Rosalind shot up with a sharp gasp, her fair head instantly registering the diminutive figure standing beside her.

Before she could process a reaction, her footing suddenly betrayed her, sending her tumbling toward the spring.

“Ah!” A cry tore from Rosalind’s lips, piercing the profound silence of the night so sharply one might think she had been mortally wounded. Just as her body was about to kiss the water’s surface, the bizarre occurred: an invisible, immense force suddenly arrested her fall, gently setting her back down upon the bluestone.

Though saved from disaster, Rosalind remained visibly shaken, barely having the presence of mind to question what had just transpired.

After an unknowable passage of time, Rosalind finally registered the presence of another person nearby and quickly turned her gaze. Upon closer inspection, she froze. Was this not the young boy she had seen earlier that day? How could he be here?

Indeed, the person she beheld was none other than Zhong Shennong!

“You, you—” Rosalind attempted to speak, only to find her mind frustratingly blank.

“Potential is there, but reaction time is too slow,” Zhong Shenxiu ignored Rosalind’s astonishment and offered his assessment, seemingly to himself.

A brief silence followed, the two staring intently at each other. This wasn't mutual engagement; Rosalind was speechless from shock, while Zhong Shenxiu simply observed, seeing no need for conversation.

Zhong Shenxiu found the elf less novel than he had imagined. While her constitution was unique, it hadn't reached a level warranting further personal study, so he quickly averted his gaze. He hadn't come here to relax; he had serious business, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Seeing Zhong Shenxiu turn to leave, Rosalind’s burgeoning questions only intensified. She parted her lips to speak but ultimately held back.

Just as she pondered whether to continue her cultivation here or return, the scene before her caused her to freeze once more. She watched Zhong Shenxiu walk directly into the spring. Heavens, what was he doing? Surely he wasn't contemplating something drastic?

That thought was instantly overturned by the sight that followed: Zhong Shenxiu was walking upon the water’s surface, his movements as relaxed and natural as if treading flat ground!

What—what was happening?

Rosalind was bewildered. This was the most fantastical thing she had ever witnessed, but more astonishing events were yet to come.

Zhong Shenxiu reached the very center of the spring, looked up toward the full moon hanging in the sky, and appeared lost in thought—or perhaps, observing something intently.

In a mere instant, a brilliant light erupted from his eyes, and his hands began executing a flurry of seals!

As his movements accelerated, the spring itself began to change. Ripples first radiated outward from him, and then the entire “Moonlight Spring” began to shimmer with a dazzling, kaleidoscopic light!

Rosalind was now utterly dumbfounded. Though she couldn't discern the precise movements of his hands, she clearly saw moonlight—like thin swathes of gossamer—drifting down into the water. The “Moonlight Spring” seemed to awaken, responding to the celestial infusion! Everything unfolding before her utterly transcended her comprehension. With the elves' inherent sensitivity, she sensed that this “Moonlight Spring” was now surging with power, perhaps rivaling even the elven sacred site, the “Spring of Life”! This realization made her heart pound violently, stealing the very air from her lungs.

Then, suddenly, several high-grade Immortal Stones materialized before Zhong Shenxiu, moving in irregular, steady orbits around his body!

Zhong Shenxiu surveyed his surroundings with his divine sense. Having confirmed the opportune moment, he arranged the stones around the perimeter of the “Moonlight Spring” based on the principles of the Five Elements’ generation and restraint. Then, his hands formed a new set of seals, this time causing the spring's multicolored glow to gradually fade until it vanished entirely.

Simultaneously, Rosalind’s powerful sensation vanished as well, as if the entire “Moonlight Spring” had reverted to its previous, ordinary state.

Having completed his task, Zhong Shenxiu finally withdrew his hands and returned to the bank. He glanced at the petrified Rosalind, offered no word, and walked away down the small path.

He needed to survey the terrain not only here but in other areas to prepare for the deployment of a grand formation. Through his efforts, he had successfully transformed the “Moonlight Spring”; Robin’s tribulation would commence within its waters.

That night, the moon was exceptionally bright, bathing the earth and all things in a clear, ethereal glow.

Long after Zhong Shenxiu had departed, Rosalind remained fixed upon the bluestone, frozen. The breathtaking spectacle she had just witnessed replayed incessantly in her mind like a relentless slide show.

What had he done?

