《Tale of the Creation of the Heavens [Progression/LitRPG]》


 Chapter 1: The Child in the Prison

    At the center of Creation, the cradle of all universes, a battle was taking place that would determine the fate of reality itself. Both gods and mortals would be affected by the outcome of what would happen here.


    The ground of this place looked like the eye of a cyclone of white clouds, and the sky was dark as night, but instead of stars, there were countless spiral shapes resembling galaxies, each emitting an energetic aura with a distinct color.


    On one side stood a small figure, a human who seemed to be in his early twenties, wearing a black tunic stained with blood and white wooden shoes. His long hair and eyes were completely black, and his pale skin was as white as a corpse. The area around his left eye looked as if it had been devoured, and he was missing his left arm.


    Even so, he still wore a wide smile with eyes full of madness as he firmly held his sword, a broken jian.


    "Oh, Great Omnipresent and Omniscient Celestial Emperor, lord of all things in this miserable universe and all that other remaining nonsense. I guess no one expected you''d need these filthy dogs to protect your metallic butt," shouted the brave Hero.


    In front of him, a resounding wave of rebukes began, the voices so loud that they spread like thunder in a storm.


    "Insolent worm! You are speaking to the supreme ruler of all universes!"


    "How dare a worm like you insult the greatest of all deities?"


    "Blasphemy!"


    "I swear by my name; I will make you beg for repentance for these cursed words!"


    The powerful shockwaves caused by the voices hit the Hero, who stood unfazed as his long hair swayed with the waves of energy.


    He rolled his eyes.


    "Well, at least I wasn¡¯t made just to kiss that giant metal butt."


    Four colossal creatures, each over 50 meters tall, roared with rage. On the ground lay four other creatures, completely dismembered, as large as the others.


    But then even they fell into a submissive silence.


    A towering black metal giant, over 100 meters tall and radiating a sovereign aura, rose from his throne. The purple flames burning within him intensified and leaked through the grooves of his metallic surface.


    The Celestial Emperor had eight eyes, two where his ears should have been, and the other six on his face. His eight eyes were fixed on the insolent challenger standing before him.


    The space around the colossus began to collapse as if his very existence was something the universe struggled to contain.


    In one of his eight arms, he held a massive book, its cover bearing the symbol of a tree with a clock at its center.


    "Killing a few divine beasts has made you too arrogant. I think I''ve tolerated your existence for far too long."


    He had no mouth; his purple flaming aura distorted everything around his body, making the space ripple like a cloth waving, as his voice spread to incalculable distances.


    He stretched one of his right arms, and black and white flames swirled around it. Then he fired this energy at the small human before him. His attack shattered reality itself as if a knife was slicing through space.


    The Hero braced himself; the blood flowing from his body turned into black iron, coating his broken sword, the blade growing in size until it was as large as the divine beasts. He charged toward the enemy¡¯s attack, putting all his power into that strike.


    With his only remaining arm, he swung the massive black blood blade against the mighty attack.


    The two powers collided, causing an explosion of light so terrible it could be mistaken for a star exploding if seen from space.


    The colossal metal giant stepped back; part of the place where his heart should be was destroyed. Although the human¡¯s situation was much more dire; he was still alive, but his body was strangely cracking, as if he were made of glass.


    "So much trouble for a mere insect; I will ensure your existence is erased from space-time and that no variant like you ever arises again."


    At that moment, a spatial portal opened near the Celestial Emperor.


    What emerged from the portal appeared to be the spirit of a beautiful woman, her body made of pure white flames. She stretched out her arms, and a beam of light made of bright flames struck the Celestial Emperor''s face.


    The divine beasts, stunned for a moment by the strange turn of events, began to charge toward the fiery woman.


    However, it was too late; she had already prepared another attack; this one wasn¡¯t aimed at the Celestial Emperor, but at his book.


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    "It¡¯s time to end your tyrannical empire, bastard!" said the fire spirit.


    Dozens of pages flew from the destroyed book. The fire spirit grabbed one of the pages with one of her hands. She rushed back to the dimensional portal as fast as she could.


    "No!" shouted the Celestial Emperor.


    He extended his arms, conjuring blue chains that instantly wrapped around the beautiful fire spirit¡¯s body.


    But with one last effort, she took the page from the book and threw it into the portal.


    Somewhere in the Mortal Realm.


    A small, skinny child lay on the ground, his black hair tangled with dirt and the pale skin filthy. Small black eyes stared hopelessly at the stone block ceiling.


    All he could hear were the murmurs and groans of the criminals in the other cells and the sound of his stomach. His thin lips were dry from the lack of water and food.


    ¡®Those damn wretches, have they finally decided to end my suffering? Or did they simply forget about me?¡¯ He complained in his thoughts.


    ¡®Well, maybe it¡¯s for the best.¡¯


    ¡®Honestly, I should have ended this miserable life a long time ago.¡¯


    After so much time alone in the prison, with nothing but his thoughts, his mind had already passed the point of breaking.


    ¡®Why did I keep living?¡¯


    ¡®I just need to die to end all of this.¡¯


    All his mind wanted was an end to the situation; his existence had become his greatest torment.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t seen sunlight in more than two years, and I can¡¯t remember any smell other than this filthy cell.¡¯


    "It¡¯s not like my life could get any worse."


    ¡®Uhm, with my luck, I¡¯ll probably reincarnate as a slug in the next life.¡¯


    Tristan figured it would be better for his current state of mind to think about something else.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that.¡¯


    ¡®Magush,¡¯ was the magic word to activate the gift of the ancient Supremes.


    After thinking of that word, a golden hologram appeared in front of the child''s face.


    The runes formed:


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 10


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Solid Red (Blocked)


    Talents:


    Abilities:


    Artifacts:


    ¡®Nothing¡¯s changed.¡¯


    His face twisted.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like anything was going to change suddenly.¡¯


    The child remembered something.


    ¡®Tristan? Oh, right, that¡¯s my name now.¡¯


    ~¡®Wrong! That¡¯s the name of this body,¡¯ an old and detestable voice echoed in his mind.


    He remembered a time when he wasn¡¯t a complete failure.


    Although Tristan did not have a powerful bloodline, he had a mature mind, which allowed him to cultivate faster than other children his age.


    Thanks to this, he reached Solid Red at only six years old.


    His face twisted, and his expression filled with pain.


    His mind was full of resentful thoughts.


    ''Maybe... maybe that¡¯s the reason.''


    ¡®Maybe it was my fault.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe I attracted too much attention.¡¯


    Truth be told, even back then, he thought about it. He thought it could be risky to have an abnormally fast cultivation rate, so he limited himself to merely appearing talented but not a genius.


    But perhaps that wasn¡¯t enough.


    ''If that damn illness hadn¡¯t taken away my cultivation, things could have been different. I could have been different!''


    ~¡®Would it really have been different?¡¯


    He clenched his fist in anger. His mother and father searched for many doctors and healers in the marquisate.


    Unfortunately, an answer was never discovered.


    And then, shortly after, that happened...


    Tears welled up in Tristan¡¯s eyes and fell onto his dry skin.


    After he could no longer use cultivation techniques and it seemed there would be no way to resolve it, his father began ignoring his mother, his first wife, and started paying more attention to his second wife.


    Valerie, his father''s second wife, surpassed the authority of Tristan''s mother and practically became the new ruler of the house.


    He remembered the day his world was shattered; it was the mansion¡¯s servants who informed him of it. They simply said that she died.


    ~¡®That¡¯s why you¡¯re alive!¡¯


    Tristan knew nothing, so he wanted answers. All he had at the moment were suspicions.


    ¡®Damn witch!¡¯


    He knew Valerie hated his mother, and he also knew their families had some sort of old rivalry.


    ''My mother came from a more powerful family, and with my talent for cultivation, she must have imagined that she and her children would forever live under the shadow of the Count¡¯s main family.''


    Tristan believed his reasoning was solid.


    ¡®Who else would have a reason to get rid of me and my mother besides that bitch?¡¯


    He looked at himself, arms, legs, and torso. Every inch of his body was marked with scars or dark spots from poorly healed wounds. He remembered how each injury on his body had been inflicted; it was deeply etched into his heart.


    I still clearly remember how my hell began.


    Right after his mother died, that witch only tried to hurt him with her words. But then, the day she realized that the bastard who was his father didn¡¯t care about him was the same day she discovered she didn¡¯t need to hold back.


    For two damn years. She could break him whenever she wanted. He lived as something that existed solely to relieve her stress.


    He endured all of that until two years ago, when Valerie grew tired of torturing him and threw him out, casting him into the dungeon, where he had lived miserably ever since.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t she just kill me?¡¯


    The indignation on Tristan¡¯s face was evident.


    ¡®My father, my stepmother, and their four children dine and sleep comfortably above my head while I¡¯m trapped in this wretched place.¡¯


    ¡®Tsk, how perverse is this sick world!''


    The death of his mother caused him more pain than any torture or the miserable years he spent in prison. She was the second person he had ever cared about in his entire life, and now she was dead, and Tristan couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He couldn¡¯t even avenge her.


    ~¡®Pathetic.¡¯


    He thought that if he were strong enough, he would surely make his father and stepmother beg the heavens for mercy.


    ¡®I¡¯ll wait for them in hell,¡¯ Tristan thought with deadly hatred.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, mother; forgive me for being useless!¡¯


    Tristan grated his teeth and clenched his fist in anger.


    He closed his eyes and sighed. It felt like his existence had no meaning or importance; he felt empty.


    Then, suddenly, a golden light appeared in his cell, so intense that it almost blinded him. The light entered his body.


    A voice spoke in his mind:


    [You have acquired an artifact]


    [Fragment of the book The Tales of the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth has been acquired]

 Chapter 2: It’s not time to die

    [You acquired an artifact]


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Book? Tales? What the hell was that light?¡± His mind couldn¡¯t process the situation properly.


    ¡°Is this a dream or am I going crazy?¡± He spoke, hearing the sound of his voice after so long, and he felt his dry throat ache a little.


    ¡®Come to think of it, this is a world of magic, so this kind of thing might be possible.¡¯


    After the initial shock, he calmed down. He began to think about his current situation.


    ¡®Could this be possible? Has my moment finally come? Like in those webtoons I used to read where the protagonist suddenly gets a super powerful ability and starts his journey.¡¯


    He was very excited. This moment could change his entire life. Maybe his miserable situation could finally come to an end.


    ¡®What did I get?¡¯


    ¡®Skill theft? Necromancy? Cultivation 100 times faster than normal? Future prediction?¡¯


    He decided to calm down.


    ¡°As long as I can regain my cultivation, that¡¯s something.¡±


    He took a deep breath and then thought:


    ¡®Magush.¡¯


    Again, a familiar golden hologram appeared in front of his face. He read the runes.


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 10


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Solid Red (Blocked)


    Talents:


    Abilities:


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the book The Tales of the Creation of Heavens and Earth]


    ¡®It¡¯s really here. I obtained an artifact; this wasn¡¯t a hallucination.¡¯


    ¡®Please let this be something incredible. Please let this be something incredible. Universe, be kind to me, just this once.¡¯


    After pleading for the universe¡¯s benevolence, he decided to read the description of the artifact¡¯s features that he had just received.


    Artifact Name: Fragment of the book The Tales of the Creation of Heavens and Earth


    Level: Divine


    Type: Tool


    Ability: Tales of the Past


    ¡°So it¡¯s a tool; well, I would have preferred a legendary weapon. But I guess I can¡¯t complain.¡±


    Artifact Description:


    From the skin of the Primordial God, the creator of all universes, an artifact was made, and this artifact was called the Book of the Tales of the Creation of Heavens and Earth. Inside it was the knowledge of all the tales created in all universes, both past and future. This book was eventually found by #### and remained in his possession for a long time until the last Hero of a dying universe and the Saint of Immortal Flames managed to attack the book and cast one of its pages into another universe.


    ¡°That... is a lot of information.¡±


    ¡®Primordial God? There¡¯s more than one universe? Who are the Hero and the Saint of Flames?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t understand the meaning of most of what he had just read.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Ability Description: [Tales of the Past]


    Unlike the original Book of the Tales of the Creation of Heavens and Earth, this fragment contains only the tales written in the past of the seventh lower universe.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He could think of many things at that moment and theorize about the mysteries of the universe and the deities, but he decided to focus on something else.


    ¡®A book of tales? Seriously?¡¯


    ¡®And this thing contains only the tales of the past from the so-called seventh lower universe?¡¯


    ¡®Damn, what if this universe has nothing to do with the world I¡¯m living in now?¡¯


    Sigh.


    ¡®First, I need to see if the tales talk about this universe and then if there¡¯s any tale about learning a powerful ability or at least a way to recover my cultivation.¡¯


    He tried to summon his new artifact.


    ¡®How do I use this?¡¯


    Nothing happened.


    ¡®Why won¡¯t the page of the book The Tales of the Creation of Heavens and Earth appear again?¡¯


    Normally, artifacts took 6 to 8 seconds to manifest, but Tristan waited, and nothing happened.


    ¡®What if I think of a tale?¡¯


    He felt his consciousness being pulled from his body and taken elsewhere. Now he was in a gray, ghostly form, and in front of him, countless golden pages appeared.


    The golden pages arranged themselves into a tube, with Tristan''s body floating in the center. When he looked up and down, he couldn¡¯t see the end of the pages.


    ¡°Weird... oh?¡±


    In his spiritual form, it seemed like his thoughts turned into sound.


    ¡°An artifact that doesn¡¯t need to manifest to be activated and works within my soul. I¡¯ve never heard of something like this before.¡±


    After being impressed by everything that was happening, he focused his gaze on one of the golden pages.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what¡¯s written here.¡±


    Tristan reached out for one of the golden pages, and it flew into his hand. The golden page contained a text with a tale unknown to him, but he could read it. He read the tale for a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a regular story; there¡¯s nothing useful in it.¡±


    He looked up and down.


    ¡°Damn, this place is way too big; it¡¯s impossible to find something useful like this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡±


    He thought about returning to his cell, and when he opened his eyes again, Tristan was back in his physical body. He looked under the door to see if anyone was coming.


    ¡®It seems like no one besides me could see the golden light when the book fragment invaded my cell. The criminals in the other cells would have probably screamed in terror, and the guards in the hallway would have noticed as well, but everything is the same as before.¡¯


    ''It looks like I have plenty of time to study this.¡¯


    Thinking once more about the endless pages of tales, Tristan was once again a spirit surrounded by golden pages.


    ¡°The first thing I need to do is confirm if the tales here are from this universe and if there¡¯s an easier way to find them; otherwise, all of this will be completely useless.¡±


    Confirming this was quite easy. Tristan only needed to find a story he had learned in this world.


    ¡°Like the tale of the Jade Sword Emperor, for example.¡±


    When he thought of it, all the pages of tales moved, and many began to disappear until only a few hundred thousand remained in front of him, which was still a lot.


    ¡°So this place responds to my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find a story I already know, like the battle of the Jade Sword Emperor against the Immortal Demon of the West.¡±


    Thinking of that, all the pages moved again, and a significant portion disappeared. Now, only a few thousand pages remained. Tristan reached for a page and began to read it.


    ¡°It looks like the story my mother used to tell me, but some events are a bit different.¡±


    He grabbed another page, and then another, and after reading and comparing all of them, he realized they all told the same story he knew, but with some details being different.


    ¡°Seems like this thing really has all the tales, even the various versions of a single tale are here.¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to see if I can find something useful.¡±


    ¡°Supreme cultivation technique.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t surprised when a much larger number of pages appeared. Tristan spent some time looking at them one by one and soon realized that the tales were extremely common. He wasn¡¯t an expert in this, but he thought many of these tales were just nonsense.


    Sighing sadly, he made a few more attempts.


    ¡°Cultivation restoration technique. Cure for blocked cultivation. Boy with blocked cultivation finds a cure.¡±


    Tristan made attempt after attempt, and each time, his disappointment grew. What was contained in the tales was too complex, and he didn¡¯t even know if it was real.


    ¡°Find an ancient dragon, discover the legacy of an ancient hero, help a beggar on the street who is actually an immortal healer master,¡± Tristan said indignantly.


    ¡°None of this is feasible for me in my current situation.¡±


    He returned to his body. His cell remained the same as he had left it; nothing had changed.


    ¡°This is useless!¡±


    ¡®How can a divine artifact made from the skin of a god be useless?¡¯


    ¡®Is it because it¡¯s just a page?¡¯


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    Tristan lay on the ground, depressed, his stomach still growling with hunger.


    ¡®I¡¯ll probably still die of hunger before I find anything useful in this damn fragment if there¡¯s even anything useful in it.¡¯


    He closed his eyes frustrated and felt a profound sleep approaching, which would probably be his last.


    Then he heard a noise. He opened his eyes again, and in the darkness of his cell, he could hear the sound of dirt falling. After searching a bit, he saw that a centipede about 15 centimeters long had entered his cell through a hole in the ceiling.


    Fighting the urge to embrace the sweet relief of death once again, he stood up once more. He looked at the ground and picked up a rock. Then he aimed and threw the rock at the centipede.


    The rock hit the centipede, crushing it, and its body fell to the ground.


    ¡°Well, it seems I still have some time left to live,¡± he said with a half-smile on his face.

 Chapter 3: Changes through suffering

    In a dungeon beneath a luxurious mansion owned by a powerful lord, there was a dark, dirty, and filthy cell. The sound of chewing could be heard in the cell.


    Tristan grabbed the last leg of that disgusting creature and placed it in his mouth.


    "Hunger really is the best seasoning."


    He looked around his cell, searching everywhere for something even remotely edible. He sighed in sadness when his search failed.


    Still hungry, he decided to hold onto the only thing he had besides his miserable life: the divine artifact he had acquired, The Tales of the Creation of Heaven and Earth.


    Initially disappointed, he decided to use the energy he had just received from his last meal, which could keep him alive for a few more days, to further explore this strange artifact. After all, it was the only thing he could do besides dying.


    But he had a plan for how he could use this artifact.


    Like any noble child, he had learned the basics of magic, but that knowledge wasn''t very deep, as he had never attended an academy due to his young age before being abandoned in the dungeon.


    Now he had the opportunity to learn more about this world.


    ''Elements of Nature''


    ''The Principle of Cultivation''


    ''The Path of the Awakened''


    ''The Principle of Light and Darkness''


    ''The Beginning of the Journey of the Jade Sword Emperor''


    ''The Beginning of the Journey of the Silent Blade''


    ''The Beginning of the Journey of the Supreme Lord of the Jungles''


    ''The Foundation of the Flying Sword Sect''


    These were some of Tristan''s thoughts as he began his research. The journeys of famous people and sects in popular tales often contained real knowledge and teachings. He cross-referenced several versions, assuming that the information that appeared most frequently was the most reliable.


    After two days of research, with the energy he had gained from the centipede running out, he decided to review what he had learned.


    Studying tales was complicated; they weren''t as informative as an educational book.


    "The most important thing I learned was about breathing techniques and elemental affinities."


    "Each breathing technique is related to an element, and once someone advances far enough in cultivation, their vital energy pathways mold themselves according to that element. After some time, these pathways become permanent, making it risky to use techniques of other elements."


    This was very important knowledge; Tristan''s father''s family primarily used Fire breathing techniques. Tristan himself had used these techniques before his cultivation was blocked.


    "Additionally, cultivation techniques permanently modify the bodies of cultivators."


    The difference between a simple breathing technique and a cultivation technique is that a cultivation technique would change someone''s mind by altering their mentality and perception of the world. If that person were talented enough, they would be able to feel elemental energy in their vital energy and the essence of the world and then control it later.


    So, essentially, the purpose of a breathing technique is to create a connection with elemental energy.


    As for cultivation techniques, they are breathing techniques that, in addition to creating a connection with an element, also allow the body and core to be nurtured.


    After long contemplation, Tristan thought to himself, "Is it possible to learn some of these breathing techniques from the tales?"


    A cultivation technique wouldn''t work for him, but a breathing technique might be possible.


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    "That would be very complicated to do. The tales didn''t contain detailed explanations for learning these techniques; most spoke in poetic and philosophical terms. I would have to interpret the meaning of these things and try to figure out what they mean."


    "I might be smarter than the average person, but I''ve never been a great self-learner."


    Tristan thought about his chances of success using his current ability.


    "It should work; it¡¯s not like I¡¯m reinventing the wheel. I just need to modify my Fire breathing technique with my new knowledge."


    A new thought crossed his mind.


    "What element should I try to learn?"


    Tristan reflected on this matter.


