Divagate

The storm over Vermillion Peak was a spectacle of raw power, flashes of lightning etching stark patterns against the bruised sky, each thunderclap a reminder of a formidable talent’s breakthrough. But far from that tempest, nestled in the serene woods of Azure Peak, Wu Lianlei reclined in a tree, lost in the delicate sweetness of a lychee.
A gentle drizzle misted the air, cooling the summer heat. With a flick of her wrist, a curtain of branches lowered, shielding her from the spray. Her cultivation manual, usually a source of quiet contemplation, was interrupted by a familiar, chilling presence.
“Still so slow.”
Li Hanlan, the bane of her transmigrated existence, appeared in the clearing, his silver-masked face a study in amusement. Another verbal sparring session, another display of his infuriating superiority.
Then, just as the usual bickering began, he dropped a bombshell.
“Master told me to get you; that hothead will join us once she’s finished frying her mountain.”
And so, the game began. The novel’s plot, which she had desperately tried to avoid, was finally pulling her into its dangerous currents.