Rosalind’s curiosity became an overwhelming obsession. Anyone facing such an event would find the desire to know impossible to suppress. Unable to resist the pull of the unknown, Rosalind resolved to investigate herself.

To uncover the mystery, she would have to reach the center of the spring where Zhong Shenxiu had stood; perhaps there she would find a clue.

Rosalind hastily summoned a flight spell and cautiously drifted toward the water. What she never could have conceived, however, was that the moment she passed the periphery, she slammed into an invisible barrier and was violently thrown back.

The force was immense, utterly irresistible. Rosalind crashed hard onto the stone ground, the sting in her backside leaving her unable to rise for a long time.

“How could this be?” Rosalind murmured to herself.

After resting a moment, she gathered her resolve and tried again, approaching the spring with stubborn disbelief, but the result was the same: she was thrown back onto the stone floor again!

This time, she finally settled down, though she stared blankly at the “Moonlight Lake.” It was clear that the little elf was guaranteed to suffer sleepless nights upon returning home.

The next morning

“Nizi, take Robin out shopping today,” Zhong Shenxiu said something utterly bizarre to Keni.

Keni stared at him blankly, momentarily suspecting her ears had deceived her. Xiao Xiu actually wanted her to take Robin shopping?

Zhong Shenxiu shifted his gaze to the equally bewildered Robin and spoke, “Robin, there’s no need to rush your cultivation these next few days. You can put it aside for a while. State of mind is the most crucial element. Remember, you must control your emotions!”

Robin nodded, beginning to understand why Zhong Shenxiu wanted her to go shopping: it was to help her relax her mind so she could face her impending tribulation with a better disposition.

Now, all Robin needed to do was stabilize her mental state. Inner demons were most likely to surface during the tribulation, which was why Zhong Shenxiu insisted she focus on her mindset. Robin needed to worry about nothing else; Zhong Shenxiu would handle the arrangements. Though the official start date for the “Magic Exchange Fair” hadn't arrived, the streets of “Ivory Castle” were already bustling, filled with mages passing to and fro, as if all practitioners had converged here.

Keni walked aimlessly down the street, carrying Niuniu and with Robin trailing behind. Along the roadside, one could see small stalls selling mostly minor magical trinkets.

As they proceeded, they passed banners celebrating the “Magic Exchange Fair,” and smiles adorned everyone’s faces.

Just as Keni walked forward, a woman’s voice called out from behind her, “Pardon me, may I bother you for a moment?”

Keni stopped and turned. A strikingly beautiful woman stood behind her.

The woman held a small girl, perhaps two years old, in her arms, while a middle-aged man stood beside her.

Keni’s immediate reaction was that she didn't recognize the trio. Yet, looking at the woman, she felt a strange, nagging sense of familiarity, like seeing someone she couldn't quite place.

“Hello, sorry to interrupt,” the woman said with a gentle, friendly smile.

Keni returned the smile and asked, “Yes? How can I help you?”

“Well, my husband and I are new here and don't know our way around. Could you tell us if there is a children’s shop nearby?” the woman asked sweetly.

“Why don't we go together? I was headed that way anyway,” Keni suggested.

“Oh, that would be wonderful, thank you so much!” the woman sounded genuinely relieved.

She and her husband had arrived only recently, purely to witness the “Magic Exchange Fair,” held only once every five years. They were surprised by how vast the city was; after wandering for a while, they found almost everything related to magic and commerce.

“Your child is so cute, how old is she?” Keni playfully engaged with the little girl in the woman’s arms.

“Two,” the little girl’s voice was slightly lisping, but she wasn't shy at all, staring intently at Keni, or more accurately, at Niuniu held by Keni.

“Your child is lovely too,” the woman complimented Niuniu and Robin. Keni merely offered an awkward smile, offering no defense.

The group continued on, chatting convivially as they walked toward the distance.

Keni returned before the afternoon meal. Soon after, Rhys and the others also came back from their outing, having presumably been shopping as well.

“Senior Sister!” Rhys and Laurent approached Angelia with unusually strange expressions.

“What is it?” Angelia asked coolly, while Keni and Xia Luo nearby immediately perked up their ears.

“Senior Sister, I have something to tell you!” After a brief pause, Rhys continued, “Senior Sister, Laurent and I just saw your parents on the street!”

What? Angelia’s eyes instantly widened impossibly far!