    "I''ve already used my family''s Fire breathing technique, and my vital energy pathways should be somewhat accustomed to it. The problem is that my cultivation has been blocked; the Fire element is useless to me in my current situation."


    "My only hope would be to learn the Light breathing technique and try to use its healing abilities."


    He was beginning to organize his thoughts, creating a direction for his future in his mind.


    "If I disregard the risk of dying from energy deviation, could this work? My father sought out several powerful healers available in this city, but none were able to resolve my situation."


    "It''s true that, unlike them, I have an advantage, which is my knowledge. Maybe my knowledge of biology and physics will help me understand something they couldn''t, or maybe my problem is entirely magical, and I will have just wasted my time and risked my life."


    He shook his head, and a glint of determination appeared in his eyes.


    "Well, there¡¯s not much to think about; my other options are death or continuing this miserable existence, which would be much worse."


    "Besides, learning Light breathing had another advantage. Unlike the other elements, Light and Darkness were like Yin and Yang, two opposing elements that complement each other, one not existing without the other. Because of this, unlike other breathing techniques, Light and Darkness breathing techniques could be used together, or rather, they were like one and the same."


    Although this might not make him as strong as a Fire or Metal cultivator, it would make him a very versatile fighter.


    Wasting no more time thinking, Tristan dove back into the fragment of the book and searched for the principles of Light and Darkness.


    After searching for a while and reading several golden pages, he gathered the information that appeared most frequently. He compiled everything he understood and created three mantras that would serve as the foundation for his meditation.


    Meditation would be useful to help shift his mental state.


    (The principle of Light and Darkness. When viewed individually, it is possible to imagine that they are separate and distinct things. But, in truth, they represent duality, two opposing forces that complement each other. This duality is present in all things of Creation.)


    (There is a bit of Light in Darkness and a bit of Darkness in Light. To understand the truth about the duality of the world, one must first look within oneself and understand their own duality.)


    (We are our own worst enemies, and we are also what prevents us from reaching the heavens. For those who wish to transcend on the path of ascension, it is necessary to find the Light and Darkness that represent their existence and find the perfect balance between them.)


    After a long period of meditation, Tristan used what he had learned from his family''s Fire breathing technique and tried to modify it, adjusting it with the knowledge from the meditation he had developed from his three mantras. Slowly, he managed to create a primitive Light and Darkness breathing technique.


    "It¡¯s time to test this."


    Although the principle of how a breathing technique works is simple: you need to enter a specific mental state that will allow you to feel an element in its essence.


    In practice, very few people are talented enough to learn how to enter this mental state and change their essence.


    The talent to sense an element was determined by the combination of mind and body, with the mind representing understanding and willpower, and the body representing lineage.


    Tristan sat in the Burmese position, with his feet on top of his thighs, closed his eyes, and began to use the breathing technique he had just created. He tried to find the Light and Darkness within himself and then attempted to make it resonate with the Light and Darkness contained in the world''s vital essence.


    At first, nothing happened, but then, suddenly, he managed to sense the world''s duality that represented Light and Darkness. He allowed this energy to enter and circulate through his body. The energy flowed through his vital energy pathways and moved toward his core. The world''s energy entered his core, acquiring his own energy signature, and then left his core, returning to his energy pathways.


    And so it continued in cycles. The world''s energy entered his energy veins toward his core, became part of it, and returned to his energy veins, circulating throughout his body.


    Suddenly, it felt as though his body was being torn apart.


    Blood gushed from his nose and eyes, and then he fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

 Chapter 4: Conquering the Light

    After some time, with red tears staining his face, Tristan spoke.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever been this close to death before."


    He thought about what had happened; there were only two possibilities.


    One was that his newly created breathing technique was very bad, which would result in an imbalance between the world''s energy and his essence inside his body, causing a collision that damaged his essence pathways.


    The other possibility was that his Light and Darkness breathing technique had been successful, and it should have started to alter his essence pathways. The problem was that his energy veins had already been slightly altered due to his Fire cultivation technique. The new energy pathways being created conflicted with the old energy pathways, destroying part of his energy veins.


    Regardless of which option was correct, damage to the energy veins was one of the most dangerous and difficult-to-heal conditions, almost always permanent unless one knew a divine doctor.


    "This hurts; it feels like my body went through a meat grinder."


    He was completely exhausted on the ground. He didn''t know how much time had passed; he only knew his life was hanging by a thread.


    After hours of agony, the sound of his potential salvation finally reached his ears. The small feeding door finally opened after more than a week.


    He turned his small, bruised body and began crawling, feeling like he might die on the way.


    After much effort, he managed to reach the food plate. The ''food'' was a mixture of flour, water, bones, cartilage, and fat that could no longer be used. Tristan grabbed that disgusting mass with his hands and began to eat.


    ''With this, I can live for a few more weeks.''


    He picked up one of the bones and started gnawing on it.


    ''Should I keep practicing this new breathing technique? Even if I find a cure for my previous condition, this technique could also cripple me, destroying my energy veins,'' he doubted his goals for a moment.


    Tristan shook his head.


    ''What am I thinking? I have no other choice; I need to succeed!''


    ''Besides, the Light breathing will increase my vitality, which will reduce my chances of starving.''


    After gnawing on all the bones, he collapsed unconscious on the ground and slept deeply.


    Another two weeks passed. Tristan was sitting in his meditation position. He had spent the last few weeks perfecting his breathing technique. After a while, he noticed small changes in his body. Because of this, he reached a few conclusions.


    First came the confirmation that his breathing technique was successful. If it weren''t appropriate, he wouldn''t experience any changes.


    Second, since the reason for the blockage in his cultivation had not yet been resolved, his new cultivation technique, like his Fire cultivation technique, was also unable to improve his core, so only the effects of a normal breathing technique worked on him.


    And because of this, the changes it caused in his body did not become permanent.


    But there was still hope; his cultivation was still blocked and his body couldn''t improve, but he still managed to create a connection with the Light and Darkness present in his vital essence.


    This meant that, theoretically, he could create an ability related to these elements and even develop a martial combat technique.


    Therefore, his first goal was to master the element of Light so he could create a diagnostic ability and discover what was wrong with his body.


    (Light, Light represents order and change; Light is the element of life, nourishment, and fertility. Light is the structure that supports the universe. Light is the beginning. Light reveals what is hidden and dark. Those who do not find the Light within themselves will never be able to master it.)


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    After two months of studying and trying to interpret the information from the Divine Fragment artifact, this was what Tristan managed to understand. Although not everything was clear, he believed he had grasped the general idea. He divided his new Light and Darkness cultivation technique to create an exclusive technique for Light to improve his focus.


    Another thing he developed was a pillar for his cultivation, something he learned while reading cultivation tales. It was that people who could relate a characteristic of themselves to one of the foundations of an element had an easier time learning to cultivate.


    That was why the Sage of the Forests told his apprentice, who would later become a master known as the Giant Destroyer Axe, to become a nomad and embark on a journey, gaining life experiences that would increase his understanding of martial arts.


    So, as a pillar for his cultivation of this element, he chose the concept of ''Control''; after all, one of the things he most desired was to gain control over his own life. He knew better than anyone what it was like to have his life controlled by others.


    With all this, Tristan came to the following conclusions:


    ''First, healers use this element for diagnosis because its main characteristic is to spread quickly. It also reveals what is hidden, which is very useful for detecting injuries.''


    ''But this is also its main weakness and what makes it very difficult to master. Light is very fast and easily disperses. If someone does not have very strong control, the essence of this element will continue its path against the conjurer''s will.''


    ''In other words, the secret to mastering this magic is control and limitation.''


    "Well, I guess it''s time to put this knowledge into practice."


    Tristan stood up and began to meditate. He repeated what he had learned about it several times.


    (Light, Light represents order and change; Light is the element of life, nourishment, and fertility. Light is the structure that supports the universe. Light is the beginning. Light reveals what is hidden and dark. Those who do not find the Light within themselves will never be able to master it.)


    After a few moments of concentrating on what he had understood, he managed to feel the essence of this element within his own body and then made it resonate with the world around him.


    He extended his hand, and a small white light began to emerge from his palm.


    A wide smile spread across his face, and he celebrated in excitement. This caused him to lose focus, making the light disappear, but that did not diminish his joy because this was the possible first step toward curing his condition.


    Of course, things were still not easy. He found this element harder to control than Fire.


    As time passed, when Tristan decided that his control over the essence was good enough, he decided it was time to start developing a method to create a diagnostic technique.


    The method he developed was simple but extremely difficult to execute.


    First, he needed to put his energy into an object. At this stage, he had to wrestle with the power of Light so that it didn''t escape his control.


    The next step was to make the Light take the shape of the object, then he had to use his concentration to maintain the shape of the Light ''hologram'' and guide it into his body.


    Then came the final and most difficult step: He had to use his mystical senses to analyze the hologram while using another part of his concentration to prevent the hologram from dissipating.


    Mystical senses were something people had to be born with; it wasn''t something that could be taught. You either had it or you didn''t.


    Finally, the last step ended up taking three times longer than the first two combined.


    But then, after five months of receiving the Divine Fragment of Tales, he heard a sound he had never heard before.


    [You have learned a ability]


    Tristan stood up and thought of the magic word to activate the runes.


    ''Magush.''


    Then, once again familiar to him, the golden runes appeared before his face.


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 10


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Solid Red (Blocked)


    Talents:


    Ability : [Tyrannical Eye]


    Artifacts: [Fragment from the book The Tales of the Creation of the Heavens and Earth]


    Great joy surged through his body; he fell to his knees, almost crying with emotion. If his heart hadn''t been broken so many times, he probably would have cried. For so long in his life, he thought he would never have an ability, and now he had one.


    Of course, it was a terrible ability , but still, it was his. It was earned with his blood and sweat while he was trapped in this filthy prison.


    "Let''s take a look at it."


    Ability name: [Tyrannical Eye]


    Rank: 1


    Element: Light


    ''This is the beginning of my first ability !''


    His lips curled into a smile.


    Several months passed, during which he tried his best to develop his diagnostic ability.


    Fortunately, he discovered that the more he understood the elements that make up matter and their characteristics, the easier it was to analyze the holograms. This helped him compensate for his limited mystical senses.


    ''Unfortunately, all the contact I''ve had with biology since I finished high school came from the series and webtoons about doctors that I sometimes read, but I highly doubt anything I learned from those sources is reliable.''


    "Luckily, I had several chemistry courses in college."


    After all his effort and dedication, he managed to evolve his diagnostic ability to level 2.

 Chapter 5: Conquering the Darkness

    ¡®I could even become a teacher in a small sect specialized in medicine now.¡¯


    But this did not come without consequences. Now that his diagnostic skill was good enough, he was able to discover the price of changing his Fire technique to Light and Darkness.


    In the process of changing his breathing technique, Tristan had permanently damaged his energy veins. He was only alive because the damage didn''t occur near his core. According to his estimates, he might have compromised about 20% of his essence veins.


    With his skill now evolved, he investigated the condition of his own body. He didn¡¯t think his skill was already better than all the healers his father had hired, but unlike them, he had all the time in the world to examine himself.


    Seventeen days later, he finally found something, or rather, he thought he had. It was like a clue that kept disappearing, but the more he searched, the easier it became to find it again. Eventually, he managed to see what he was looking for.


    It was extremely small and thin, probably less than 3 millimeters.


    ¡®Is this hair? Or maybe a thread?¡¯


    What Tristan noticed looked like small black hair, coiled around his energy veins near his core and blocking their growth. But to his surprise, there wasn¡¯t just one; there were several.


    ¡®I¡¯ve finally discovered what happened to me!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m no expert in this, but I can safely say this doesn¡¯t look natural.¡±


    Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were filled with sadness.


    ¡°Bastards!¡±


    After a few more moments, he finally calmed his emotions.


    ¡°Well, now there¡¯s just one thing left.¡±


    ¡®How the hell do I fix this?¡¯


    Still trapped in a filthy dungeon, Tristan pondered deeply about his current situation and how his problem could be resolved. Then he decided to use his Divine Fragment of Tales once again.


    Now, as a spirit surrounded by an almost infinite number of golden pages, he spoke the following words:


    ¡°Black hairs blocking energy veins.¡±


    Once again, all the pages around his body moved, and this time a large number of them disappeared, leaving only a "small" amount remaining.


    ¡°As expected! This kind of thing shouldn¡¯t be common.¡±


    He reached out, grabbed one page after another, and began reading. Some of the pages contained only a few sentences. Compared to the stories of legendary heroes, this seemed to be something quite unknown.


    The more he read, the heavier his heart became.


    This time, he believed that his research had been successful; after all, this description was of a situation so specific and unusual. He compared several tales and concluded that most of them spoke of the same problem he was facing at the moment.


    The problem was that he found no solution¡ªquite the opposite. Most of the tales he read ended tragically.


    |The Tragedy of Jiradh|


    ?...


    On the third night after the solstice, the venerable second son of the Marquis of Jiradh fell ill, and the entire marquisate was in despair. His ability to cultivate had been taken from him, and his desperate parents summoned all the healers of the marquisate, and they came, one after the other, but no one could discover the cause of his affliction.


    Even more desperate, the boy''s parents spent the entire fortune of the marquisate to summon a Healing Master from the White Tower.


    When the Healing Master arrived at the marquisate, his confidence was unshakable, and everyone noticed it. On the first day of his visit, he spoke in a casual tone as if it were nothing serious.


    "I''ve discovered the cause," he said, and after a brief silence, he continued: "Something like black hairs is blocking his cultivation, but don''t worry, Darkness can destroy anything." And so, with his unshakable confidence, the Healing Master began his treatment, and a few seconds later, the head of the marquis'' son exploded.


    ¡­?


    ¡®The other tales I found didn¡¯t end much differently from this one. In summary, a talented healer would discover the cause and attempt to resolve it by destroying the threads, only for their patient to die.¡¯


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad I decided to look at the tales. Truth be told, the first thing I thought I should do was learn to control Darkness and immediately destroy the hairs.¡¯


    But now he had many things to consider.


    ¡®I can¡¯t destroy the threads with the Darkness element. Could other elements work? Or can they not be destroyed at all? Or is it necessary to wait a certain amount of time before destroying each thread?¡¯


    ¡°I wish I had the luck to find a viable solution in the tales, but the information in them is brief and not very detailed.¡±


    ¡®Well, as long as I don''t find a solution in the tales, I''ll have to try through trial and error. I¡¯ll have to learn to control Darkness and maybe destroy just one thread to see what happens. I think it should be safe to destroy one ¡®hair¡¯¡ªit shouldn¡¯t release enough essence to kill me.¡¯


    Tristan¡¯s initial idea was that by destroying a ¡°hair,¡± the energy vein would increase in diameter. Since this would happen quickly, there would be a large flow of essence moving through only a few veins near the core, causing them to be destroyed and resulting in fatal damage.


    Then time passed, and he worked on the principles of Darkness.


    (Darkness, the element of Darkness represents concealment and the end. It is the element of decay, death, and destruction. Darkness is the representation of disorder, something intrinsic to the existence of complex living beings in the universe. Darkness can mask reality, but only the void can truly erase the existence of something completely. It is necessary to control Darkness within oneself to truly understand how it interacts with the world.)


    Soon, he managed to create a mantra for Darkness. Developing a breathing technique for this element was quicker now that he had more experience in the subject. The pillar he chose to cultivate this element was ¡°Shadows.¡±


    After all, his current existence was no different from a mere shadow in a prison cell; his existence had been practically forgotten by others. During the last years of his life, he was merely a mediocre and insignificant being.


    Being able to connect an aspect of his own life with the concealment principle of the Darkness element allowed his understanding and mastery to advance rapidly.


    Now, at eleven years old, he decided it was time to try to develop a Darkness ability. Tristan picked up a stone in his hand and stared at it, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He imagined a black blade as thin as a sheet of paper. He imagined this blade cutting the stone, slicing it perfectly in half.


    With the preparations made, he used the Darkness breathing technique he had developed, drew the essence of the power from his body, and guided it to the tip of his pinky finger. He opened his eyes and touched the stone with his finger. Suddenly, a small chip was removed. It didn¡¯t happen as he expected, but it was good enough.


    ¡®It worked! That¡¯s what matters.¡¯


    A voice spoke in his mind.


    [You created an ability]


    A wide smile appeared on Tristan''s face.


    ¡®Magush¡¯


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 11


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Solid Red (Blocked)


    Talents:


    Abilities: [Tyrannical Eye] [Dark Blade]


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the book The Tales of the Creation of the Heavens and Earth]


    Ability Name: [Dark Blade]


    Rank: 1


    Element: Darkness


    Damage Type: Physical and Magical


    After that, he dedicated his time to refining his new ability. As time passed, he became able to destroy small stones, and currently, he could destroy stones about 5 centimeters in diameter. But what he focused on the most was his precision, as it was what he needed to destroy the threads.


    He tried to create a blade the size of a small needle to try to destroy the threads that were coiled around his energy veins. A month later, his ability hadn¡¯t evolved, but he felt ready to try.


    Tristan placed his Darkness essence at the tip of his finger and then slowly began to poke one of the ¡®hairs.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t try to destroy it now to avoid repeating the mistake of the healers in the tales he had read. Instead, he was using his other ability, [Tyrannical Eye], to see how it reacted. At first, he didn¡¯t notice anything strange, but after a long time of paying attention, he noticed something.


    It was as if all the threads were connected. When he poked one thread, some kind of vibration spread through the others.


    His eyes widened.


    ¡®The other threads are tightening more around the energy veins!¡¯


    He understood the secret that caused the deaths of the people in the tales. By destroying a single thread, the other threads would react by tightening around the energy veins, causing the collapse of the core.


    ¡°This complicates things.¡±


    He began to think of some solutions to his problem.


    ¡®Maybe if all the threads were destroyed at the same time, it would be possible to get rid of them.¡¯


    ¡®The problem is that this is practically impossible. Creating five Dark Blades is already too much for me, and I would need to create thousands to do it that way.¡¯


    He tried to think of a solution, but for several days, no good idea came to his mind. Until one day, he thought of something.


    ¡®I need to focus on each thread I want to destroy. It¡¯s not possible to destroy them all at once, but the Light element is focused on area effects. I could learn a ¡®healing¡¯ ability that doesn¡¯t permanently heal anything but maintains a certain effect for a time. Then I could destroy a thread and use a temporary ¡®healing¡¯ ability to hold it together. So that I can continue destroying the other threads, and when all of them are destroyed, I can deactivate the ¡®healing¡¯ ability.''


    "A fake healing ability that would act more like a temporary band-aid shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to create."


    He began to put his plan into action. He read more and more stories about healing and restoration, trying to transform the philosophy behind these subjects into something he could implement in practice.


    Time passed, and Tristan became more anxious and excited as he progressed in his new task.


    Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the corridor in front of his cell¡¯s metal door.


    At first, he thought the guards were preparing to deliver that disgusting food again, but he quickly realized that the situation was different.


    He didn¡¯t see the small food hatch opening but heard the sound of keys.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    Tristan grew increasingly anxious and nervous. This was a completely different situation from what he was used to.


    Who could say what would happen next?


    Then, something he thought impossible happened: the thick metal door to his cell creaked open. Light cut through the darkness. After three years imprisoned in the dark, Tristan saw the light again.

 Chapter 6: The consequences of being remembered

    After a long time, light finally reached the cell''s interior, illuminating a small, thin, filthy, injured, and malnourished figure.


    Tristan shrank back and recoiled when the light, which had only existed in his imagination for so long, hit his eyes.


    ''What''s happening?''


    Two guards entered the cell, their faces twisting for a moment due to the stench and filth inside. Soon, one of them spoke.


    "Get out. Lady Valerie ordered us to bring you to her," said the dungeon leader.


    ''Damn, what does that woman want with me? It can''t be anything good. Does she know what I''ve been doing? That shouldn''t be possible.''


    Tristan trembled slightly and slowly began to step out of the cell.


    The dungeon leader, irritated, kicked him, sending his frail body crashing hard against the stone floor.


    "Ahh!"


    "Move along, filthy rat."


    The guard accompanying the dungeon leader cringed at the scene and looked away, trembling slightly.


    ''Damn, that hurt.''


    Tristan looked at the two guards. He only recognized one of them, the subordinate of the dungeon leader, who used to be the former dungeon leader. He had been hired while Tristan''s mother was still in charge of the mansion.


    ''The bastard who kicked me must have been hired by that witch.''


    He thought, ''I wouldn¡¯t be moving so slowly if you hadn''t left me to starve here, bastards,'' but decided to remain silent and used his remaining strength to follow the guards.


