A resonant chime sounded from the helm, followed by Elder Fu's commanding voice. "Boundary reached! All disciples, gather your belongings and prepare to continue on foot."
The previously quiet vessel burst into activity as cultivators secured scrolls, weapons, and meditation mats. Li Hua closed her text, returning it to her storage ring with practiced efficiency. All around them, the air had grown noticeably thicker, carrying scents that seemed somehow older than the world itself—ancient soil, unfamiliar blossoms, and something else, something that made the fine hairs on her arms rise.
