself alongside them."
Wen Qingyao adjusted her alchemist's robes, a faint smile on her lips. "Besides, someone will need to analyze abyssal herbs and concoct antidotes on-site. Better me than leaving it to chance."
Duan Jian smirked, flexing his fists. "And someone has to punch abyss beasts in the face. That'll be me."
Behind them stood two quieter disciples—one specializing in formations, the other in talismans. Together, they made up a balanced squad of six.
Elder Han studied them for a long moment, then exhaled through his nose. "Very well. A full team. That satisfies the requirement. The Whispering Abyss mission is yours."
He pressed his seal into the jade slip. It flared bright, then settled into Haotian's hand. "You leave at dawn."
As the group dispersed, Su Ming lingered. He leaned toward Haotian with a quiet, almost conspiratorial smile. "I know you wanted to go alone, but the Abyss… it's a place where one man's power may not be enough. Consider us your shield if nothing else."
Haotian's golden eyes narrowed slightly, then softened. "Understood. But stay disciplined. The Abyss is not forgiving."
Lianhua watched quietly, sensing the new dynamic forming. While she trusted Haotian utterly, she also knew—having other core disciples with them meant more eyes watching their every move. If they weren't careful, the secret of the Ten Elemental Body Physique could slip out.
That night, in their bathhouse chamber, Haotian spread new diagrams across the jade table.
"Now we must adjust," he said softly. "With allies, we can't simply cultivate openly. Pills, talismans, and formations must be disguised as general mission tools."
Lianhua nodded, her voice calm. "We'll adapt. Let them believe this is just about abyssal beasts and abyssal stones. Our true cultivation will be hidden within the shadows themselves."
Her eyes gleamed with determination. "You will take up the Nether Night Codex, and I'll remain with the Radiant Dawn Sutra. When the time comes, we'll switch, and then dual cultivate. But until then… we must move carefully."
Haotian reached over, taking her hand. "Carefully—but together. No abyss, no corruption, no shadow can divide us."
Outside, the sect bells tolled the hour. The Whispering Abyss mission was set. At dawn, they would depart—six disciples walking into the darkness, but only two carrying the true purpose of mastering it.