    As he walked through the large mansion, he saw images that were once familiar to him but had long since become distant memories.


    He saw many people while walking, most of them strangers, probably servants from Valerie''s clan, but some he recognized. It seemed that Valerie had fired most of the people his mother had hired.


    ''Well, that¡¯s no surprise.''


    Many faces stared at him, some with disgust and contempt, others with pity and sadness. Tristan wasn¡¯t sure which of these looks bothered him more.


    ''Until now,'' Tristan gritted his teeth, irritated by the exhaustion of the walk.


    Finally, he arrived at the mansion¡¯s main hall as the large wooden doors opened. He looked ahead and saw a scene that made his stomach churn.


    In front of him stood a red-haired woman with lilac eyes, around 25 years old with pale skin and a short stature. Her beauty was evident, and she wore a long, beautiful medieval-style blue dress that covered her entire body.


    When she looked at him, her face twisted into a grimace for a moment, probably unhappy that he was still alive, but soon a wide smile appeared on her face, revealing her perfectly white teeth; his miserable state must have pleased her.


    "Roaches really are creatures that can survive anywhere," Valerie said, turning her face away in disgust.


    A murderous rage nearly overtook Tristan''s mind, driving him to madness, but he restrained himself because there was hope¡ªhe had hope of changing his situation. He couldn¡¯t die just yet.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Looking at her with eyes full of anger, Tristan wondered.


    ''Why did she call me here?''


    She watched his miserable appearance for a while and then sighed.


    "My daughter Vivienne has been pestering me for a long time to see you, and since today is her birthday, I couldn¡¯t deny her request this time. I was also curious to see how you''ve been spending your life," Valerie said, laughing a little at the last part.


    "Stay quiet and don¡¯t cause trouble during her birthday, or you¡¯ll regret it," Valerie said, a murderous look in her eyes.


    Tristan¡¯s face twisted again, his fury rising, but there was a thought that disturbed him even more.


    ''Does Vivi still remember me?''


    In the past, Valerie and her children lived in the second mansion near the main one, so he only met her children on a few occasions. Valerie had four children: the eldest daughter, Vivian, who was three months younger than Tristan; Victor, who must be 10 years old now; Vivienne, who was turning 8 today; and lastly, Violet, who was 5 years old.


    He and Vivienne had a good relationship. She was an energetic girl, and Tristan had given her some toys he had copied from Earth. The two could technically be considered friends. He had only spoken a few times with Vivian and Victor, as they didn¡¯t feel very comfortable around each other. Well, at least Victor tried to be cordial, but Vivian completely despised him.


    Being the eldest daughter, she was her mother¡¯s first hope of attracting Tristan''s father¡¯s attention, which also meant she was her first failure. Although she was extremely talented, Tristan had the mind of an adult, which made it easier for him to learn about cultivation.


    "Take this rat to clean up quickly. He¡¯ll ruin my daughter¡¯s birthday if he shows up like this," Valerie said.


    He left with the guards, and after another long walk, he was handed over to a maid of the mansion who would help him clean up.


    The guards left, and now it was just him and the maid in the bathroom.


    Tristan knew her¡ªit was Margaret, a beautiful woman in her thirties who had taken care of him when he was a child. After a moment of looking at him, Margaret began to cry and sob uncontrollably.


    He just continued to stare at her with his usual dead eyes.


    Margaret knelt down and gently hugged him.


    "Those monsters, what did they do to my boy?"


    She remained silent for a while, trying to hold back her tears.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Lady Nerix..."


    Tristan rolled his eyes at all of this; he couldn¡¯t feel any emotion.


    In truth, he just wanted this day to end as quickly as possible. But it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care about Margaret¡ªhe really liked her. The problem was that his situation wouldn¡¯t be solved with feelings, so all of this seemed like a waste of time to him.


    He patted her back to see if she would calm down.


    After a few minutes, the woman managed to pull herself together and started to clean Tristan. Or at least she tried.


    He literally had a layer of all kinds of dirt stuck to his skin; it took a long time until the water running off him stopped resembling sewage water.


    Eventually, Tristan¡¯s true marble-white skin could be seen, but when Margaret saw all his scars and bruises, a new round of crying began.


    He submerged his body in the bathwater.


    ''This feels so good. A moment of relief after so much suffering.''


    Tristan¡¯s long, coal-black hair was now spread out in the water. He touched his strands of hair, finding it strange to feel that his hair was no longer stuck together as if it had been glued.


    ''My hair is so long.''


    Now that his hair moved freely, it almost reached his legs.


    "Can you cut my hair for me?"


    Margaret¡¯s brown eyes sparkled with emotion as she replied, "Of course, young master."


    With a smile on her beautiful face, Margaret began cutting Tristan¡¯s hair.


    He looked in the mirror and ran his hand through the fringe on his forehead.


    ''Not bad.''


    Tristan examined his body from top to bottom.


    ''Maybe I could be considered handsome if it weren¡¯t for the scars and the fact that I have no body fat.''


    After drying off, Margaret said,


    "Here are your clothes, sir."


    Now, he wore a long-sleeved black shirt underneath a short-sleeved white shirt filled with gold details and designs, paired with long black pants and stylish white shoes with some golden accents.


    "Are you ready, sir?" Margaret asked.


    "Yes," he replied.


    ''Let¡¯s get this over with,'' a slight touch of emotion stirring in his heart.


    He reached the hall, and Margaret withdrew.


    Tristan entered the hall and waited for the others to arrive.


    After a while, he heard hurried footsteps. His heart became restless, and he started to feel nervous. He wondered who could be approaching, knowing that the chances of it being someone unpleasant were high.


    Sigh.


    ''Most people here are a problem for me. I never thought I¡¯d say this, but I almost miss the prison.''


    The wooden doors of the hall opened.


    Then he saw a relatively tall girl for her age. Her wavy hair was red, and her eyes were lilac like her mother¡¯s; the two were very similar. She wore a long black dress embroidered with gold details.


    The girl became a blur, moving faster than Tristan could see. She collided with him, sending his body flying and crashing into the wall. He spat out blood and felt a massive pain surge through his body.

 Chapter 7: Imperfect Family

    Inside the grand hall of a large mansion, the small body of a child collided violently with the wall. The boy fell to the floor of the hall, vomiting blood and writhing in pain.


    After some time in agony, Tristan lifted his head, staring at his attacker with fury in his eyes.


    Vivian, Valerie¡¯s eldest daughter, was the one who attacked him. Looking at her face, he noticed the smile that highlighted her baby cheeks.


    ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t my half brother. How¡¯s life as a mere piece of trash with a Solid Red core?¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Do you still remember the time when everyone praised you for being talented? People always compared us. Back then, they thought you were amazing and that I would just be your shadow in the future. You were so arrogant back then, looking down on me with disdain. Look at you now,¡± Vivian said with a look of contempt on her childish face.


    ¡®Is this kid delusional? Arrogant? That never happened. I was never as great as she makes it seem. Maybe she¡¯s crazy, or maybe Valerie filled her head with nonsense and lies.¡¯


    ¡°You want to know something cool? I¡¯ve become a Mid-Orange and entered the best academy in the Marquisate. I already have four abilities, while you have none. Oh, and I¡¯m almost learning a Rank 2 ability. Who¡¯s better now?¡± Vivian boasted, puffing out her chest with pride.


    ¡®She¡¯s already reached Mid-Orange?¡¯ Tristan was surprised by this because it meant Vivian¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t small. She had a good chance of securing a prominent position in the kingdom¡¯s future.


    ¡®And it also means she didn¡¯t try to kill me. Not turning my fragile body into a pulp of flesh isn¡¯t easy for an Orange Mist, let alone a Mid-Orange like her.¡¯


    Disappointed with his emotionless face in response to her biggest achievements, Vivian approached him and stepped on his head.


    ¡°Where are my compliments, little rat? Say I¡¯m better than you, or I¡¯ll crush your filthy head,¡± Vivian said angrily.


    Tristan felt his head being pressed harder against the floor. It felt like his skull would crack, but he remained silent.


    ¡®Damn, this hurts. Doesn¡¯t this idiot realize she could kill me?¡¯


    They stayed like that for a while, neither showing any sign of backing down.


    Finally, Vivian said, ¡°So, you don¡¯t value your life! Very well, then why don¡¯t you swallow my shoe? You must be hungry.¡±


    Vivian removed her shoe and grabbed Tristan¡¯s chin, trying to force the shoe into his mouth. He tried to fight back, but the difference in strength was immense.


    At that moment, someone else entered the hall.


    ¡°Vivian!¡± Victor, who had just arrived, ran toward his older sister.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this. What if you end up killing him?¡± he said.


    Vivian looked at her younger brother and said, ¡°You¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    She released Tristan, who stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and straightened his clothes. He looked at the two of them without showing much emotion.


    With the awkward silence hanging in the air, Victor approached Tristan and said, ¡°Ah, Tristan! It¡¯s been so long since we last saw each other.¡±


    He extended his hand to Tristan.


    Tristan looked at the boy in front of him. All of Valerie¡¯s children had red hair and lilac eyes, looking a lot like her. Then he glanced at Victor¡¯s hand and decided to accept his greeting.


    After that, the three of them distanced themselves from one another.


    Then time passed, and the wooden doors of the hall opened once more. Two people entered. A maid accompanied a little girl. The young girl shared the same physical characteristics as her siblings; the color of her hair and eyes made her lineage quite obvious.


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    When the girl saw Tristan, she ran toward him with her short legs. She hugged him and said, ¡°Tristan, you came.¡±


    Of course, that girl was Vivienne, Tristan¡¯s half-sister and Valerie¡¯s third child.


    ¡°You disappeared for so long! Where were you?¡± Vivienne said.


    He struggled to figure out what to do. He wasn¡¯t used to so much social interaction, so he simply said, ¡°Ah, well, I was in a very distant place, so I couldn¡¯t see you. Um, it¡¯s good to see you, Vivi.¡±


    ¡°How long will you stay here?¡± Vivienne asked.


    ¡°Your mother only allowed me to stay for one day.¡±


    Vivienne pouted and said, ¡°She¡¯s so mean. What if we ask her to let you stay longer?¡±


    Tristan froze for a moment, thinking of the consequences he would face if Valerie were further bothered.


    He shook his head and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother your mother too much. That¡¯s not something a good girl should do. You don¡¯t want to be a bad person, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m not a bad girl,¡± Vivienne said, pouting.


    ¡°Did you bring me a present?¡± Vivienne asked excitedly, her eyes full of expectation.


    ¡®No, how could I?¡¯


    ¡°Um, my presence is already a gift,¡± Tristan said, shrugging.


    At that moment, Valerie entered the hall. Her eyes quickly scanned everyone in the room, stopping on Tristan for a few more seconds. There was a scowl on her face.


    But her expression completely changed when she looked at her daughter, Vivienne. Her eyes lit up, and her face was full of happiness. She gave a charming smile. She almost looked like a normal human being at that moment.


    She walked over to Vivienne, then hugged her daughter and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°My little girl, are you enjoying your birthday?¡±


    Tristan kept Vivienne company throughout the afternoon, acting as though the others didn¡¯t exist.


    As the sun was setting, Valerie said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, Vivienne. Go to bed.¡±


    Valerie turned to the guards and told them, ¡°And take him back. He¡¯s stayed here long enough.¡±


    ¡°Mom, can you let big brother Tristan stay a little longer? Please!¡± Vivienne said, her eyes sparkling like a puppy¡¯s.


    ¡°Go to your room. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± Valerie pointed to one of Vivienne¡¯s nannies nearby, and they dragged Vivienne away.


    ¡°Mom, please!¡± She cried, but it was to no avail. Vivienne was taken away.


    ¡°And you, get out of my sight,¡± Valerie said.


    Tristan stared at Valerie for a moment. His face showed no expression, but his pitch-black eyes gleamed with fury.


    He looked at the guards and began walking toward them.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Valerie said her sharp order.


    Tristan froze and turned to Valerie, fearing what might happen next. He studied her face, noticing a hint of madness in her eyes.


    Valerie grabbed his face with her right hand and lifted his body effortlessly, as if he were as light as a toy.


    She raised Tristan¡¯s face until it reached her eyes.


    She narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth.


    ¡°These eyes! You have the same eyes as your despicable mother! I bet you have no respect for me, just like she didn¡¯t. Your family was always so proud of your filthy tongue,¡± Valerie said, full of disdain.


    ¡°Maybe I should tear out these irritating eyes,¡± she said as she brought her sharp fingernail closer to his left eye.


    Tristan shuddered, feeling a chill run down his spine. He thought about his situation, and then, as her fingernail touched his eyeball, he said, "Please, Lady Valerie, I beg you, forgive my insolence."


    Hearing his words, she grimaced. Without saying anything, she threw Tristan¡¯s body aside. He was furious that he had to beg the person he hated the most. It was humiliating. There was a time when he wouldn¡¯t have cared about losing an eye, but now he couldn¡¯t allow it¡ªbecause he had hope.


    Back in the dungeon, Tristan followed the two guards as they walked down the corridor. While walking silently, he eyed the three keys on the guard''s belt. As they neared his cell, he tried to get closer to the dungeon leader without being noticed. When he was about a meter away from the guard, he moved as quickly as he could and tried to grab the dungeon keys.


    Unfortunately, almost immediately, the guard turned around, but Tristan didn¡¯t give up. He continued his advance, grabbing the keys and clutching them as tightly as he could.


    Then, the dungeon leader¡¯s fist smashed into his face, completely crushing his nose. Tristan almost lost consciousness, but he tried to stay awake with every bit of willpower left in his body. He collided with the floor, his now-broken nose gushing blood.


    ¡°Give it back, you thief!¡± The guard shouted angrily.


    But Tristan ignored the order and continued gripping the keys with both hands as tightly as he could. The guard began kicking him in fury, and Tristan felt as if his body was being torn apart.


    Then, the other guard said, ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t need to do this. He¡¯s just a child!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± was the leader¡¯s response. He continued kicking Tristan, who felt like he was going to die.


    The other guard clenched his teeth as he watched.


    ¡°Fine, you take the keys back,¡± the leader said to his subordinate.


    The second guard approached Tristan¡¯s body and grabbed his hand to retrieve the keys. Tristan tried to resist, but the difference in strength was far too great. The guard managed to take the keys back without much difficulty.


    The dungeon leader grabbed Tristan and threw him into his cell. He slammed the heavy metal door shut and locked it.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    He writhed in pain. He had really almost died this time.


    ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t pass out when he hit my face.¡±


    He lay on the ground, his nose completely shattered, his body bruised, but a faint smile formed on his lips.


    Tristan extended his right hand, and then three holographic Light Keys appeared.

 Chapter 8: The Little Rebel Prisoner

    Tristan''s plan was to hold onto the keys just long enough to make a copy. The two guards were cultivators, and he knew that stealing the keys without being detected by the Martial senses would be impossible.


    He looked at the keys with a smile on his face. "Finally, I feel like my life in this hell is coming to an end."


    Now that Tristan had an offensive ability, he didn¡¯t really need the key to his own cell, but he decided to copy it because it could be useful in the future. His cell was designed for regular people, not cultivators. Although he was a cultivator, he was just a child without any skills when he was imprisoned in this dungeon, making escape impossible at that time.


    ''Hehe...''


    ¡®So close, my escape is so close.¡¯


    All he needed now was to create a false healing spell, and then he could leave whenever he wanted. Well, theoretically, he could do that.


    To learn about healing arts, Tristan used his diagnostic ability on himself, trying to study the workings of his own body. He studied his bruises and injuries to understand how they healed.


    But healing arts weren¡¯t the only thing he studied during this time. After all, he was planning a prison break and would become a fugitive, so he needed skills related to concealment. Fortunately, Darkness was the element of concealment, and he already knew its principles; he just needed to put them into practice.


    The cultivation of Darkness naturally made one¡¯s existence harder to detect, but the natural effect of Darkness wouldn¡¯t be enough for him; he needed to deepen his knowledge in that area.


    Sound, smell, and aura¡ªhe had to learn to control these traits using Darkness to hide his presence. Healing arts and concealment were what Tristan needed to survive.


    After a few weeks of training, Tristan acquired two new level-1 abilities, which were:


    Ability name: [Fallen Grace]


    Rank: 1


    Element: Light


    Ability name: [Shadow Aura]


    Rank: 1


    Element: Darkness


    He decided to spend two more months refining these abilities. Then, finally, the promised day arrived.


    It was late at night, and Tristan chose a time when he noticed there was less noise outside, likely because most of the guards were asleep, leaving fewer on watch.


    ¡®Well, this is it; it¡¯s all or nothing. If I fail, I really will die.¡¯


    He thought about the past three years he¡¯d been locked up in the dungeon and the two years after his mother¡¯s death, when he was constantly abused by his stepmother.


    But what he thought about most was his mother. She was the woman who saved his mind and sanity when he arrived in this world. Maternal love was something he had never experienced before; this world gave it to him but then took it away. This left a wild fury in his heart; the pain of loss he suffered was worse than any physical pain he had ever felt, and someone needed to pay for that.


    "I can''t die, I can''t fail, and even if that happens, I swear I will become a curse to haunt those bastards."


    After reinforcing his determination, he began the process. He would need to use three abilities simultaneously to succeed: [Tyrannical Eye], [Dark Blade], and [Fallen Grace]. Needless to say, this was an extremely difficult task. If Tristan¡¯s mental capacity hadn¡¯t been above average, it would have been impossible.


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    Using his diagnostic ability to see the "threads," Darkness to cut them, and Light to hold them together temporarily, he cut the first thread and sighed in relief when he realized he was still alive.


    "Well, one¡¯s done; only a few thousand more to go."


    After a long time, the moment finally came to cut the last "thread." Tristan did so, and now all that remained was to deactivate [Fallen Grace] and see what would happen.


    With a bit of apprehension, he deactivated [Fallen Grace].


    The energy holding the "threads" together no longer existed; in an instant, all the "threads" vanished.


    "Did I succeed?"


    Then, the area around Tristan¡¯s solar plexus began to hurt terribly, and he felt like it was going to explode. An intense burning sensation spread across his chest. His core released a massive amount of essence that traveled through his energy veins, spreading throughout his body. His energy veins grew and became several times larger. The sensation was terrible; Tristan felt like he had been placed in a pot of boiling water.


    The mystical energy was forcing Tristan''s physical body to change and adapt to its new condition.


    After some time, this phenomenon came to an end. He felt his body filled with energy¡ªfive times more energy, to be precise.


    [Your body is full of power; you have evolved!]


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ''Magush''


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 11


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Mist Orange


    Talents:


    Abilities: [Tyrannical Eye] [Dark Blade] [Fallen Grace] [Shadow Aura]


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the book The Tales of Heaven and Earth¡¯s Creation]


    ¡®Mist Orange, I really evolved!¡¯


    He had expected this to happen. Those who awaken before adulthood naturally evolve a bit, even without using cultivation techniques. Since Tristan''s cultivation had been blocked, he hadn¡¯t experienced this phenomenon. But once the block was removed, his core had to adjust to his 11-year-old body.


    ¡°Damn, if my cultivation hadn¡¯t been blocked, I¡¯d probably be in the Mid Orange by now, or even the Solid Orange¡± he sighed sadly.


    But then a smile appeared on his face.


    ¡®Well, anyway, the best news is that my cultivation is no longer blocked.¡¯


    ¡®Finally!¡¯


    Tristan leaped with joy at his new achievement.


    Once the moment of joy passed, he began to think about the next steps.


    The best thing to do at that moment would have been to stay there, using cultivation techniques to modify his body, giving it its elemental characteristics. The vitality boost from Light and the flexibility provided by Darkness could be very useful to him. But there was no time to waste.


    Tristan didn¡¯t know if powerful cultivators like his father or others who lived in the mansion could sense any difference in the essence of those living there, but he thought it was best to leave as quickly as possible.


    [Dark Blade]


    A mist of darkness covered Tristan¡¯s right hand, forming a small black blade. The evolution not only strengthened his body but also increased the power of his skills. His [Dark Blade] was now five times stronger than when he had a Solid Red core.


    He slowly cut through the metal lock; his blade was precise and sliced like a knife. Now, with the door no longer locked, he slowly pulled the heavy metal gate, trying to make as little noise as possible. He finally managed to step out of his cell and into the hallway. He pulled the metal door back, placing it in its original position. Tristan¡¯s cut had been so precise that someone would only notice something was different if they looked closely.


