Daily life of a cultivation judge

Yang Qing's gaze lingered briefly on the two lanterns before shifting back to the two escort supervisors, who struggled to conceal the desperate hope gleaming in their eyes.

"Do these soul lanterns function like the heartshade candles?" Yang Qing asked, deciding to pose a question of his own before addressing their unspoken inquiries.

"Yes, they work in a similar fashion," Duan Ting replied without hesitation.

"What are the similarities?" Yang Qing asked, his focus returning to the lanterns on the table.

"The flames change color based on our condition. I think it's better if we demonstrate," Duan Ting suggested, turning toward his colleague. "Liu Ying, could you bring ours?"

Liu Ying nodded and quickly left through a door behind them. She returned moments later, carrying two lanterns identical in design to the ones already on the table.

The newly presented lanterns had the same relic-like appearance: bronze frames worn by time, turtle sandalwood handles intricately engraved with a vivid depiction of a swift soaring toward an endless horizon, and panes crafted from soft waterfall jade. Inside each lantern sat a polished natal bone of a spirit beast, encased by the same blue feathers as the others.

Yang Qing's sharp eyes noted that the energy undulations emanating from these two lanterns matched perfectly with the others, suggesting all four contained natal bones and feathers sourced from the same spirit beast.

The only noticeable difference between the lanterns Liu Ying had just brought and the ones already on the table was the color of the flames. The former had vibrant golden-orange flames that radiated a faint warmth, whereas the latter bore cold, dark grey flames that carried an abyssal coldness to it.

Once Liu Ying placed the lanterns on the table and took her seat, Duan Ting resumed his explanation.

"If we are in full health, the flames displayed will be golden-orange, as you see here," he said, gesturing toward the two lanterns Liu Ying had brought.

Pointing directly at one of the lanterns, he continued, "If we are injured, the flames grow and shift downward depending on the severity of the injury."

Using his index finger, Duan Ting traced a path downward along the length of the natal bone within the lantern, mirroring how the flames would engulf it.

All four lanterns contained natal bones of similar size, each standing roughly twelve centimeters tall. The flames in every lantern were also at an identical height, having consumed about two centimeters from the top of the bones.

"The worse the injury, the more engulfed in flames the natal bone becomes. We consider it high-risk if the flames reach the halfway point." Duan Ting paused and traced his finger to mark the middle section of the natal bone.

"Do the flames change color as well?" Yang Qing asked.

"They do," Duan Ting confirmed with a nod.

"If the flames turn red, it signifies a physical injury. The extent of the flames along the natal bone indicates the severity.

If they turn black, it means we've been cursed.

If they turn pure white, it indicates an attack on our soul.

And if they turn dark green, it signifies we've been poisoned."

Yang Qing's brows furrowed slightly as he noted something missing. "Does it indicate qi exhaustion?" he asked when Duan Ting seemed to conclude his explanation.

"The flames themselves don't," Duan Ting replied, gesturing toward the blue feather wrapped around one of the natal bones. "But the feathers do."

He tapped lightly on the lantern. "Qi depletion or changes in stamina levels are reflected in the feathers under the same color scheme. It shifts from its current blue to a pale green with slight patches of white," he explained.

"So that's how it is," Yang Qing murmured softly, a note of realization in his voice as he leaned closer to examine the two lanterns belonging to Jiang Hao and Bai Chen.

"It's there..." he thought to himself, his sharp gaze fixed on one of the two lanterns.

In the feather of one lantern, he saw a subtle flash of turquoise on one of the barbs—a fleeting change in color so brief it was nearly imperceptible. The shift occurred in a single barb, and judging by the expressions on Liu Ying and Duan Ting, it was clear they hadn't noticed it. The speed of the change likely surpassed what the eyes of a Core Formation expert could detect.

Earlier, when Yang Qing was examining the two lanterns, the same subtle shift had caught his attention. It stood out precisely because it wasn't present in the other lantern that accompanied it.

When dealing with soul lanterns, even the smallest anomaly could signify something profound. Nothing about them could be dismissed or assumed inconsequential.

Now, with two additional lanterns to compare against and Duan Ting's detailed explanation, Yang Qing felt vindicated in his suspicions. That single flash of turquoise—a mingling of green and blue light—had to mean something.

But that wasn't the only peculiarity he'd noticed. Even more striking to Yang Qing was the dull grey flames within the lanterns. They had a quality to them that was as glaring as the noon day sun to him, especially with his attributes.

