[Riverbank - Night]
Kael landed twenty paces from the wall. The ground received the force—impact dispersing the moment his feet touched earth, drawn inward, absorbed into a circulation already in motion. Qi moved before muscle engaged. The force folded into him and flowed through the completed circuit, and the landing settled cleanly into his stance.
Baihe stood fifty paces ahead, near the water's edge. The river moved slow and dark behind him, moonlight catching the surface in broken silver lines.
"There you are. I was wondering how long you'd take to follow."
The black blade angled forward in Kael's hand.
Baihe tilted his head. "You're something of a prodigy, aren't you? Straight into Xiantian. Clean transition." He studied Kael for a moment. "When I broke through, I wasn't nearly that calm."
"When did you break through?"
"Long enough ago."