    [Shadow Aura]


    A thin layer of black mist covered Tristan¡¯s body, allowing him to somewhat control his scent, sound, and vital essence release. Slowly, he walked through the dark corridor, deciding to pass by the area where the imprisoned cultivators were kept to see if there was anyone useful to help in his escape.


    His [Shadow Aura] might work on the dungeon guards, but it was only a level 1 skill. His father had Martial Experts working for him, and if any of them had a level 2 detection ability, he¡¯d be in trouble. That¡¯s why Tristan wanted to see if he could find someone to use as bait while escaping. The chances of finding someone useful weren¡¯t very high, since cultivators were rare, and most who were imprisoned would be quickly executed unless they had some use.


    As it was very late, the guards who were awake were likely near the dungeon¡¯s entrance gate, so Tristan managed to reach the area where the cultivators were imprisoned.


    He pulled out a bone key with a complex design, runes, and symbols carved into its surface. This was one of the keys he had replicated. He had used his Darkness magic to carve a bone he had saved from one of his meals.


    He opened several cells, but most were empty.


    But then he finally found someone. It was a young man, about 16 or 19 years old. He had long black hair; his body was covered in scars and freshly stitched wounds; he had probably been tortured. He had a tattoo on the left side of his face: a black snake emerging from the eye of a goat¡¯s skull. He was suspended in the air, his arms bound by chains.


    ¡°Is he still alive?¡±


    But as he got closer, the stranger opened his eyes.

 Chapter 9: The Forgotten Shadow meets the Blood

    He frowned and looked at Tristan with confusion in his eyes, then smiled as if his body were not mutilated and said.


    ¡°Why is there a child here?¡± asked the young man, looking confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m a prisoner of this dungeon like you. I¡¯m trying to escape from here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. At first, I thought the nobles had some strange custom of taking their children for a stroll in a dungeon,¡± said the chained man.


    ¡°But that explains why your body is so damaged. I imagine you¡¯re looking for help to escape, right? That¡¯s why you came here,¡± he said in a calm voice.


    He didn¡¯t show the emotion someone with the chance to end their torment should have.


    ¡®This guy is weird; has he gone crazy?¡¯


    ¡°Well, you guessed correctly, so are you strong?¡±


    ¡°Strong? Me? Uhm, a bit, probably much stronger than you. Don¡¯t worry, I promise I can be useful to you if you get me out of here. You can trust me; I¡¯m a very honest person,¡± said the young man with a friendly face.


    ¡®This guy doesn¡¯t give me a good feeling.¡¯


    ¡®But I need help to get out of here, so I don¡¯t have much choice.¡¯


    ¡°How do I get you out of there?¡±


    ¡°Destroy that glowing orb in the center of this runic circle,¡± said the unknown young man.


    When Tristan approached the runic circle, he noticed that the area had no world essence, weakening his body and preventing him from using his abilities.


    In the center of the rune circle was a platform filled with strange drawings and symbols, with a small green orb trapped on the platform. Tristan tried to destroy the orb, but it wasn¡¯t easy without his abilities, so he decided to find a stone, and even with that, breaking the orb wasn¡¯t an easy task, but eventually he managed to do it.


    The world essence returned to the cell, so Tristan lowered the young man and used his key to remove the shackles from him.


    The young man began to rotate his wrists and stretch his limbs, which caused his wounds to open even further. Blood flowed from him, but he didn''t seem very concerned. After doing this, he said, "Ah, child, I really owe you for this. I will repay my debt today; you will see."


    "But then? What is the name of my savior?" the young man asked excitedly.


    Tristan frowned slightly and said:


    "Tristan."


    "Beautiful name! I''m Li Cheng, little brother. We''re going to get along well."


    Li Cheng took Tristan''s hand and squeezed it quickly.


    "Do you have a key to the magical door at the dungeon entrance?" Li Cheng asked.


    Tristan became a bit cautious at the question.


    "Yes," he shrugged and replied without showing concern.


    Li Cheng nodded and didn''t ask any more questions.


    After that, Tristan and Li Cheng searched for other imprisoned cultivators but found no one else.


    ''Should we seek help from the common prisoners? Or would they just be dead weight?''


    Tristan turned to his new companion and asked:


    "Should we seek help in the cells of common people?"


    "Of course! The more people, the better!" Li Cheng said in his usual cheerful tone.


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    ¡®This guy is really strange.¡¯


    Lying in a dark cell, a thin man of about forty stared hopelessly at the floor. A noise from outside reached his ears, making his body tremble. He began to imagine that his end had come and that the guards would take him for execution.


    However, something he hadn''t imagined happened. The child was small and so thin that he looked more like a skeleton with skin; his skin was pale like a corpse, and something strange was in his nose. The boy entered his cell. And after him, a tall young man with long black hair and a body full of freshly stitched wounds entered.


    "What is happening?" asked the old prisoner.


    The child shrugged and said:


    "Look at our appearance; what do you think is happening?" said the child, pointing to their bruises and the young man behind him.


    The child approached and said:


    "It''s time for you to decide how you want to die," said the boy in a monotone, expressionless tone.


    "What? What does that mean?" the old man asked, concerned.


    The boy looked at him and said:


    "It''s simple. Think carefully about how you want to die. Do you want to die like a cockroach in this dark place, forgotten by everyone, or do you want to die like a human?"


    "Today, we give you the chance to decide. Do as you wish," said the child and turned to leave the cell.


    The old man was confused. Then he thought about it. It seemed that following them could also be a death sentence. But after a while, he decided to follow the young ones.


    He wanted to die like a human!


    After the old man decided to follow them, they returned to the corridor and began to gather the other prisoners.


    "How are your energy reserves?" Tristan asked Li Cheng.


    "I''m fine. I have more than enough," said Li Cheng.


    Tristan nodded. He looked back; there were about thirteen prisoners, some probably committed crimes, others perhaps just annoyed some noble.


    For a moment, Tristan thought about the moral issues and the consequences of leaving these criminals free, but that soon faded from his mind.


    First, because most of them, if not all, would probably end up dying.


    And second, because the world had already taken everything from him without caring about his feelings, it made no sense to worry about others.


    Tristan continued walking until the old man he had freed approached him.


    "What? Did something happen?"


    "No, nothing, I was just curious. Were you really imprisoned here? I mean, you''re just a child. Why are you here?"


    Tristan looked at the old man expressionlessly and shrugged.


    "Well, I just annoyed one of the nobles from the mansion, so I''m here."


    "Those nobles are truly worse than animals. What could a mere child do to be sent to this hellish place? Those bastards," said the old man, shaking his head in indignation at the behavior of the nobility.


    He looked at the old man and asked.


    "And you? Why are you here?"


    He didn''t really want to know about the old man''s life, but he wanted to practice his communication skills and get used to it. He might need to interact socially with others if he managed to get out of there.


    "Uhm¡­ me? I was part of the defensive force of the city of Clauder. Baron Ansir of Flangen started a territorial dispute with Baron Morgun of Clauder. Ansir asked the count of this mansion for help, so I ended up being captured by one of his men," the man sighed sadly.


    Tristan saw the old man''s face grow sad as he remembered the events that led him to be imprisoned in a dungeon cell. But he also noticed that there seemed to be another feeling in the old man''s heart, longing and hope.


    "Is there someone out there waiting for you?" This was quite likely. Not everyone was alone in this world like him.


    The old man''s eyes became a bit more moist. He nodded and said:


    "Yes, I have two children, a girl of 15 years and a boy of 8 years. Their mother died of an illness a few years ago. My children only have me to take care of them. That''s why I need to return to them," said the old man, with a flame of determination shining in his eyes.


    Tristan nodded slowly.


    "What is your name?"


    "Oh, right. I guess we haven''t introduced ourselves yet. My name is Coli."


    "So that''s what it''s like to have a life waiting for you out there."


    Tristan sighed.


    "Well."


    "Coli, right?"


    "Don''t die."


    Tristan had found the last person who was imprisoned in the dungeon. There were about 24 people, but they were common people, and there were only two Martial artists, him and Li Cheng. The odds were not in their favor; if a Solid Red appeared, the common people would be cut down like grass.


    "Let''s gather everyone. We need to come up with a plan," Tristan said to Li Cheng.


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry about that. I already have a plan to escape from here!" Li Cheng said with his usual calm and relaxed expression.


    "Really? What is it?" Tristan frowned, raised an eyebrow, and asked skeptically.


    "Oh, watch this cool trick, little brother." Li Cheng turned to Coli, who was standing next to Tristan. An ice dagger appeared in his left hand, and then his arm became a blur as he sliced Coli''s throat without any difficulty.


    Tristan jumped back in shock.


    ¡®He has gone crazy?¡¯


    But what he saw next was what truly terrified him. The blood gushing from Coli''s neck instead of falling to the ground floated toward Li Cheng. Coli''s blood entered his body, his previously open wounds began to close, and his muscles grew. His dying and injured appearance no longer existed.

 Chapter 10: Fight for freedom

    Danger.


    Danger was what Tristan felt.


    His blood seemed to flow slower, his mouth went dry, he felt cold, and the hairs on his body stood on end. His usually pale skin, as white as a corpse¡¯s, somehow seemed even paler now.


    This was fear.


    "But what is this?"


    "What¡¯s happening?"


    Coli''s corpse was now as dry as a mummy.


    Stunned, Tristan looked at the scene before him in amazement. Li Cheng, who had seemed barely able to stand moments ago, now looked like he had undergone an intense beauty treatment.


    More frightening than that was how, after slitting old Coli¡¯s throat as if it were nothing, Li Cheng turned to the others behind them.


    Then he charged towards them, forming an ice scythe in his hand. Oh, those poor, frightened prisoners. Some tried to run, others tried to fight, but it was all in vain.


    To Tristan, it seemed as if Li Cheng was cutting grass rather than humans.


    His ice blade sliced through their limbs effortlessly.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    ¡®He¡¯s too fast. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s a regular Martial Artist. With that strength, he might even be a Martial Specialist.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do if he wants to get rid of me.¡¯


    Tristan¡¯s stomach churned. Just when he thought he might regain control of his life, he was thrown into a situation where he was completely powerless.


    But beyond the fear, there was another thought swirling in Tristan¡¯s mind, something that left him puzzled and confused.


    ¡®Water and Blood, he¡¯s definitely using Water and Blood, but how is that possible? They¡¯re different elements. Although Blood has some relation to Water, it¡¯s permanently fused with Light, making it a completely different element from Water. This shouldn¡¯t be possible. Water and Blood, they aren¡¯t complementary elements like Light and Darkness, they aren¡¯t that dependent.¡¯


    ¡®Could he have a hidden artifact?¡¯


    Tristan didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on this; soon, the prisoners were dead, leaving only him and Li Cheng.


    Li Cheng spread his arms, and the blood from all the corpses on the ground floated towards his body. His body swelled more, and his muscles became more defined.


    Li Cheng looked at Tristan and said, "The key."


    Tristan thought for a moment and tossed the bone key that opened the dungeon entrance.


    Li Cheng caught the key and then looked at Tristan.


    "Ah, see? I told you I was useful, haha. Well, I¡¯ll let you keep your life; my debt is paid now."


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    Li Cheng¡¯s body became a blur as he ran towards the dungeon entrance.


    Tristan watched him leave and then looked at the corpses on the ground.


    ¡®Power.¡¯


    After some time, Tristan reached the dungeon entrance.


    "At least the bastard left the door open."


    In front of the entrance, two guard corpses lay on the ground, looking like mummies.


    As Tristan walked, he found more bodies. He knew he didn¡¯t have much time; Li Cheng didn¡¯t seem to be trying to be subtle, so Tristan needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.


    ¡®I managed to get out of the dungeon, but I¡¯m still in the underground floor. I¡¯ll try to use the exit behind the mansion. I¡¯ll have to climb the wall and hopefully reach the forest around the fortress without being detected.¡¯


    [Shadow Aura]


    With his concealment ability activated, Tristan ran through the mansion¡¯s underground area. After a few minutes, he heard the sound of a bell; all the guards were being alerted.


    ¡®Damn it, hopefully, that man isn¡¯t home.¡¯


    Tristan ran cautiously, needing to stop and hide occasionally. He could hear the sounds of guards passing near him. So far, he had been lucky; no guard had detected him yet.


    Now there were only 200m(656ft) left to exit the mansion¡¯s underground area. Tristan was walking down a straight corridor as quickly as he could; this would be the most dangerous part, as hiding here was nearly impossible.


    Then, suddenly.


    Tristan heard the sound of heavy footsteps pounding the floor; someone was coming.


    ¡®Damn it, it¡¯s too far to go back now.¡¯


    After 20 seconds, a guard appeared in front of him, a guard Tristan knew all too well.


    He was the dungeon¡¯s head guard, the one who had crushed his nose and beaten him.


    Tristan stared at the dungeon head guard with a burning fury in his dark eyes.


    "You?" the guard said. "How? What are you doing here?"


    Tristan didn¡¯t respond and took up an attack stance.


    Seeing this, the guard just laughed. "Boy, what the hell are you doing? Haha."


    "Come on, go back to your cell." He sighed. "Truth be told, I didn¡¯t even want to waste my time here with you. I¡¯d rather be going after the other prisoners, but you know, if I let you go, Lady Valerie will have my head. So be a good boy and go back to your cell and don¡¯t piss me off, alright? You won¡¯t like the outcome if you do!" the guard, who thought the prisoners had united in a rebellion, said this with disdain on his face.


    Tristan hesitated for a brief moment, then he changed his stance, looking as though he had given up.


    Seeing his surrender, the dungeon head guard approached and grabbed Tristan by the neck.


    "Let¡¯s go¡­ gasp," When the guard was about to drag Tristan back to his cell, something happened.


    [Dark Blade]


    A black mist enveloped Tristan¡¯s right hand, forming a small blade. Tristan then slashed the guard¡¯s right wrist; skin, muscle, veins, Tristan cut through it all. He couldn¡¯t cut the bone, but he still managed to render the guard¡¯s right arm useless.


    Tristan adjusted his position and advanced, trying to slash the guard¡¯s abdomen.


    But with the powerful physical enhancement caused by the cultivation of Fire, the guard retreated with the agility of a cat.


    "You bastard! What did you do to my arm?" The guard screamed in rage as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding from his now useless arm.


    "How? How are you able to use a ability? Your cultivation was blocked! What did you do?" The guard¡¯s face was now twisted with rage and pain.


    "I¡¯ll crush your skull, you little rat," the guard said with murderous fury in his eyes.


    He extended his left arm, and golden particles of light began to appear.


    While the guard was saying these things, Tristan was thinking about his current situation.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    ¡®What do I do now?¡¯


    ¡®Running away is impossible; he¡¯s much faster than I am. Running is useless.¡¯


    ¡®He¡¯s also much stronger than I am. His core is probably still red; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be just a dungeon head guard, but that doesn¡¯t help much. Even if my core is stronger, vital energy only amplifies someone¡¯s constitution; it doesn¡¯t equalize the forces if there¡¯s a significant mass difference.¡¯


    ¡®A child, even with an orange core, would never be stronger than an adult, much less a child with a battered and malnourished body like mine.¡¯


    ¡®My only advantage is that I can use more vital energy in my abilities, but I only have one offensive ability. He surely has at least a movement ability and a defensive ability.¡¯


    Tristan stood still, waiting, thinking of a plan to solve his situation and escape alive.


    After about 8 seconds since the golden particles appeared, a big black ax formed, and then the guard charged toward Tristan.

 Chapter 11: Making a dream of being free real

    In an underground corridor made of carved stone blocks, with the only source of light being the fire torches that barely illuminated anything.


    A man, 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) tall and around 40 years old, advanced with a large axe towards a child who was much shorter and thinner than ideal.


    When the child saw the large axe appear, a frightened expression crossed his small face, and he turned to try to flee.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Have you lost your courage?¡±


    ¡°Do you not trust in your Darkness ability?" The dungeon guard leader, filled with fury and anger over his now-lost hand, needed only a few steps to catch up to the poor child.


    The child looked back, so scared that he tripped over his own feet.


    But due to the fall, the child managed to avoid being sliced in half by the powerful horizontal slash performed with the dungeon leader''s left hand.


    "Ah¡­ no," the child groaned as he fell to the ground and looked at the dungeon guard leader in panic.


    ¡°No! Please! Wait!¡± The child begged, but the guard ignored his plea. Without his hand, he would be crippled for life, his job would be at risk, and Lady Valerie would get rid of him anyway.


    The guard leader adjusted his stance and prepared to deliver a vertical slash to the child lying on the ground.


    ¡°No!¡± The child kicked the guard¡¯s right leg, probably trying to knock him down, but the guard laughed at this. A child trying to topple an adult was ridiculous.


    The boy¡¯s panic excited him even more.


    And then, ¡®slash¡¯, the guard felt a terrible pain in his right leg.


    He staggered backward, using his left foot, and realized that his right leg had almost been severed. He could barely stay on his feet.


    He looked at the boy and saw that his foot was covered with a black mist shaped like a blade.


    [Dark Blade]


    ¡®Ah, it worked, great, now I have a chance to survive.¡¯


    The difference in strength between Tristan and his enemy was too great. Even though he had rendered his enemy¡¯s right hand useless, Tristan knew he couldn¡¯t win.


    Running away was impossible; the guard was much faster than him. Trying to attack his enemy before he materialized his weapon would also be useless; with the physical strengthening of Fire cultivation, the guard leader could keep his distance, preventing Tristan from using Dark Blade until he could summon his weapon.


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    ¡®No.¡¯


    To balance the fight, he needed to take away one of his enemy¡¯s advantages.


    That¡¯s why Tristan gave his enemy the time he needed to summon his weapon and then pretended to be so scared that he might trip while trying to flee. With his axe in hand, the dungeon guard leader wouldn¡¯t fear being cut by Dark Blade. The result of his act was a total success; the guard leader felt so confident that he didn¡¯t even use a movement ability to kill Tristan.


    Tristan had already sealed a large portion of the guard¡¯s attack abilities, and now he had also taken away his movement abilities.


    The main reason Tristan had created such a dangerous strategy and was confident that the experienced guard would be deceived by his act was due to the main characteristic most abilities share.


    Lack of flexibility.


    Most abilities had to be performed with the same movements and with the same energy control, everything had to be done perfectly the same. The slightest inaccuracy, and the ability would fail.


    Of course, there were some exceptions to this, and Dark Blade was one of them. This ability was of the flexible type, allowing Tristan to use it in any movement. Tristan could even use it on any part of his body as long as he had good enough essence control.


    He relied on luck that the guard wouldn¡¯t have an ability as versatile as his. And judging by his furious reaction, he probably didn¡¯t.


    ¡®Well, I did everything I could. Since he¡¯s right-handed, he must have lost most of his attack abilities, and without his right leg, his movement abilities have also been compromised.¡¯


    Tristan smiled.


    ¡°How are you feeling, bastard?¡±


    ¡°Can you guess which part I¡¯ll cut off next?¡±


    ¡°My nose is still sore. So I think I¡¯ll settle that debt, but don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t suffer as long as I did since you¡¯ll die soon.¡±


    Tristan turned to the guard and assumed his fighting stance.


    ¡®I have no more tricks; the real battle begins now.¡¯


    [Dark Blade]


    Tristan advanced.


    The guard recovered from his shock.


    He adjusted his stance and also advanced, limping.


    [Frantic Boar Charge]


    The guard concentrated his energy on his left leg and used one of his few movement abilities that didn¡¯t require both feet. His speed surpassed what he was capable of as a mere red core.


    [Red Impact Slash]


    Someone as experienced as him would obviously have abilities that utilized his dominant hand. Unfortunately for him, he didn¡¯t have many of those. His talent had limits.


    Tristan saw a powerful vertical slash coming his way, its power enough to slice a normal human in two like butter. Tristan dodged to the left with all his speed, but he barely escaped by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡®One attack and one movement advance.¡¯ Tristan didn¡¯t want to waste time just dodging; he tried to pay as much attention to his enemy¡¯s movements as possible because he would have to replicate exactly those movements the next time he used these abilities. The sooner Tristan learned to predict his movements, the better.


    The guard, with his experience, quickly adjusted his position and advanced towards Tristan again, this time twisting his body and trying to hit Tristan with a simple diagonal slash.


    Tristan dodged but didn¡¯t escape unscathed; a cut about 20mm (25/32 in) deep appeared on his shoulder.


    Enduring the pain, Tristan tried to strike the guard¡¯s abdomen!