"Has something like this ever happened before?" Yang Qing asked, pointing toward the two flames. Though he suspected the answer, given the reactions of the two escort supervisors, he still felt it necessary to confirm.

"No, we have not," Liu Ying replied, her voice heavy with worry as her gaze lingered on the two lanterns.

If they had encountered anything like this before, they wouldn't be scrambling around like headless chickens, unsure of what to do next. The uncertainty surrounding the dull grey flames was the biggest source of their distress.

Were Bai Chen and Jiang Hao dead or alive? If they were dead, why hadn't the flames in the lanterns snuffed out, as they should? If they were alive, what did these flames signify? Possession? Puppetry? Involvement in some ritual? Were they stranded in a place with strange laws that interfered with the readings of the soul lanterns?

Not knowing what those flames represented tormented Liu Ying the most. Part of her desperately hoped Yang Qing had discovered something. The way he kept examining the lanterns gave her a sliver of optimism. To her, he looked like someone who had noticed something out of place, something significant.

In Liu Ying's mind, Yang Qing's breadth of experience far surpassed hers and Duan Ting's combined. As a representative of the Order, he might have seen or read about something similar. At this point, she was willing to grasp at anything—anything that might shed light on what those flames meant.

"Judge Yang Qing," Liu Ying began tentatively, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "About my earlier question… have you found anything in them?" Her tone grew softer as she spoke, and her eyes turned almost pleading.

Yang Qing sighed lightly, his features softening with sympathy as he turned to face Liu Ying and Duan Ting. The expressions on their faces were so open and raw that it would have been impossible not to sense the turmoil within them.

"I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but… those flames are peculiar," he said, gesturing toward the two grey flames.

"How so?" Liu Ying asked immediately, her tone a mixture of urgency, hope, and trepidation.

"I've interacted with a few heartshade candles in my life and read more than a few accounts of what happens when they produce grey flames. From the descriptions given..." Yang Qing paused briefly, his gaze shifting to the two flames before returning to the anxious supervisors.

"The sensation I'm getting from these two flames—the quality within them—is different from what's described in those accounts."

Before either Duan Ting or Liu Ying could interject, Yang Qing continued.

"Typically, when heartshade candles produce grey flames, those flames are entirely void of essence and feel—blank, like an empty void," he explained, raising his left palm upward. A light grey flame flickered into existence above his hand, dancing gently in the still air.

"The sensation you get from interacting with them is closer to this," Yang Qing added, nodding toward the flame on his palm.

"You can both try probing it with your spiritual senses," he added, motioning for the two escort supervisors to give it a try. Both nodded and released their spiritual senses, directing them toward the light grey flame hovering above Yang Qing's palm.

To their dismay they couldn't feel anything; Nothing at all. It was as though the flame wasn't even there, which came as a shock to the two. To see something with their eyes yet unable to sense it with their spirit. Usually it was the reverse that usually happened. A lot of things could only be properly sensed by the spirit which was why cultivators had grown to trust their spiritual senses more than their other senses

Yet here they were, able to see something their spiritual sense could not. The thought sent a chill down their spines as they wondered: What if the flame couldn't be seen with their eyes? At that point, they would truly be blind to it. And if the grey flame was an attack, they would be helpless to defend themselves.

Duan Ting found himself smiling bitterly at the thought. Dying without even knowing how he had died… It was a grim reflection. Today had been a constant reminder of his inadequacy, a relentless dose of humility. If it wasn't Ming Wa, who had easily pushed both him and Liu Ying back during their fight, it was Yang Qing—whether by releasing an aura that nearly paralyzed him, a gaze that almost shattered his soul, or casually manifesting a flame that could evade his spiritual senses.

Before today, Duan Ting had never truly considered the dangers around him during his escort commissions. Yes, he had always been prudent, attentive, and alert, aware of the possibilities of things going wrong. But in this moment, he realized just how limited his imagination and experience had been when it came to truly understanding the potential threats.

A part of him even wondered how he had managed to survive this long. He had never been one to believe in luck, but today's revelations made it hard for him to ignore its constant presence in his life.

His musings about his humbling reality were quickly pushed aside as Yang Qing continued with his explanation.

Yang Qing softly rubbed his palm, extinguishing the grey flame.

"These flames, on the other hand, have a distinct quality," he said, his gaze narrowing at the two grey flames in the lanterns.

"They possess a dense yin quality. Perhaps it's a feature of the lanterns that produced them, and maybe Bai Chen just never got around to mentioning it," Yang Qing paused, considering his next words carefully. "Or it could be a reflection of the current state of their souls."