Re-birth: The Beginning after the End-Chapter 240: CHECKING IN

The next morning, before dawn's first light, Li Hua stood in Elder Sun's study, posture perfect as always. Elder Fu sat beside the Vice Sect Master's desk, his expression giving no indication of their shared ordeal in the Forbidden Zone.

"Elder Sun, Elder Fu," Li Hua greeted formally, bowing. Inwardly, she wondered exactly what Elder Fu remembered of their expedition. When Mo Xing and she had followed the nine-tailed fox deeper into the ancient shrine, Elder Fu and the other disciples had still been unconscious from the attack.

"Disciple Li Hua," Elder Sun acknowledged with a slight nod. "I'm pleased to see you've returned safely. Elder Fu reports that you remained behind to investigate the anomalous entities. Were you able to discover anything more about their nature or origin?"

Li Hua maintained her composed expression, remembering that the fox had mentioned leaving a thread of consciousness within Elder Fu—enough to explain her extended absence without revealing too much information. "We encountered several more aberrations," she replied carefully, "but despite extensive observation, their origin remains unclear. They appear to absorb spiritual energy without converting it through any recognized cultivation pathway."

Of course, this was a calculated half-truth. She knew precisely what the entities were—dark matter manifestations from her first life—but had no legitimate way to explain such knowledge. In her original celestial existence, these 'dark matter' entities had roamed the outskirts of the Underworld, near the permeable barriers separating the three primary realms.

As she maintained her composed report to the elders, a memory surfaced with unexpected clarity—she and Mo Xing sitting beneath the stars in the mortal realm, the only neutral territory where the Celestial Princess and Netherworld Emperor could meet without violating heavenly decree.

"It's not about using them as weapons," Mo Xing had insisted, golden eyes reflecting starlight. "They need appropriate containment. Left in the Human Realm, these dark matter entities would devour mortal essence without restraint or purpose. You know this."

The Princess she had been nodded, biting her lips in frustration. "I understand the danger they pose. But is there truly no way to grant them freedom? Must they be devoured or eternally confined?"

"My love," Mo Xing had said, his voice softening as he recognized her compassion, "if you could discover a method to heal them, I would support it completely. I would rather see these fragments restored or their essence reborn into proper form than confined to eternal imprisonment." His golden eyes held genuine admiration for her persistent search for harmony, even while his pragmatic nature acknowledged the immediate danger they posed.

"I'll continue researching in the Celestial Archives," she had promised, determination setting her delicate jaw.

The memory dissolved as Elder Sun's voice pulled her back to the present. "Your observations align with what Elder Fu reported. We'll dispatch several scouts to the Forbidden Zone to investigate further." The Vice Sect Leader made a notation on a jade slip before looking up. "Now, what else could I assist you with, Disciple Li Hua?"

Li Hua composed herself. "I wished to inquire about scheduling my monthly assessment, Elder Sun. Given that I've been gone for two months, I have yet to complete one."

"Ah, yes! Let me consult the schedule." Elder Sun reached for an ornate scroll case bearing the Beast Tamer Sect's emblem. He carefully unraveled the parchment. His finger traced along the ink until stopping in the middle. "In three days, during the afternoon, we have an assessment session scheduled. It will be relatively small—just you and one other disciple. The location will be the Outer Sect training grounds."

Li Hua nodded thoughtfully. She wasn't intimately familiar with the outer sect layout, since she was an inner disciple. She would need to consult with her brother or perhaps review the sect's maps to prepare properly.

"Thank you, Elder Sun. I'll ensure I'm adequately prepared," she responded with appropriate deference.

Elder Fu, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, offered a slight nod of approval. "Your performance in the Forbidden Zone indicates you'll have little difficulty with the assessment."

Li Hua nodded and then bowed respectfully to both elders.

With formal farewells exchanged, she exited the study.

Once she was out of the main hall, Li Hua decided to wander through the Beast Tamer Sect's grounds. Though the compound was large by this world's standards, it couldn't compare to the sprawling celestial domains she was beginning to remember. Still, with fragments of her first life now resurfacing, she found herself seeing the familiar surroundings through transformed awareness—noticing details and patterns that she had previously overlooked.

There was unexpected beauty in this world—subtle harmonies and natural elegance she had never fully appreciated before. Despite the observant nature she had developed in her second life as an assassin, she had somehow missed the vibrant spiritual essence permeating everything around her.

What had once seemed mundane now revealed complex patterns of energy: the way morning dew amplified spiritual circulation in medicinal herbs, how spirit beasts' breathing synchronized with their bonded disciples, the natural formation arrays created by generations of practitioners walking the same paths.

She made her way to the sect's agricultural fields where junior disciples learned to enhance food production through harmonized cultivation. Several young practitioners and their spirit beasts were already tending the plots, their movements creating ripples in the ambient spiritual energy. Finding a quiet spot beneath an ancient willow tree whose branches formed a natural cultivation array, Li Hua settled against its trunk, allowing her enhanced senses to experience the morning's subtle energies.

"Master, what are your plans now?" Little Firefly asked through their mental connection.

Li Hua's fingers traced patterns in the soil beside her—unconsciously replicating celestial formations from her original existence. "Hmm, it seems I've already accomplished my immediate goal of reaching the seventh rank. I no longer need to cultivate as intensively as before. I'll continue training, but perhaps five days a week instead of seven. I'll focus more on independent study and integration of these returning memories. At the assessment, if I perform well, I'm hoping they'll reduce the evaluation frequency from monthly to biannual or even annual. That would provide more flexibility."