    [Simple Axe Defense]


    The guard used his axe as a shield, blocking Tristan¡¯s blow. Tristan¡¯s blackened hand only hit the axe blade, creating a superficial cut.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    The guard, using his axe as a shield, struck Tristan, throwing him to the ground with his enormous strength.


    [Red Impact Slash]


    Not wasting the opportunity, the guard advanced again, attempting to use his vertical slash on Tristan, who was lying on the ground.


    Tristan saw the attack, which could easily kill him, approaching.

 Chapter 12: Fight to be free and kill to get out

    [Shadow Aura]


    Taking advantage of the dimly lit environment, Tristan used his concealment ability. This, combined with his precise analysis of his enemy''s movements from the previous attack, proved enough for him to dodge that powerful blow.


    The ground where Tristan had been standing just seconds before was destroyed by the impact of the axe, sending stones flying through the air.


    ''This is my chance!'' Tristan had once been a Fire cultivator, so he knew how powerful the physical enhancement provided by that type of cultivation was. But he also knew its greatest weakness: stamina.


    The stamina of Fire cultivators was one of the lowest among all; they weren''t suited for long battles. They were like a candle with a strong flame but a short wick.


    Tristan planted his feet firmly on the ground and adjusted his body to strike at the guard''s face!


    Due to the significant height difference, this type of opportunity would be rare. He couldn''t waste the fact that the guard had to bend his body to hit someone as short as he was.


    The guard tried to dodge, but because of the accumulated fatigue from using several abilities, he didn''t have much energy left in his body.


    Tristan''s small, black hand struck the guard''s left cheek, slashing across his nose and exiting through his right eye.


    The dungeon guard captain screamed in pain, now blinded in one eye.


    Seeing the guard''s slashed nose, Tristan gave a small smile.


    The guard glared at Tristan with such rage that his face turned red. Using the temporary surge of strength that Fire cultivators had, the guard managed to slash the right side of Tristan''s abdomen. A deep cut appeared on his body, and Tristan fell to the ground in agony, his blood beginning to pool around him.


    The guard laughed in amusement while breathing heavily.


    "You little piece of sh*t! I''m going to cut off your arms and legs first. You''ll die screaming in agony," said the furious guard.


    At that moment, another person appeared, it was another dungeon guard!


    He rushed forward, holding a spear in his hands.


    ''Damn, it''s over. I''m done for. All this effort for nothing.''


    The guard threw his spear with force.


    Tristan saw the powerful spear approaching and closed his eyes, awaiting his death.


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    But then he heard a scream.


    Tristan opened his eyes and was stunned by what he saw.


    The spear had struck the chest of the dungeon guard captain!


    Tristan turned his gaze to the other guard who had arrived, and he recognized him.


    He was the former dungeon captain! The one who had been hired by his mother and was now working as an assistant to the current captain!


    "You traitor! I''ll kill you too!" The dungeon captain turned, enraged by his subordinate''s betrayal.


    But there was no strength left in his body. He fell to his knees on the ground, but his determination still gave him one last breath as he leaned on his large axe.


    Pressing the cut side of his abdomen and gathering his remaining strength, Tristan lunged at the guard in front of him, and his hand slashed his throat. The guard gave Tristan one last furious look as the light faded from his eyes.


    The bodies of both men fell to the ground almost simultaneously.


    But only one was still alive, for now.


    The battle was over.


    After being unconscious for a long time, Tristan began to open his eyes. He felt his body swaying. He looked around and realized he was in a forest at night.


    He was being carried on the shoulders of the guard!


    He looked at the traitor and spoke in a weak, low voice, almost a whisper.


    "You? Why did you help me? Why are you doing this?"


    The guard stopped, thought for a moment, and then said, "Because I swore to serve Lady Nerix. She was a very kind and gentle person. I''m sorry, young master, for never being able to help you before. I was too afraid of what might happen to me and my family," the guard said, sadness in his eyes.


    Tristan remained silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you."


    They walked for a few more minutes.


    Then the guard said, "Unfortunately, I can''t take you any further, young master. My family still needs me."


    The guard placed Tristan on the ground.


    Then the guard took out a large black axe made of obsidian and a spherical red gem.


    "Here! The artifact and the core of the dungeon captain might help you on your journey."


    Tristan looked at the red gem; the essence inside it was so dense it looked like small stones floating inside.


    ''A solid red core! That''s quite valuable!''


    Then he looked at the axe.


    ''But this axe is even more valuable. Artifacts are very expensive since there are so few forgemasters. Unfortunately, this thing is too heavy for me right now.''


    Without hesitation, Tristan took the red sphere.


    [You acquired 4 red fragments.]


    The sphere in his hand disappeared in a golden light.


    Then he held the heavy axe and let his vital energy flow through it, imprinting it with his energy signature.


    [You acquired an artifact.]


    Again, a golden light enveloped the axe, and it disappeared.


    "Good luck on your journey, my Lord," the guard said, bowing before turning and leaving.


    Tristan looked around at the silent forest.


    He was still afraid that someone might follow him and take him back, so he gathered his strength to begin an arduous journey.


    He knew where he needed to go. Or more precisely, he knew the direction.


    The East.


    The Eastern region was his destination.


    His mother had told him that his ancestors had a sanctuary in the Eastern region and that the secrets of her Clan were there.


    The journey would be dangerous, but Tristan knew that if he wanted to achieve his goals, he would need power.


    And the inheritance of his ancestor, one of the Gatekeepers of the great Pandora Tower who served directly under one of the Supremes of this world, would probably be something that could help him on his journey.


    Tristan looked toward the horizon with determination.


    His journey to the East begins now.

 Chapter 13: Start of the journey

    Two months had passed since Tristan managed to escape from his dungeon prison and decided to travel to the Eastern region. The continent he lived on was divided into five regions, and the region he was currently in was the Central region, the second most dangerous one.


    In the first few weeks, he was severely injured, which meant he couldn''t do much, so he just kept walking through the dense forest at the pace he could manage.


    When he felt better, he began using his Light and Darkness cultivation technique. Slowly, his body was altered, and he started acquiring new physical characteristics. Now, he had the vitality and stamina of Light and the agility and flexibility of Darkness.


    However, he also acquired their negative effects, such as the accelerated metabolism of Light. This had its advantages, but now he needed to eat much more frequently. Darkness made his eyes more precise, allowing him to see in the dark more easily, but it also made his eyes sensitive to light.


    Based on his progress with his cultivation technique, he estimated that he would have a new advance in about a year. He wasn''t slow, but he also wasn''t very fast. After all, he was using a technique he had developed himself, which couldn''t compare to the millennia-old techniques of the Great Clans.


    His body also didn''t have a powerful lineage; his only advantage over others his age was his mind.


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 11


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Mist Orange


    Talents:


    Abilities: [Tyrannical Eye] [Dark Blade] [Fallen Grace] [Shadow Aura]


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the Book The Tales of the Creation of Heaven and Earth] [Obsidian Axe]


    Red Fragments: 4


    Tristan analyzed his abilities. There was an obvious lack of movement abilities for dashing and dodging. He also didn''t have any defensive abilities and only had one attack ability.


    ''Maybe it''s better to find a sect that specializes in Light and Darkness to learn some techniques. This journey will be very dangerous. I''ve heard many stories about how powerful the monsters in the Central region can be. My chances of surviving until I reach my mother''s family''s refuge aren''t very good.''


    After considering these things, he began trying to learn the art of combat on his own. With his orange core, killing the forest animals to get food wasn''t very difficult, thanks to which he was able to gain a bit of body mass. He was still much shorter and thinner than he should have been, but he was infinitely better off than before.


    Another change that occurred was with his Shadow Aura ability. There were many dangerous creatures in the forest. Because of this, he had to use this ability constantly, until he reached a point where he realized that the current rank of this ability wouldn''t be enough for him to survive.


    Even when he walked through the shadows, more and more strange creatures turned their heads towards him, making his only chance of survival to run as fast as he could.


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    So he paused his journey and spent three weeks trying to improve Shadow Aura. Luckily, thanks to his knowledge of Physics and Chemistry, he could understand how sound, smell, and light manifested, so affecting these with Darkness wasn''t very difficult.


    The hardest part was affecting his vital energy. He had no choice but to read countless Tales and spend a lot of time trying to understand the philosophy of being an existence hidden from everything. He needed to reduce the impact his existence had on the world.


    After many attempts, he finally managed to gain insight to evolve his ability to rank 2.


    After that, he continued his journey eastward. His new power did indeed reduce the danger he had to face, but not as much as he had hoped.


    Time passed, and Tristan finally managed to leave the forest. What awaited him were several mountain ranges. The closer he got to the east, the more mountainous the region became.


    Tristan walked along a narrow mountain ledge. He looked out into the distance and saw the dawn light appearing on the horizon. He kept walking, the ledge becoming narrower and narrower until he saw that there was no more path ahead. He looked up and down, deciding whether he would climb or try to find another way down the mountain.


    He raised his head and saw that a bit further up the mountain, there was a path he could use to walk.


    Tristan looked at it and thought, ''About 70m (229.6ft) up and 120m (393.7ft) to the right. I think I can climb up there.''


    He began climbing the mountain. A few minutes had passed, and he felt a bit tired, but his orange core and the bit of mass he had gained over the last two months seemed like it would be enough to complete this task.


    He used Dark Blade to pierce the mountain from time to time to help him move.


    After some more time, Tristan finally managed to reach where he wanted. He let out a sigh and looked around. The path was about 2m (6.6ft) wide and seemed to stretch out for a while.


    ''What''s that?''


    Tristan looked ahead and saw a dark cave.


    ''Could there be something in there?''


    He wondered whether he should inspect the cave or if it would be better to continue on his way. But before he could decide, he saw something move, a tall figure was inside the cave.


    Tristan froze, his heart beating faster. In front of him, he saw a humanoid creature covered in gray fur, nearly 2m (6.6ft) tall. Its body was slender, its arms were long, and sharp claws were at the tips of its fingers. The creature had bull-like horns on its head. Its ape-like face turned towards Tristan, and its yellow eyes gleamed with savagery.


    Only one thought crossed Tristan''s mind.


    ''A magical beast!''


    The creature lunged at Tristan, propelled by its four limbs.


    ''Damn, why can''t I just have a peaceful life?''


    He began summoning the Obsidian Axe to his left hand.


    Tristan didn''t hesitate, his coal-black eyes glowing with as much fury and killing intent as the creature before him.


    He straightened the fingers of his right hand.


    [Dark Blade]


    Within seconds, they were face to face. The creature tried to strike Tristan''s head with its right arm, its sharp claws almost grazing Tristan''s cheek, but he managed to dodge by ducking.


    ''Damn''


    The creature''s arms were too long, giving it a great reach advantage. Tristan''s Dark Blade was only 3cm (1.18in) longer than his hand, so it didn''t help much.


    ''Three more seconds,'' that''s all he needed to finish summoning the Axe.


    The creature adjusted its position and tried to impale Tristan with its horns. He managed to save his abdomen, but the creature pierced his left arm.


    "Ahhhh," Tristan groaned, his pierced arm trapped on the creature''s horn. With his right hand, covered in a blade-shaped mist, he cut off the creature''s horn.


    The beast grunted in indignation.


    Tristan''s Axe finally appeared, but now he could only use his right hand.


    ''Heavy,'' he complained in his mind.


    Tristan now had to be more careful, the lack of experience using the axe with only one hand could cause him to lose balance and make a fatal mistake.


    Tristan advanced. He spun his body and struck the creature''s left knee with his axe.


    The creature''s left arm lashed through the air, hitting Tristan''s abdomen and sending him near the edge of the ledge.


    The creature leaped towards Tristan.


    Tristan was injured, that last blow he received nearly broke his ribs. He saw the massive creature''s body hurtling towards him. It was getting too close; just a few more seconds, and it would reach him.


    He gathered all the vital energy he could and threw the axe upward with all his strength.


    The axe struck the creature''s chest!


    The creature fell to the ground, stumbling as its heavy body moved towards Tristan!


    Tristan tried to dodge, but he wasn''t fast enough.


    He and the wounded creature plunged down the mountain.

 Chapter 14: Crow food

    His body and the beastly creature¡¯s were falling through the air.


    ¡®That bastard is still alive!¡¯


    The creature tried to grab him in the air. There was only madness in its eyes, no room for concern about its own life.


    ¡°Damn you! I¡¯ll kill you before we both die!¡±


    He offered his now-useless left arm for the creature to grab. The creature seized his arm with such force that it easily broke. The beast brought Tristan¡¯s small body closer to its mouth.


    He took advantage of the proximity and kicked his axe, still lodged in the creature''s chest.


    A loud, animalistic sound filled with pain echoed through the air.


    Tristan grabbed the beast''s fur, pulling himself closer to its head.


    [Dark Blade]


    ¡°GO TO HELL!¡± he shouted.


    His small fingers pierced the monster¡¯s eyes.


    He wanted to reach its brain, but his fingers were too small for that.


    The monster howled in pain.


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    He shoved his blackened hand inside the creature''s mouth.


    He cut the creature¡¯s throat from the inside out, but he struggled to cut through the bone.


    The creature, in one last effort, bit Tristan¡¯s right arm.


    He gritted his teeth as the creature¡¯s fangs pierced his flesh, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Craaak,¡± he heard something breaking.


    The top of the creature¡¯s head detached from its body.


    Satisfaction filled his heart.


    Tristan gave a bitter smile, then looked down at the approaching ground.


    ¡®Can I survive this?¡¯ Tristan wondered if his journey would end there.


    He looked at the sun rising on the horizon, its light burning his eyes, but he liked the sensation.


    ¡®Well, at least it¡¯ll be here.¡¯


    He smiled.


    In the middle of a mountainous path, the members of a caravan were setting up their tents.


    There were about five carts, mostly filled with fabric.


    A man around 40 years old and dressed in simple clothes began to move away from the camp.


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    At that moment, a young man, about 20 years old and wearing cheap combat gear, asked:


    ¡°Zhao Lan, where are you going? It¡¯s not safe to wander alone at night in this place.¡±


    The older man turned to the youth, a bit awkward, and hiding his embarrassment, he replied:


    ¡°Ah... Yi Jian, I¡¯m looking for my granddaughter. She must have wandered off again.¡±


    The young cultivator, surprised, looked back at the camp, searching for the spirited child, but didn¡¯t find her.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t even notice when she left,¡¯ Yi Jian thought.


    He coughed slightly and said:


    ¡°Well, find her quickly then. And make sure to give that troublesome girl a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Zhao Lan said as he left to search for his granddaughter nearby.


    After a few minutes, he thought with concern:


    ¡®Where is that girl? Ever since she awakened, she¡¯s been uncontrollable, wandering off without telling anyone.¡¯


    After a while, he finally found her, about 10 meters up in a tree. There was a small 12-year-old girl, her skin slightly tanned from the sun, and her hair and eyes a light sky blue. The girl was dressed in simple clothes, typically worn by those in the fields.


    ¡°Zhao Yue! Why did you run off again? Didn¡¯t I tell you this place is dangerous? And why are you up there? Get down now, young lady! You¡¯re in trouble!¡± he said angrily.


    ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re here! Ah, I¡¯m sorry for leaving without telling you. I just wanted to explore a little. Please don¡¯t be mad,¡± the girl said, trying to calm her grandfather¡¯s anger.


    Suddenly, she turned her head.


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s that?¡± Zhao Yue asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Lan inquired.


    Zhao Yue pointed her finger about a hundred meters ahead of her.


    Old Zhao Lan squinted, trying to see what it was. He noticed something moving but couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    ¡°Uhm, something¡¯s moving there, but it¡¯s too dark,¡± Zhao Lan said.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go see what it is!¡± Yue leaped from the top of the tree with the grace of a dancer and the agility of an acrobat, then ran off, her body seeming so light it floated in the air.


    ¡°Damn it, Yue, come back here! It could be dangerous to go off alone,¡± but Yue was already gone. Old Lan hurried to follow her.


    After a while, a bit tired, Old Lan found Yue.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m here!¡± she said.


    ¡°You little... do you have any idea how dangerous these mountains can be? Don¡¯t run off like that again!¡± Lan scolded her irritably.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa,¡± Yue said, looking down at the ground.


    Lan sighed and turned his head, hearing a strange noise.


    Now that he was closer, he could see what had been moving earlier: it was a group of crows.


    There were dozens of them, all quite excited.


    ¡°Ah, so it was just a group of crows? Some animal must¡¯ve fallen from the mountain or something,¡± Lan said.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just any animal. It¡¯s really big, and I saw a horn! Maybe it¡¯s a magical beast!¡± Yue said excitedly.


    ¡°A magical beast?¡± Lan¡¯s heart raced at the news. A magical beast could easily destroy a small village, and knowing one might be so close worried him.


    Yue began moving closer, eager to see the creature better.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lan asked, annoyed.


    ¡°Please, Grandpa, I want to see the beast! I¡¯ve never seen one before,¡± Yue pleaded with her grandfather.


    Lan clicked his tongue and said:


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    He went ahead, with the curious Yue following behind.


    Waving his arms, he tried to shoo the crows away. As they approached, they noticed something strange.


    Atop the beastly creature seemed to be a human child!


    Lan¡¯s eyes widened, and Yue¡¯s mouth opened in surprise.


    ¡°Why is there a child here?¡± Yue asked her grandfather.


    He frowned, ¡®I wonder that too. This place is far from human settlements. It¡¯s almost impossible for this monster to have invaded a human village and dragged the child all the way here.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe the boy was part of a group of travelers like us and was captured by the beast. The creature might have slipped while carrying him to its lair,¡± Lan guessed.


    He looked at the boy. The child seemed very thin, and both arms were badly wounded. It looked like the crows had taken advantage of this, pecking at his flesh and worsening the injuries.


    A look of sadness crossed Lan¡¯s face. Seeing a child so young having to endure such a terrible fate made his heart sink.


    ¡°Well, at least we should give him a proper burial.¡±


    He glanced at his granddaughter, whose cheerful mood had now vanished. The boy looked even younger than her, making her heart heavy.


    Approaching the boy, Lan leaned in to pick up his body.


    ¡°Ah, what?...¡± Lan said, confused.


    Noticing his odd reaction, Yue asked, ¡°What? Did something happen, Grandpa?¡±


    The old man frowned and, in a doubtful tone, said:


    ¡°I... I think this child is alive.¡±

 Chapter 15: Guild Camp

    "What? HE''S STILL ALIVE? How?" Yue asked in surprise, looking up as if trying to imagine how anyone could have survived that fall.


    Lan brought his ear close to Tristan''s chest, listening to the faint sound of heartbeats.


    ''The creature¡¯s body must have cushioned the impact'' Lan thought.


    "LET''S GO. We need to get back to the camp quickly!" Lan said hurriedly.


    After several minutes, Zhou Lan returned to the merchant guild''s makeshift camp with Tristan in his arms and Zhou Yue following him.


    Yi Jian, who was on watch, was the first to notice them. Seeing Lan¡¯s quick pace and the large object in his arms, Jian asked with concern, "Did something happen?"


    "We found an injured boy!" Zhou Lan called out loudly.


    Yi Jian approached to examine the situation and thought, ¡®A child this far from society? Where did he come from?¡¯


    Jian looked at the boy''s wounds and thought, ''This is bad. He¡¯s badly hurt, and we don¡¯t have a doctor here.''


    Hearing the commotion, another person appeared. It was a man in his mid-twenties, of average height, wearing cheap combat clothes similar to Jian¡¯s. He asked irritably, "What¡¯s all this fuss about?"


    "Liao! We found someone injured. Come here and help!" Wang Liao, the other hired martial artist, looked at Tristan. Seeing the terrible state of his body, he shook his head and said, "It¡¯s too late. There¡¯s no way this boy survives. Just let him die in peace."


    Jian shot a sharp look at his senior, thinking, ''Lazy useless fool.''


    "We need to bandage his wounds to stop the bleeding. Yue, bring me a bucket of clean water. Jian, can you bring me some cloths?" Lan said, irritated by the young men''s argument.


    "Oh, okay, I''ll be right back." Trying to be helpful, Yue ran to the center of the camp and entered one of the wagons to look for what her grandfather had requested.


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    "Right!" Jian also ran to the camp.


    With all the noise and confusion, several people approached. The guild¡¯s caravan had 12 people in total, and among those who came closer, two stood out.


    One was the leader of the merchant guild, a man in his 40s, dressed elegantly¡ªat least by the standards of the area.


    The other was his daughter, a young beauty of 16. Her eyes and hair were dark brown, and her long hair was tied up in a bun. She wore an elegant white and pink ruqun.


    Jian, having found the cloths, was returning, running.


    The young, petite girl approached Jian and asked curiously, "Jian, what¡¯s going on?"


    Jian swallowed nervously and looked at her shyly. "Ah, young mistress Liu Feiyan, Zhao Lan found an injured boy. We¡¯re trying to help him."


    Liu Feiyan said, "Poor boy. How did he end up in a place like this?"


    "Uh, I don¡¯t know. Old Lan must know."


    But Lan was too busy to answer anything. He took the cloths from Jian.


    Yue had arrived with the bucket of water. Lan quickly washed Tristan¡¯s wounds, then dried the area and wrapped them with the cloth.


    His main injuries were on both arms. But due to the impact, he also had internal bleeding, causing blood to come from his nose and mouth.


    After bandaging Tristan''s wounds, Lan carried him to a bed and left him there. There was nothing more he could do.


    Lan sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead, breathing heavily with exhaustion.


    "Do you think he''ll be okay, Grandpa?" Yue asked.


    For a moment, Lan wanted to say, "Of course, my dear, he¡¯ll be fine." But thinking of the disappointment she might feel if the boy died, he simply said with regret, "I don¡¯t know."


    The leader of the merchant guild approached with his usual dignified posture and asked, "Zhou Lan, can you explain what happened?"


    Old Lan adopted a respectful stance and said "Liu Junhan," bowing.


    "I was looking for Yue. She had gone off to explore the area as she always does," he said, his tone slightly irritated.


    Then he continued, "After I found Yue, we noticed something moving in the darkness. When we went to see what it was, we found that child at the base of a mountain slope. He was near a dead magical beast. I think he must have been captured, and the two of them ended up falling as the creature tried to return to its den."


    "This is troubling news. Besides worrying about bandits, we now have to be cautious of magical beasts. If I had known, I would¡¯ve hired more martial artists." Liu Junhan said this with some concern in his voice.


    ''I need to send someone to retrieve the beast''s core!'' Liu Junhan thought about how much he could profit from it.


    Liu Feiyan approached and looked at Tristan''s face with curiosity. His features reminded her of the people who lived closer to the West.


    "Maybe he''s a foreigner from the Empire of Espar or the Republic of Guilean?" she said.


    "I¡¯ve heard even the Empire¡¯s commoners have Gifted blood."


    Liao, stifling a laugh, said, "I doubt it. Just look at him. He¡¯s only a halfbreed. Maybe he came from near the border."


    Liu Feiyan looked closely at Tristan, noticing he had some similarities to people from the central region.


    She sighed and said, "It''s a shame. I''ve always wanted to see the legendary blessing of the Spirit Kings."

 Chapter 16: After the fall

    After a long and terrible dream, Tristan felt his consciousness returning. All he could remember was falling from the mountain.


    ¡®I survived.¡¯


    But perhaps that was the worst part. When they hit the ground, it felt like his organs had turned to mush. The pain was so intense that he lost consciousness.


    However, even unconscious, he could still feel the pain. It was as if dozens of small creatures were trying to eat him alive.


    He also felt hungry¡ªextremely hungry. The accelerated metabolism from his Light cultivation was taking its toll. Tristan was nearing the point where his body would start devouring itself.


    ¡®I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ Even though he had woken from a long dream, he wished he could sleep for a few more hours.


    The last thing he noticed was the discomfort in his stomach like he''d been on a roller coaster, though he had never seen one in person. He was certain that was the sensation.


    In summary, he found himself in a depressing situation once again.


    But for some reason, the repetitive poking at his cheek irritated him more than anything else.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Slowly opening his eyes, Tristan saw the shape of a child in front of him. The small girl had light blue eyes and hair, like the sky, and her skin was lightly tanned by the sun. She was staring at him with her large, bright eyes.


    He squinted, seeing the young girl poking his face.


    First, he checked the condition of his body. Initially, it felt as if something was restraining him, and he almost panicked. The thought that crossed his mind was that he might be trapped again, but then he realized that his arms were just bandaged and could be freed easily.


    Then he looked around, scanning his surroundings for any sign that he had been found by his stepmother¡¯s subordinates. However, he wasn¡¯t in a dark, grim place as he would expect in such a situation. Instead, he was lying in a soft bed, and the place around him was clean and well-decorated, not strange or eerie.


    Detecting no immediate danger, he finally stopped ignoring the clearly startled girl in front of him and stared at her.


    ¡°Who are you? Where am I? And stop poking me!¡±


    Yue looked at him, surprised.


    ¡°Oh, you¡­ you actually woke up! How are you still alive? Wait, are you a cultivator too? Are you a powerful cultivator? Is that why you survived?¡± The girl in front of him asked excitedly.


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    Irritated by the lack of answers to his own questions, Tristan remained silent and just continued to stare at her.


    ¡°Right, you must be really shaken by what happened! My name is Zhou Yue, and you are?¡±


    ¡®Hmm... she doesn¡¯t seem to know who I am.¡¯


    He thought for a moment, not wanting to reveal his true identity, and decided on a name that was familiar but didn¡¯t bring him good memories.


    ¡°Dusk. My name is Dusk.¡±


    ¡°What is this place?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at the Zorayan merchant guild¡¯s camp,¡± she replied.


    Tristan frowned in surprise.


    ¡®A merchant group? How? There¡¯s no place in this territory without mountains or hills. Transporting goods here must be extremely difficult.¡¯


    ¡®People from this world don¡¯t seem to find that strange, but to me, it feels unnatural. It¡¯s as if the land has hit puberty and is full of pimples.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe these goods are very valuable, and they need to reach their market quickly?¡¯


    ¡°So what happened to you? Were you here alone, or did you come with someone? How did you find that magical beast? Why were you on that mountain?¡± Tristan¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Yue¡¯s barrage of questions.


    At that moment, an older man entered the small, improvised cabin.


    His eyes and hair were brown, with some parts of his hair already turning gray.


    Tristan narrowed his eyes and made his vital energy circulate through his body, preparing to launch an attack immediately, though given his body¡¯s current condition, it would probably fail.


    The strange girl skipped excitedly toward the old man and said, ¡°Grandpa! He woke up! He woke up!¡±


    The old man looked at Tristan in surprise and sighed in relief.


    ¡°Boy, are you okay? How are you feeling?¡±


    Zhou Lan walked toward Tristan with concern but abruptly stopped when he noticed that Tristan¡¯s expression was anything but friendly. His coal-black eyes stared intensely at him, appearing both empty and filled with indescribable emotions.


    He remembered something. When he had changed Tristan¡¯s bandages, he had noticed that the boy¡¯s body was full of old scars and wounds. On top of all that, the boy was very thin for his age.


    ¡®He must have had a hard life. I¡¯d better speak to him cautiously,¡¯ Zhou Lan thought.


    At the guild leader¡¯s request to recover the magical crystal, Jian headed toward the location Zhou Lan had mentioned, where he found the child and the magical beast.


    He approached the enormous base of the mountain, so high that his eyes couldn¡¯t see its peak.


    Fear crossed his heart as he looked at the terrifying creature lying dead on the ground¡ªtwo meters tall, with a humanoid body covered in fur and claws at the tips of its fingers. But what caught his attention the most was that the creature was missing a large portion of its head.


    ¡®Where did the rest of the head go?¡¯ Jian wondered.


    Focusing on his task, he took out a knife and cut into the creature¡¯s solar plexus. He kept probing until he felt something. When he did, he plunged his fingers inside the creature and pulled out a small red orb about 15 millimeters in diameter.


    Jian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Inside the crystal, the essence moved like liquid.


    ¡°A beast that reached the Mid level? Damn! If we had encountered that, we probably would¡¯ve been killed.¡±


    ¡°It must have been a miracle that the boy escaped with his life.¡±


    Jian pocketed the gem and started heading back to the makeshift camp.


    But as he returned, he noticed something.


    Since there was still daylight, he managed to spot several human footprints, indicating that a group of people had passed by a few days earlier. He frowned and thought:


    ¡®Another group of merchants? Adventurers? Or could it be the mountain bandits?¡¯


    He thought it best to stay more alert in that area.

 Chapter 17: Darkness Movements

    Lying on a bed inside an improvised cabin made of fabric and wood, Tristan looked up thoughtfully. Lan had taken Yue away a few hours ago so he could rest in peace. But soon they would return, and he would need to come up with a story about why a child like him was in this mountainous region, so far from civilization.


    Taking a deep breath, he tried to move his arms.


    "Grasp... haaa," Tristan groaned in pain; he could barely move a finger.


    *Sigh.*


    He thought he was lucky not to have to amputate his arm.


    ¡®The Light cultivation must have prevented my arms from rotting or an infection from spreading.¡¯


    His stomach growled loudly.


    ¡®So hungry!¡¯


    Tristan clicked his tongue.


    ¡®Damn, I was such an idiot. I decided to take the shorter route because I wanted to reach the eastern region as quickly as possible. But now my body is completely broken. I should have tried to go around this damn area.¡¯


    The curtain of the cabin folded back, and a small child with blue hair and eyes entered, holding a tray with a bowl of soup.


    His eyes lit up, and his mouth watered at the sight. The smell of food made his stomach growl even more.


    ¡°I brought you some food!¡± Yue said.


    She sat down on the left side of his bed, took a spoon, dipped it into the bowl, and brought the spoonful of soup up to his face.


    Tristan was so hungry that he had to fight with himself not to dive headfirst into the whole bowl. But instead, he just continued staring at Yue, not making a move.


    She remained still, holding the spoon in front of his face.


    The two stayed like that for a while until she finally said,


    ¡°Um... don¡¯t you like mushroom soup?¡±


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± He asked in his usual neutral, emotionless voice.


    ¡°Uh, um, trying to feed you? I guess?¡± She looked at him, confused.


    ¡°I can do it myself,¡± he replied.


    Yue frowned and looked at his bandaged arms. ¡°How?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just leave it there. I can figure it out.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯d rather eat like a dog than let me feed you?¡± she asked indignantly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± he replied without any excitement.


    Yue clicked her tongue and placed the bowl next to Tristan.


    He leaned his body over, brought his head closer to the bowl, and started eating. He didn¡¯t care about Yue¡¯s presence. In this moment, the only thing that existed in the world was him and the bowl.


    After some time, Tristan finished his meal, adjusted his body back, and closed his eyes.


    Yue kept watching him; her indignation faded after a while, and curiosity returned to her eyes.


    ¡°How did you recover so quickly?¡± she asked.


    Opening his eyes, he sighed a little and responded with his usual expressionless face.


    ¡°Light cultivation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a cultivator too, that¡¯s so cool! I awakened last year. I¡¯m an Air cultivator. Do you have a master, or are you part of a sect? Or did you do it all on your own?¡±


    ¡°On my own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool! You¡¯re like me, then. I want to go to the city of Zaguhan to join the Flying Sword Sect. Do you also want to join a sect?¡± She asked Tristan.


    What she said had piqued his interest.


    ¡°Are there sects nearby?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about Zaguhan?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Zaguhan is a big city; that¡¯s why this merchant guild¡¯s caravan is heading there to do business. There are several incredible sects there,¡± she said to Tristan with excitement, her desire to reach the city evident.


    ¡°You¡¯re not part of the merchant guild?¡± Tristan asked.


    Yue shook her head and said, ¡°No, my family has a large farm in Zindan. My grandfather wanted to take me to Zaguhan so I could join a sect specializing in the Air element since there wasn¡¯t one in Zindan. So he managed to negotiate with the guild leader, and we joined this caravan heading to Zaguhan.¡±


    ¡®It seems she awakened on her own and developed her own elemental technique; that kind of talent is quite rare,¡¯ he thought.


    After two more days, Tristan was able to stand up. Occasionally, Yue would visit him. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone else close to her age, she probably didn¡¯t have many people to befriend. Unfortunately for her, he wasn¡¯t a normal child.


    During these days, Tristan had a question in his mind, ¡®What happened to the beast core?¡¯ Well, the answer was obvious: the guild people had probably already taken it.


    ¡®So technically, my expenses here have already been paid,¡¯ though he thought this exchange was unfair since the core was much more valuable.


    As he walked around the camp, someone approached him. She was a young girl dressed in elegant clothes.


    ¡°Dusk, right? I¡¯m glad you managed to recover. You went through so much,¡± Liu Feiyan said in a gentle tone.


    ¡°Look at that, the brat survived! But haven¡¯t you delayed us long enough? You¡¯re lucky old Lan is respected by the guild leader; otherwise, we¡¯d have packed up camp and left a long time ago,¡± Wang Liao, who was nearby, said.


    Liu Feiyan gave him an angry look and said, ¡°My father isn¡¯t that petty. Take back what you said!¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, the boss would never let a kid who¡¯s making him lose money die,¡± Wang Liao said before walking away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. Yue told me you¡¯re a cultivator too. That¡¯s cool. I hope you recover soon,¡± Feiyan said before bidding him goodbye and leaving.


    As she walked away, her face turned in one direction.


    Tristan looked in the same direction she was facing.


    He saw a young man, around 20 years old. He was practicing martial arts with his sword. Jian pointed his thin-bladed short sword at a tree and then began running toward it.


    He spun his entire body clockwise while slashing the tree with his blade. A diagonal cut appeared on the tree. Immediately after, he adjusted his posture and performed another full counterclockwise spin, slashing the tree again, forming an X. To slower eyes than his, it seemed like he had done it in just a few seconds.


    But he could see Jian¡¯s movements clearly, and his eyes noticed something else: at some point, the center of the X had been struck with a piercing attack, hidden somewhere between Jian¡¯s two movements.


    Tristan almost immediately thought, ¡®A Darkness movement technique!?¡¯

 Chapter 18: Finding problems

    Liu Feiyan observed the mystical scene with her eyes full of emotion; cultivators were very rare, so everything related to them seemed impressive in the eyes of someone ordinary like her.


    Seeing her gaze fixed on him, Jian felt embarrassed in front of a stunning beauty like her. He had noticed that she liked to go out for a walk at this time, so he decided to start practicing his best techniques.


    His fists clenched tightly. He was just a Martial from a small sect that needed to offer guard services to pay for expenses.


    Several irritating thoughts were always in his mind.


    ¡®How could someone like me have the audacity to covet the young daughter of a leader of such a wealthy guild?¡¯


    ¡®Face reality! I¡¯m still in the Medium Red Core after all these years as a cultivator; I don¡¯t have what it takes to have someone like her by my side.¡¯


    Jian shook his head, casting one last embarrassed glance at Liu Feiyan before leaving.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Dusk; I¡¯m 9 years old. My parents are adventurers; they wanted to get to the east, but we were attacked by a pack of wolves.¡± Tristan pretended to sniff a bit and rubbed his eye, trying to dry invisible tears.


    He was sitting around a campfire, telling his story to the people in the camp.


    ¡°The wolves attacked me, and I was badly hurt, but my parents managed to keep them occupied so that I could escape. I hid somewhere in the forest and stayed there alone for three weeks, but I couldn¡¯t find much food. Then one day, I felt so hungry that I fainted; after that, I only remember waking up here at the camp.¡±


    Tristan finished telling his fabricated story while trying his best to turn his normally expressionless face into a sad grimace.


    He tried to justify some of his old scars with the wolf attack and the weeks he spent alone without food to explain his physical appearance.


    Inventing a good explanation for why he was there was very complicated; saying he was a young cultivator who suddenly decided to go east was out of the question. They would think he was either very strong or very crazy.


    So, he simply decided to invent a story where he would be a poor child among more crazy and irresponsible ones.


    Of course, his story was terrible and full of holes.


    But he was just a child; no one could blame him for not being clear in his explanations; in fact, that would be consistent with his age.


    ¡°Why did your parents want to go east?¡± Liu Feiyan asked.


    Tristan shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Liu Feiyan nodded, thinking it was normal for a child not to know the plans of adults.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see when the magical beast found you?¡± Lan asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you also don¡¯t know how the magical beast lost its head?¡± Jian asked.


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    That was the advantage of being a child.


    Before the people could ask any more irritating questions, he prepared for the final blow.


    ¡°Thank you for what you have done for me so far, but I think it¡¯s time for me to look for my parents,¡± Tristan said, trying to put on an innocent face, though not very successfully.


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    But it seemed that his pitiable appearance made up for it, as the sad and uncomfortable expressions on the faces of the people in front of him indicated that they had believed his act.


    Zhou Lan said, ¡°Are you planning to leave? But your arms are still broken!¡±


    Tristan shyly looked at his feet and said, ¡°But I¡¯m a cultivator; I can manage.¡±


    Zhou Lan shook his head and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ You should come with us until you recover; it¡¯s not safe for you to leave like this!¡±


    ¡°Your parents should be able to find us later, hmm¡­ it will be fine if you stay here.¡±


    Zhou Lan turned to the guild leader, Liu Junhan, and spoke respectfully, ¡°Liu Junhan, would you allow Dusk to accompany us on our journey? I am willing to take responsibility for everything!¡±


    Liu Junhan nodded and said, ¡°No problem.¡± He was still happy with the red crystal he had won.


    Moving through the darkness of the night, Tristan was in one of the last wagons; he preferred to stay in the back because that way he could see the movements of everyone else. Even after spending the last week with the people in the caravan, he still felt completely uncomfortable around them.


    But he didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter; although he didn¡¯t like it, he knew it would be difficult to survive alone with both arms incapacitated. In his current state, he would need many months to heal.


    His advance to the east was also much slower since the guild members had to find routes with the fewest hills and slopes so that it was possible to cross with all the wagons being pulled by horses. Because of this, they could never move in just one direction; sometimes, they had to go several kilometers around to find a lower road to the east.


    Of course, this was much safer, but anxiety sometimes filled his heart, especially now in his situation.


    ¡®Maybe I should take this time to try to make Fallen Grace become a real healing ability.¡¯


    While thinking about this, Tristan looked around his surroundings. They were currently traversing a narrow path through a mountain gorge.


    Suddenly, he saw a girl jumping between the moving wagons; her movements were light, smooth, and silent, like the walk of a fairy. Yue had approached him.


    ¡°Hey, Dusk!¡± she said.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he replied.


    He no longer felt as uncomfortable around her as he did with the others; perhaps it was because of her laid-back personality or because she was just an innocent child to him.


    ¡°Can I ask why you always stay away from us and alone? Don¡¯t you like being here?¡± she asked him.


    Tristan looked at her thoughtfully.


    ¡°I''m just not good at interacting with other people, so it¡¯s easier to be alone,¡± he replied, shrugging.


    She looked at him while her long blue hair swayed in the wind.


    ¡°I think... I understand,¡± she said, looking down sadly.


    He sighed, feeling as if he had a backpack full of bricks on his shoulder.


    Tristan hesitated a bit and asked her, ¡°Do you know if there¡¯s any sect specializing in Light and Darkness in Zaguhan?¡±


    Surprised by this, she answered excitedly, ¡°Of course, although sects specializing in Light and Darkness are very rare, Zaguhan is a big city. Have you heard of the South Carp Body and Spirit Sect?¡±


    He shook his head.


    Yue continued, ¡°That sect is quite famous there; it¡¯s much more powerful and older than the Flying Sword Sect. I¡¯ve heard that they have several Martial Specialists.¡±


    ¡°It is said that their style is fluid and versatile, focusing on the balance of body and soul. But I¡¯ve also heard that these elements are very difficult to master and require an extreme understanding of the world and oneself. Although, personally, I don¡¯t extend much on what that means.¡±


    Tristan listened attentively to what Yue was saying.


    ¡®South Carp Body and Spirit Sect?¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Maybe it would be good for me to stay in Zaguhan for a while and try to join this sect; I urgently need to expand my skill set; my intuition tells me that I won¡¯t be able to reach the east if I continue like this.¡¯


    He saw Yue abruptly turn her face toward somewhere in front of the caravan, curiosity in her eyes.


    Tristan turned his face in the direction she was looking, which was above a small mound on the right side of the path they would be passing.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Oh, I heard something that way; I tried to see what it was, but it¡¯s too dark,¡± she replied.


    He frowned, trying to concentrate, but all he could hear was the wind blowing, the sound of the wagon wheels, and the horses'' hooves hitting the ground.


    Then he looked in that direction and stared for a while; his vision had been greatly enhanced by cultivating Darkness and was even better in the dark. His modified eyes were able to perceive small movements.


    Tristan focused on what he was seeing, noticing a shadow forming.


    ¡°Is that... a person?¡±


    He saw someone in front of the caravan, but he also saw something more.


    That person was holding something¡ªa crossbow!


    ¡®Damn! What to do?¡¯


    ¡°Ambush! Retreat!¡± he shouted.


    Of course, no one paid much attention to what he was saying.


    That was the disadvantage of being a child.


    ¡°What¡¯s that brat talking about?¡± Wang Liao said with a grimace on his face.


    ¡°Um... what?¡± Jian said, confused.


    ¡®Amateurs,¡¯ Tristan thought angrily.


    Suddenly, one of the front horses jumped, making sounds of pain; it began to move wildly, causing the first wagon to sway.


    Tristan saw more arrows being shot at the caravan!


    The group of men who had been hiding charged toward the merchant group, holding melee weapons in their hands, such as dao, jian, mace, and spear. They were wearing dirty animal skin clothes. Those people had a wild and slightly crazy appearance.


    They were mountain bandits!

 Chapter 19: Conflict in the Mountains

    In the dense darkness of the night, arrows pierced through the air, heading toward the merchant guild''s caravan. Most of the arrows were aimed at the caravan''s horses. Tristan saw six barbaric-looking men emerge from their hiding spot ahead and rush toward the members of his group. He also noticed three others spreading metal spikes.


    His thoughts were that they now needed to turn the carts around and go back the way they came, but on such a narrow path, that would be difficult.


    ''Nine of them have already appeared, and there are also those who shot the arrows. The two Martial artists we have are at the Mist level¡ªthey won¡¯t be able to handle so many bandits alone, and practically everyone else is useless in combat.''


    ''Well, damn it!''


    Without any hesitation, he jumped from the cart. Tristan tried to escape cautiously.


    "Dusk!" He heard Yue shout.


    An arrow was coming his way.


    Fortunately, he was expecting it, and with superhuman agility, he retreated backward, using the cart as protection.


    The arrow hit the spot where he had stood just a second earlier.


    ''Tsk, it seems the crossbowmen are still alert.''


    Jian nervously observed the current situation. The three front carts had been hit, and only the ones at the back were still intact.


    As guards, he and Liao were stationed on the first carts. When one of the horses was hit, it went wild, causing the cart to shake and throwing him off. But as a Martial artist, he spun his body in the air and landed without difficulty.


    Jian looked ahead, seeing four men running toward him and Liao. Two more were heading toward the guild workers.


    ''This isn''t good!'' he thought.


    Summoning all his bravery and courage, Jian drew his short sword and waited for the bandits to approach, staying close to the overturned cart to avoid being hit by arrows.


    In his mind, there was only one thought:


    ''I must protect Lady Liu Feiyan at all costs!''


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    Soon, he saw two bearded men with long, dirty hair, dressed in animal leather. Seeing his confident stance, they ran toward him with their sabers in hand. The two bandits were taller than Jian, standing about 1.85 meters, while Jian was around 1.75 meters.


    The first bandit to reach him tried to behead him, aiming at his neck. However, Jian quickly retreated, adjusting his stance and aiming for the enemy¡¯s abdomen. The bandit narrowly dodged, receiving only a small cut.


    "You forgot he''s a Martial artist, you idiot? We need to wear him down until his vital energy runs out!" said a one-eyed bandit who had just arrived.


    "Ah, sorry, I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement. Killing cultivators is always so satisfying," the bandit replied with a crazed look in his eyes and a wide grin on his face.


    Jian''s eyes widened at hearing this. ''They knew about us?''


    ''No time to think about that, they know that without energy, a cultivator is no different from an ordinary human. I can¡¯t let this drag on,'' the young cultivator thought as he advanced once more.


    Unfortunately for him, the mountain bandits displayed surprisingly good teamwork. If he tried to attack one, the other would target his blind spot and attempt to take his life.


    Wang Liao wasn¡¯t faring much better; in fact, it seemed he was in a worse situation than Jian. Jian noticed some superficial cuts on Liao''s skin, staining his clothes with blood.


    He returned his focus to his own enemies. His arms moved like snakes as he attacked, focusing on the bandit who seemed the most deranged.


    The crazed bandit was caught off guard by Jian¡¯s strange fighting style, moving too late to prevent Jian from slashing his right shoulder.


    The one-eyed bandit didn¡¯t stand idly by, attempting to impale Jian, but Jian bent his body at an awkward angle to dodge the attack. Without stopping, Jian took advantage of the proximity and slashed the one-eyed bandit¡¯s shoulder diagonally, making the bandit scream.


    At that moment, however, Jian heard Liao scream¡ªthe left side of his abdomen had been pierced by a savage wielding a spear.


    Jian and Liao were only wearing regular protective clothing, vulnerable to any mundane weapon attack.


    Angry, Liao charged with all his might, striking the bandit with the spear. In a swift move, he managed to cut the enemy''s calf before the bandit¡¯s ally could defend him. However, Liao wasn¡¯t satisfied with this¡ªthe simple strike had consumed much of his core energy.


    Liu Junhan shouted, "Stop! It¡¯s the goods you want, right? You can take them, just leave us in peace."


    "Haha, well, that sounds fair. Give us your goods and the young beauty, and we¡¯ll leave you alive," the one-eyed bandit said, pointing at Liu Feiyan.


    "You want my daughter?" Liu Junhan asked, his face now pale.


    The bandit next to the one-eyed man looked at Liu Feiyan with lust in his eyes and said, "Damn, can¡¯t we keep this girl this time? When will we ever find such a rare beauty again?"


    "Forget it, with the money we¡¯ll get from her, we¡¯ll be able to live comfortably with dozens of women for a long time," the one-eyed bandit replied.


    Liu Feiyan trembled in fear as she hugged her father.


    Rage burned in Jian''s eyes like fire.


    Unfortunately, the two archers had emerged from their hiding places and were now running toward the two cultivators to help their allies.


    Now, he and Liao would have to face four more enemies.


    At that moment, he saw Wang Liao muttering angrily. Liao looked at the people in the caravan, then at the two approaching bandits. He grimaced in irritation and started running.


    "What are you doing?" Jian shouted.


    "Let¡¯s get out of here, idiot, no money is worth more than our lives," Liao said, using all his remaining energy to run as far as he could.


    Jian was completely stunned by this.


    Earlier, he had struggled to fight two bandits, but soon he would have to face four more.

 Chapter 20: You cant do that

    Jian looked at his six enemies, their faces full of confidence, as if they already saw him as a dead man.


    And they weren''t entirely wrong. He knew he would likely die there; his only chance of survival was to abandon everyone and try to escape, just like Liao had done.


    Sighing, he reflected on his life.


    ¡°And you, little guard? Aren¡¯t you just a mercenary? Won''t you flee with your friend? Or do you really want to die here?¡± the one-eyed bandit asked Jian.


    Jian took a deep breath and said, ¡°I am a Martial Artist of the Black Lotus Sect. I don''t need to run from mere worms like you. Come at me all at once! I, Yi Jian, will erase your existence from this world!¡±


    ¡°Haha! If you want to die so badly, I¡¯ll gladly grant your wish. You martial artists are so annoying. You think you can do anything just because you''re a little special. But you''ll die, and that pretty girl will be ours!¡± The one-eyed bandit said this, making the other bandits laugh.


    All six charged at Jian.


    Liu Feiyan looked at Jian as if he were her last hope of salvation.


    Two mountain bandits headed toward the wagons further behind the caravan. The frightened workers of the merchant guild tried to resist.


    They grabbed pieces of wood, stones, and whatever else they could find, but they were too weak, and their enemies had real weapons. In seconds, they were cut down and smashed to the ground.


    Cries of pain and agony filled the air.


    Some tried to run, but the bandits were far more suited for physical activity. The workers who attempted to flee were quickly caught. One rough-looking man drove his sword into the back of a guild worker.


    Another, holding a club with both hands, knocked someone else to the ground and struck their skull until he heard something break.


    Zhou Lan saw two mountain bandits coming toward him, terror filling his eyes, one wielding a club and the other a long sword.


    Lan grabbed a piece of wood, trying to protect the children. It was the first thing he thought of, but the bandit with the club hit his legs and then his head, making him fall to the ground.


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    ¡°No, Grandpa!¡± Yue ran toward him.


    The bandits looked at Yue and Tristan.


    ¡°Take the girl. The Buyer will pay more for her. Girls her age are his favorites!¡± the bandit with the club said to his companion.


    ¡°No! Yue, run!¡± Zhou Lan shouted.


    ¡°And the boy?¡± the bandit with the long sword asked, pointing at Tristan¡¯s small figure.


    ¡°Forget him. He''ll starve to death here, or some animal will eat him,¡± the bandit with the club replied after glancing at the small, skinny child with bandaged arms.


    Yue looked at her grandfather, worry filling her eyes. She wanted to help him, but she didn''t have the power to do so.


    She looked around, searching for a solution to her problem, for someone or something that could help her.


    But there was no one¡ªno one except Dusk. Her eyes quickly found his face since he was standing nearby. She looked at his face, calm and expressionless as always. Dusk''s face turned toward her, and he looked into her eyes, frowning slightly in confusion. It was as if he were thinking, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to do something? Why?¡±


    Yue quickly turned her face away, feeling hopeless.


    The bandit lunged at her, trying to grab her.


    But she dodged him effortlessly. The bandit tried again and again, but it was useless. He couldn¡¯t keep up with her speed; it was like trying to catch a rabbit.


    Zhou Yue tried to fight back, her light body moving as swiftly as the wind, but her punches and kicks had no effect on someone more than three times her size.


    The bandit sighed in frustration as he chased Yue.


    ¡°Enough of this!¡± the other bandit shouted, pointing his club at Lan''s head.


    ¡°Stop resisting, girl, or I''ll splatter your dear grandpa''s brains all over the ground!¡±


    ¡°Yue, don¡¯t worry about me, just run... grahh!¡± The bandit kicked Lan in the head.


    ¡°Shut up, or you''ll regret it!¡± the bandit continued kicking Lan''s head.


    ¡°No! Stop! Please, stop! Don¡¯t kill Grandpa!¡± Yue fell to her knees, tears streaming from her blue eyes.


    The bandit approached and grabbed her small neck tightly.


    ¡°Damn girl, causing us so much trouble,¡± the bandit growled angrily, dragging her away.


    Meanwhile, Tristan watched the situation thoughtfully.


    He looked at Yue, desperately struggling and crying.


    A certain emotion stirred in his heart.


    ¡°Ah,¡± his eyes widened slightly in surprise at his new realization.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    The mountain bandit turned to Tristan, confused and irritated.


    ¡°What?¡± he replied instinctively.


    ¡°You can''t take her. Let her go,¡± Tristan said in his usual tone.


    ¡°Huh? What? Why?¡± The bandit asked, confused, finding it odd that he was even listening to what a child was saying.


    ¡°Because I don''t want you to,¡± Tristan answered with a shrug.


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± the bandit laughed at the strange situation, confused.


    A child ordering him around in such a confident tone was amusing to him.


    ¡°Kid, you¡ª¡± He tried to say something but couldn¡¯t finish because, at that moment, Tristan moved toward him at an inhuman speed.


    Crossing the distance between them in an instant, Tristan bent his legs, and as agile as a tiger, he jumped nearly two meters into the air, spinning his body as he aimed a horizontal kick at the mountain bandit''s neck.


    [Dark Blade]


    A dark mist emanated from his body, swirling around his left leg, and then a black blade formed on his foot.


    His leg sliced through the mountain bandit¡¯s neck in just a second, making crimson blood gush from the open wound, splattering through the air.

 Chapter 21: Deadly enthusiasm

    In a scene filled with the darkness of night, where the air was once filled with the sounds of blades slashing and screams of agony, now there was an eerie silence.


    Tristan unexpectedly managed to slit the mountain bandit''s throat in an instant, causing the cold, lifeless body to fall to the ground, his eyes empty, and his blood mixed with the dirt.


    Zhou Yue, Zhou Lan, and the mountain bandit stared at this with wide eyes.


    Lan thought, ¡®Is this? Is this a miracle? That child really managed to kill that human demon?¡¯


    Tristan landed gracefully and looked at them with his expressionless face.


    ¡°What? What the hell? That boy is also a Martial Artist? Damn it!¡± the bandit said.


    Tristan turned toward him and began to approach.


    ¡°Stop right there, you son of a bitch! One more step and this old man dies!¡± the bandit shouted, pointing his club at Zhou Lan¡¯s head.


    Yue trembled with fear and looked at Tristan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, children, just go!¡± Zhou Lan said in a trembling and weak voice due to his debilitated condition.


    Tristan briefly glanced at Zhou Lan, then turned his face toward the bandit and said,


    ¡°So what?¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°What? Are you not listening to me? I said I¡¯ll kill the old man!¡± The bandit, initially confused, shouted angrily.


    ¡°And I care why?¡±


    Tristan spread his essence throughout his body, circulating his energy through his muscles and tendons, concentrating his strength in his legs as he advanced toward the bandit.


    Realizing his hostage was useless, the bandit took a fighting stance.


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± the bandit said.


    A small smile appeared on Tristan''s face; his jet-black eyes, usually cold and empty like the night, now glimmered with a certain emotion, a flame of enthusiasm shining in his small eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be joining your friend in hell soon enough!¡±


    He thought, ¡®This will be the third time I kill a human, and strangely, I feel no discomfort. Shouldn¡¯t killing other humans bring some negative feelings?¡¯


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    But all that was in his heart was a slight feeling of:


    ¡®Fun? Is this fun?¡¯


    Quickly, Tristan approached his enemy. The bandit tried to strike his head, but he managed to duck. The bandit then took a step back, adjusting his club to crush Tristan¡¯s head from above.


    He dodged without much difficulty.


    ¡°He has the reach advantage while I¡¯m more agile and faster. I need to get closer!¡±


    But the bandit, fearful of his ability, always kept a safe distance.


    ¡°Impossible! How can a child fight against adults like this? You cultivators are freaks of nature, you shouldn¡¯t exist, die, you damned bastard!¡±


    Driven by hatred and fury, the bandit gripped his club harder and tried to hit him with everything he had.


    Using his enhanced vision, Tristan predicted his enemy¡¯s movements, dodging all of his strikes.


    ¡°Again? Don¡¯t you realize it¡¯s useless? Why don¡¯t you just surrender already? I hate wasting time. I¡¯ll give you a quick death if you do, but if not, I swear you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    Yue watched this, impressed. Tristan was incredibly fast, and with his strange black blade, he actually managed to make the bandit retreat.


    ¡®Dusk is also a Darkness cultivator? How can he fight alone against that bandit? His core is only red?¡¯ Many thoughts passed through Yue¡¯s mind, but the main one was how they could resolve their situation.


    Yue ran to her fallen and bleeding grandfather.


    ¡°Grandfather! Are you okay?¡± She asked nervously.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he groaned slightly and struggled to stand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ worry about me,¡± Lan replied.


    They looked at Tristan¡¯s battle against the bandit.


    After repeated failures to close the distance with the mountain bandit, Tristan turned his face, his dark vision scanning the battlefield briefly, and saw the moment when Liao fled, leaving Jian alone to face the bandits.


    ¡®That¡¯s troublesome. They¡¯ll kill Jian soon, and facing a group of enemies without my arms is beyond impossible. I need to end this now and get out of here!¡¯


    Clicking his tongue, he made another attempt to get closer. The bandit stepped back again, aiming at Tristan¡¯s right shoulder, but surprisingly, this time, it seemed he would succeed.


    Tristan stood still, raising his two bandaged arms to take the blow.


    Pain!


    He felt intense pain.


    His arms could break.


    Well, they probably would have if Darkness cultivation hadn¡¯t made his body more flexible. This gave him a considerable resistance to impacts.


    His enemy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and a smile appeared on his face, believing victory was already his.


    Enduring the pain from the strike and not wasting any time, Tristan¡¯s leg moved like a snake. He took advantage of his enemy¡¯s brief moment of joy and the now-close distance between them and charged with everything he had.


    The black blade in his leg pierced his enemy¡¯s thigh with little difficulty.


    ¡°GRAAHH,¡± the bandit let out a loud scream.


    Tristan moved his leg upward, slicing up toward the abdomen.


    With such a shock of intense pain, the bandit dropped his club and fell to the ground in agony.


    ¡°Bastard! You wretched child¡­ I¡­ curse you!¡± the bandit, trembling in pain, tried to say.


    ¡°Curse me all you want.¡±


    He smiled and kicked his enemy¡¯s throat again to keep him from making too much noise and alerting his friends.


    His enemy fell to the ground, his throat cut, casting a piercing glare at him before dying.


    Tristan looked over at Jian¡¯s battle; things there seemed to be ending quickly.


    He thought to himself,


    ¡®I can escape now, taking advantage of Jian keeping the bandits occupied. But there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll come after me later.¡¯


    ¡®Or I can try to reduce their numbers even more. That¡¯s the more dangerous option.¡¯


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

 Chapter 22: Courage to fight

    Yi Jian looked around at the six bandits who were gathering, and only he could stop them from getting close to Liu Feiyan.


    He knew he would need to give everything he had without holding back to give her a chance to escape.


    Using all the essence from his core, he charged toward the enemies. His first target was the mountain bandit holding a spear, the one that Liao had injured earlier.


    ¡°That''s right, come to your death!¡± the bandit shouted, pointing his spear at Jian''s chest.


    Jian spun his body just as the tip of the spear was about to pierce his chest, trapping the spear with his right arm as he cut the bandit''s hand.


    With a thrust forward, he pierced the bandit''s stomach.


    ¡°Did you forget he''s a cultivator? Let''s all attack together!¡± the one-eyed bandit shouted.


    The remaining five bandits attempted to strike Jian, but none succeeded; he was much faster than before, of course, due to the fact that he was spending all his vital energy without caring for his own safety.


    One bandit with a saber aimed for his neck while another with a spear targeted his leg.


    Jian managed to dodge the saber, but the spear managed to puncture his leg slightly. He decided to spend nearly all his essence on his special attack technique, and his sword moved as swiftly as a snake toward the neck of the bandit with the saber.


    The bandit turned his head back, and Jian''s sword passed very close to his nose.


    The bandit laughed, thinking he had missed, but his laughter died when his eyes exploded!


    All the bandits who witnessed this were terrified; they had clearly seen Jian''s attack miss.


    One bandit with a club managed to strike Jian''s back, causing him to fall to the ground. The bandit attempted to hit his head, but Jian pushed off the ground with his legs and rolled to the side.


    Jian felt as if his heart was about to explode from the effort.


    The bandit with the club did not give up; he tried to hit Jian''s head again, but this time, Jian stood still. His body turned into a blur of shadows, quickly closing the distance to his enemy and driving his sword deep into the bandit''s stomach until it came out the other side.


    However, Jian was not happy with this; all his essence had been exhausted, and he could no longer use any techniques. Now he was just an ordinary human with an injured body. But the flames of determination in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.


    The one-eyed bandit thought to himself, ¡®Where are those two bastards I sent to the ravine entrance and the three who blocked the exit? They''re taking too long; what are they doing? If I find out they''re having fun, I''ll kill them!¡¯


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    ¡°Enough of this nonsense! You there, hold him; it''s time to end this!¡± the one-eyed bandit said as he ran toward Liu Feiyan.


    He knew that if he took the girl hostage, it would all be over quickly.


    ¡°NO!¡± Jian shouted and tried to run toward her, but two mountain bandits blocked his path.


    Liu Feiyan, who was embracing her father in fear, turned pale.


    Liu Junhan turned to his daughter and said, ¡°Run, Feiyan! You need to run; I''ll try to hold him off. Run as fast as you can!¡± He pushed Feiyan away.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Feiyan cried, tears streaming down her face as she ran.


    The one-eyed bandit decided to deal with Liu Junhan first, who was trying to stop him. Liu Junhan attempted to grab the one-eyed bandit, but he was quickly pierced by the bandit''s sword, and within seconds, Junhan''s body lost its strength.


    Junhan''s corpse fell to the ground.


    The one-eyed bandit continued running toward Feiyan; she had managed to get a little distance away, but the bandit was too fast. After a while, he caught up to her and knocked her to the ground.


    With a wide smile on his face, he grabbed Feiyan''s fragile neck and lifted her as if she were a doll.


    ¡°Haha! Your girl is mine now!¡±


    ¡°You better not move unless you want me to snap her pretty neck,¡± the one-eyed bandit said to Jian.


    ¡°Bastard! Let her go!¡± Jian shouted, and the bandits fighting him laughed.


    Tristan turned to Yue and her grandfather.


    ¡°The archers went to fight Jian, and without those guys, the path we took into this ravine is clear.¡±


    He pointed toward the entrance of the ravine.


    ¡°You guys should leave.¡±


    ¡°But what about you?¡± Yue asked.


    ¡°I''ve decided it''s better to reduce their numbers.¡±


    Yue was surprised by this; she never imagined that Dusk would be brave enough to risk his life to help people he had only known for a few weeks. That''s what she understood from what he said.


    ¡®Damn, I''m also a cultivator, and I''m three years older than him, yet I couldn''t do anything.¡¯ That''s what Yue thought.


    ¡°You can''t do this alone; I want to help you,¡± she said, looking into his eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhou Lan said, concerned.


    Tristan seemed to think about it for a few seconds, then turned his face to Zhou Lan and said, ¡°Wouldn''t it be better for you to take your grandfather away from here?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Yue, this would be very risky. We nearly got killed by two of them; what do you think you can do?¡± Zhou Lan said in a stern tone.


    ¡°But, Grandpa, we can''t abandon Junhan, Feiyan, and the others,¡± Yue said with conviction.


    ¡°But I''m very fast! None of them can catch me; I can do something! You can''t stop me!¡± she said, irritated.


    ¡°You little¡ª!¡± he said, exasperated.


    ¡°Here!¡± Tristan said, kicking a knife close to her.


    The club and sword were too heavy for a child like her to hold, so Tristan threw her a knife he had found on the bandits'' corpses. It was a medium-sized knife, probably used for cutting meat.


    ¡°If you want to help, you''d better be ready to kill, or you''ll be killed.¡±


    After saying this, he left.


    Zhou Yue and Zhou Lan watched the small child¡¯s back disappear into the darkness.


    Tristan decided it was better to find the three bandits who had spread the nails and blocked the path. As he ran ahead in the ravine with his Shadow Aura ability activated, moving between the rocks, he managed to go unnoticed.


    He also saw Jian fighting bravely against the bandits.


    Tristan asked himself, a little curious, ¡®How much longer can he keep fighting?¡¯ The strange determination of that man piqued his curiosity; he did not understand why Jian was risking his life in this battle.


    ¡®Maybe he loves to fight?¡¯


    It took him a while to find the three bandits.


    ¡®This is where Liao fled; they must have tried to chase him. Well, that should have tired them out a bit.¡¯

 Chapter 23: End of a bad night

    The bandit gripping Feiyan''s neck said to Jian, "You better surrender, boy. I have no more patience for this. I don''t even care how much this girl is worth anymore. Keep annoying me, and I''ll spill her blood all over the ground, just like I did with her father!"


    Feiyan''s body trembled at the mention of her father.


    "Alright, please don¡¯t hurt her!" Jian clenched his teeth and dropped his sword.


    The two bandits who had been fighting against them, with satisfied smiles on their faces, advanced toward Yi Jian to deliver a fatal blow.


    But at that moment, a scream came from behind them.


    The one-eyed bandit cried out, feeling intense pain coming from his back. The pain was so severe that his hand lost its strength, causing him to release Feiyan. He looked back to see what was happening and saw a small girl holding a knife that had been stabbed into his back.


    The bandit groaned and tried to punch Yue.


    She quickly pulled the knife out and stabbed him again in the back. Using his willpower to endure the pain, the bandit clenched his fists and tried to land a blow on Yue.


    She pulled the knife back and retreated.


    The one-eyed bandit grabbed his sword and tried to slash Yue in fury. But she was too fast for him.


    Taking advantage of the surprise of the two bandits fighting him, Jian recovered his sword. He tried to slash the nearest bandit, but there was no energy left in his body.


    The bandit easily dodged Jian¡¯s strike.


    The other bandit struck Jian''s legs with a club, causing him to fall to the ground. As the bandit was about to crush Jian''s skull, something emerged from the shadows without him noticing.


    After killing the three bandits at the ravine''s exit, Tristan returned to the center of the fight. He hid behind the rocks and observed everything, waiting for the right moment.


    He dashed toward the bandit with the club!


    Pausing his attempt to smash Jian¡¯s skull due to the sudden turn of events, the bandit reacted too slowly as a child somersaulted towards him and passed between his legs. Immediately, he felt his legs go weak, and warm liquid ran down from his thighs to his feet. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain.


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    Tristan turned to face the last remaining bandit.


    At that moment, Jian grabbed the bandit from behind, wrapping his arms around him like a snake.


    Not missing the opportunity, Tristan delivered a horizontal kick to the bandit¡¯s abdomen, cutting through his body and spilling his insides. The bandit collapsed in agony before dying.


    Jian fainted on the ground, looking at Feiyan before losing consciousness.


    Tristan then looked at the one-eyed bandit, the last one still able to fight.


    He thought:


    ''If I leave now, this guy probably won¡¯t be a threat to me. He¡¯s injured and has no allies left.''


    ¡®But these bastards have made this night very irritating for me. It would be a shame to leave this unfinished.¡¯


    He began walking toward the last bandit.


    ''What the hell happened here? We had the numbers and the terrain advantage; we succeeded in the ambush. But¡­ why am I the only one still standing?'' The one-eyed bandit thought, outraged.


    ¡®Did I underestimate these cultivators?¡¯


    The leader of the mountain bandits saw a small child walking toward him. He was so small and thin that he probably wasn¡¯t older than 8. Sweat dripped from the boy''s face, and his wet black hair clung to his skin. The child had bandages on his arms, several bleeding wounds, and bruises all over his body. He was breathing heavily as if on the verge of collapsing.


    But his eyes, on the other hand, were devoid of emotion. The boy stared at him like a wolf sizing up its prey as he walked slowly toward him.


    ''This is all insane,'' the one-eyed bandit thought.


    ¡°Haha, this world is insane.¡±


    The one-eyed bandit removed his hand from the wound in his back, which he had been trying to stop from bleeding. He gripped his sword with both hands and then charged toward Tristan.


    Gathering the last bit of life force left in his body.


    Tristan also ran with everything he had.


    He thought:


    ¡®I have less than 10% of my essence left, this attack will decide everything!¡¯


    He jumped as high as he could, spinning his body to deliver a horizontal kick to the enemy''s neck.


    Finding the boy''s action foolish, a crazed smile appeared on the bandit''s face as he prepared to cut the child''s leg with a vertical slash. He put all the strength of his dying body into it.


    But Tristan''s Dark Blade wasn¡¯t like before. A much larger, denser cloud of Darkness enveloped his leg, forming a blade almost 15 centimeters long.


    [Dark Blade] had evolved to Rank 2!


    The black blade on Tristan¡¯s leg struck the bandit''s sword, splitting it in two in an instant.


    Then, the black blade passed through the bandit''s neck, sending his head flying into the air.


    Tristan collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, but still watching the bandit''s head as it flew, spinning, before hitting the ground.


    "Dusk!" Yue screamed and ran toward him.


    She held his exhausted body and asked, "Are you okay?"


    Tired, he replied with effort, "Yes! This damn night is finally over!"


    After resting for a few minutes, Tristan managed to stand up.


    When Zhou Lan arrived, Yue ran to her grandfather, hugging him tightly as she trembled from having stabbed another human for the first time and from everything that had happened that night. She buried her face in his chest.


    Zhou Lan hugged his granddaughter tightly, relieved that she was safe.


    Liu Feiyan went to her father¡¯s body, kneeling beside him, and placing her head and hands on his chest. Tears filled her eyes, wetting her beautiful face.


    Tristan watched the scene, thinking, ''Hmm, would it be too rude to retrieve the beast''s crystal in this situation?''

 Chapter 24: Scale difference

    When the sun rose, dozens of corpses were scattered across the blood-stained ground. Between all the members of the merchant guild and the mountain bandits, only five people were still standing.


    These survivors seemed a little less shaken than they had been the night before.


    Jian woke up after a few hours of unconsciousness and tried to console Feiyan for her loss, but he didn¡¯t have much success.


    ¡°Liu Feiyan, your father was a great man. I worked with him for many years, and I¡¯m certain that he loved you more than anything. I¡¯m sure that no matter where he is now, he would want you to be strong enough to move forward.¡±


    Zhou Lan hugged Feiyan, and she cried while leaning on him.


    When Feiyan finally left her father¡¯s body, Tristan took the opportunity to retrieve the Mid Red crystal from the beast he had killed.


    With a touch, a golden light enveloped the red gem, and it disappeared.


    Now he had six fragments of red cores, which greatly improved his mood. He was smiling inside, though on the outside, his face remained as expressionless as ever.


    Tristan searched the other corpses for anything useful. As he did, he noticed that Wang Liao¡¯s body was nowhere to be found.


    He thought, ¡®Liao must still be alive.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t care much about it; the cowardly cultivator was none of his concern.


    When his gaze passed over the dead caravan horses, he sighed, ¡®I¡¯ll have to go back to traveling on foot again.¡¯ The comfort he had experienced over the past few weeks was about to come to an end.


    Then Tristan thought about another important issue.


    He looked at his group; of the five, only two had real combat abilities.


    ¡®Should I go off on my own?¡¯


    He thought about it, then looked at his injured arms and slowly shook his head.


    ¡®In my current state, it would be a headache to cut the meat from animals, and I¡¯d have to eat raw food since I wouldn¡¯t be able to make a fire.¡¯ Now that Tristan was able to eat decent food again, he refused to give that up so easily.


    Tristan saw Yue walking toward him.


    She then said shyly, ¡°Um¡­ Dusk¡­ I just wanted to thank you for saving my life and my grandfather¡¯s. You were courageous¡­ thank you!¡±


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    Tristan looked at her and shrugged, then said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say you were so strong?¡± Yue asked curiously.


    Tristan remembered his past and thought about what he wanted to do, and the people he would need to face in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    A few weeks later.


    Tristan and the remaining members of the merchant guild caravan were moving eastward. They took all the resources they could from the caravan, but what each of them could carry was very limited.


    But if Tristan had to choose the hardest thing about surviving in this region, he wouldn¡¯t say it was the difficulty of obtaining resources; he would definitely say it was the geography of this place that made traveling here hellish.


    Since the guild¡¯s guide was dead, they had no fixed route and had to find their own way through trial and error.


    This place was like a maze of hills and mountains. Sometimes they would walk along a path for kilometers only to find, at the end, that it was blocked by a steep land formation that would force them to climb. And of course, carrying Feiyan, Yue, and Lan up a climb in a region that could house a magical beast would be very risky.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± Feiyan sat on the ground, exhausted, drops of sweat dripping from her beautiful face. She looked at the top of the hill, wondering when this would end.


    Zhou Yue and Zhou Lan worked on their family¡¯s farm, so their physical condition wasn¡¯t bad. But Feiyan, who had lived as a rich girl without ever having to exert herself, was having trouble keeping up with the others.


    ¡°Are you okay, Feiyan? Here, have some water.¡± Yue offered her water bottle to Feiyan.


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Yue,¡± Feiyan said with a smile.


    Jian also approached timidly and handed Feiyan a handkerchief. She took the handkerchief from him, but before she could thank him, Jian quickly walked away.


    The drops of sweat seemed to make her skin glow under the sun, and the fact that her now sweat-soaked, thin clothes clung more to her slender body was a sight Jian couldn¡¯t bear.


    After a while, the group managed to reach the top of the hill. When they got there, they saw something unbelievable.


    All the group members had perplexed expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Um, what is that?¡± Feiyan was the first to speak.


    But no one had an answer.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a cave, I think,¡± Jian said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t its shape very strange? How could a cave be like that?¡± Yue said.


    Hearing her question, Tristan made a guess, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted such a thing to be possible. The thought of being more insignificant than an ant in this world was terrifying to him.


    In front of Tristan¡¯s group was the largest mountain they had ever encountered. It was kilometers high, and its peak couldn¡¯t be seen, disappearing into the sky.


    But what really frightened the group was the hole in the mountain, more than 1000 meters high, shaped like a diamond. If someone were willing to consider the existence of unnatural powers on absurd scales, they might assume that the hole looked like the mark of a sword strike.


    ¡®Who or what could make something so massive?¡¯


    ¡®This is almost divine.¡¯


    With all the knowledge Tristan had of this world, he could only imagine one possibility.


    ¡®Could it have been them who did this?¡¯


    If that were the case, it would mean that Tristan had found the second demonstration of power from those beings.


    Tristan wondered if one day he would be able to comprehend that power, which for his current self was something unimaginable.

 Chapter 25: The mark of a Supreme

    After everyone had been staring at the colossal cave for a while, Tristan said:


    "We¡¯d better rest here for a bit."


    He decided to try and obtain some information about it from his divine artifact.


    Feiyan, who was still exhausted from climbing the hill, quickly agreed.


    "I think that¡¯s a good idea!"


    Everyone else agreed as well, and Tristan lay down in a corner, turning his back to the others. If anyone saw him, they would think he was sleeping.


    Tristan''s mind entered the divine fragment.


    Now in the strange yet familiar place, he said:


    "A mountain that reaches the heavens, between the central and eastern regions, with a hole that looks like it was made by a sword."


    Seeing the massive amount of tales that remained, Tristan could infer that knowledge about this place wasn¡¯t rare. Sighing, he began reading the stories, trying to learn more about this region. Among the dozens of tales he read, two caught his attention:


    "Born from the womb of Mother Gaia, the King of Giants was the tallest creature outside the divine realms. He grew so much that he became the highest point of his mother, and his head could not be seen from the ground.


    Considered invincible and indestructible, no one was ever able to wound him, until one day he decided to challenge another being also known for being invincible, the Sword Saint.


    Between the central and eastern regions, their battle was supposed to take place. But what was witnessed that day could not be called a battle; with just one strike, the Sword Saint pierced a hole through the King of Giants.


    Since that day, his corpse has served as a demonstration to all of the power of the Supremes."


    "In the Silver Era, some faithful followers of the God of War were being pursued by the terrible followers of the God of the Abyss. They had to flee to the east, crossing the treacherous mountain regions in their path.


    But as they fled, they encountered an insurmountable obstacle: a great mountain that reached the heavens. To save her people, the War Priestess made a sacrifice to her god; the gods wouldn¡¯t accept a simple offering, so she took a flaming sword and stabbed it into her own heart.


    Seeing her devotion, the God of War sent the Spiritual King of Swords to carve a path through the great mountain, creating a safe passage to the east. After his mission in this world was complete, the Spiritual King of Swords himself took the Priestess¡¯s soul to the Realm of Eternal Sleep."


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    Tristan pondered deeply over this complex matter.


    "Strange, it seems the existence of the peculiar cave is related to one of the Supremes, just as I suspected. The first tale clearly has its origins in the western region, as the Supremes there are called Saints. And in the eastern region, the Supremes are known as Spiritual Kings, which means the second tale is based on the beliefs of the eastern people."


    "Moreover, the Sword Saint seems to have a strong connection with what happened here!" Tristan murmured to himself.


    As for the other information, Tristan had no way to confirm its accuracy. The two stories depicted completely different situations and involved entities that were beyond his understanding.


    But there was another important question for him to consider.


    "Interesting! Most of the tales I¡¯ve read mention that this giant cave could serve as a passage to the east."


    He began to contemplate an idea he didn¡¯t find very pleasant.


    "Hmm... should we go through the cave?"


    Tristan didn¡¯t feel very comfortable with this; the cave seemed a bit oppressive to him. Unfortunately, his young mind was impatient, and soon the boredom of continuing to travel as they were doing outweighed his fear. He didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to continue their journey on a straight path.


    He exited the divine fragment, continued resting for a few more minutes, and then rejoined the others.


    "I think we should try entering the cave," he said.


    "Why?" Zhou Lan asked.


    "This cave has a very strange shape; it might not be natural. It could have been made by someone, and there might be an exit closer to the eastern region."


    "Of course, it could be dangerous, monsters like dark places, so I¡¯ll investigate the place first."


    "You want to go in there alone? Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?" For a moment, Lan looked at Tristan as if he were just a child instead of probably the strongest person in the group.


    Tristan stared at Lan. He didn¡¯t feel the need to explain what he would or wouldn¡¯t do, but he decided to respond to Lan out of courtesy.


    "I¡¯m a Darkness cultivator, which makes me very suitable for this kind of task," he answered with a shrug.


    "He¡¯s right," Yi Jian said. "And since I¡¯m also a Darkness cultivator, I should accompany him."


    The others nodded in agreement; they seemed to think this was a good decision. However, Tristan thought about it. Indeed, if he had Jian¡¯s company, his exploration would have been safer, which would have been best for him.


    "Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to stay here? If a wild animal appears, or worse, a magical beast, they could all die."


    Tristan didn¡¯t want to convince Jian to stay; he would leave the decision up to him.


    Hearing his words, Jian became thoughtful. He looked at the others, his gaze lingering on Feiyan for a few seconds longer, then he said:


    "I think you¡¯re right."


    Tristan started to leave.


    Yue said to him with a worried frown, "Hum... good luck! And come back alive!"


    Tristan nodded at her.


    He said goodbye to the others and set off on his journey to the giant mountain. The journey wasn¡¯t quick; the hill was kilometers away.


    But eventually, he made it.


    Tristan searched for signs of other living beings passing through this place, but if they had ever existed, time had erased them


    The sight of the mountain reaching the clouds and the diamond-shaped hole left him fascinated. Tristan ran his hand along the cave¡¯s walls, noticing that the surrounding rocks were perfectly cut, without any imperfections, they were as smooth as possible.


    Tristan looked into the depths of the cave, filled with darkness, but he could see a little more easily thanks to his cultivation.


    Activating [Shadow Aura], he slowly entered the cave, and his body disappeared into the darkness.

 Chapter 26: Enemy below ground

    Tristan had been walking on the sloped floor of the cave for over an hour since he entered. He hadn''t found any traces of living beings having passed through here.


    At least, until he finally found something, there was something metallic on the ground. He dug a little and uncovered an old, completely rusted sword. He guessed that the piece of metal was probably centuries old.


    After further exploration, he found a few more metal objects, like cups, utensils, and other parts of combat equipment. Everything was extremely old. Finding nothing else unusual, Tristan returned and spoke to the other group members about what he had seen.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it. The cave didn¡¯t seem to have an end, and I found some traces of a group that passed through a long time ago inside the cave.¡±


    ¡°Could this cave lead us east?¡± Feiyan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, or it could be a dead end,¡± Jian said.


    ¡°But I think it¡¯s worth the risk. We can¡¯t waste an opportunity to get out of this region faster.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been wandering aimlessly until now. It might just be a matter of time before we encounter a monster.¡±


    Hearing Jian speak, Zhou Lan thought about it. Traveling through the hills and mounds of this region had worn out his body considerably.


    In the end, most decided to try the cave''s path.


    After a long journey, the group reached the cave¡¯s entrance. They looked into the abyss of darkness ahead with some fear and hesitation.


    Tristan was the first to enter, and seeing that he didn¡¯t show any fear, the others gathered their courage and followed him.


    Yi Jian was leading the group, holding his short sword, prepared for any anomalies. Zhou Lan and Liu Feiyan were holding the torches to light the way, while Yue and Tristan followed behind them.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to reach the border using this path?¡± Yue asked Tristan.


    ¡°I think so. I heard the guild members talking earlier; they said it would take about two months to reach Zaguhan. We¡¯ve already been walking in a straight line inside this cave for two weeks, so if we manage to get out of here, the border won¡¯t be too far away.¡±


    In Tristan¡¯s mind, he was thinking about the fact that the resources they had gathered were already running low. They didn¡¯t have enough to go back, so they needed to find an exit or they would die.


    ¡°I hope we get there soon,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hmm, do you think I have a chance of entering the Flying Sword Sect?¡± she asked.


    Tristan thought for a moment and shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about how the sects¡¯ evaluation methods work. But I do know that, since you¡¯re not from a family of cultivators, you¡¯re far behind those who are. Children from these families start learning the basics at around four years old.¡±


    She made a disappointed expression, but then Tristan continued.


    ¡°On the other hand, you managed to awaken on your own at a very young age and create your own cultivation technique. That¡¯s something very rare; it means your talent is far above average. So, if they¡¯re not complete idiots, they¡¯ll probably want you to join their sect.¡±


    Her face brightened at Tristan¡¯s words.


    ¡°And you? What are you going to do after you arrive in Zaguhan?¡± she asked.


    Tristan thought for a moment and said:


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay in Zaguhan for a while and try to join the sect¡­ hmm, the sect that specializes in Light and Darkness in Zaguhan¡­ oh, and, of course, while I wait for my parents to return.¡± He said the last part with a slight embarrassment in his voice.


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    ¡°The Carp of the Southern Spirit Body Sect? That¡¯s a big sect, but your skills are incredible, so I think you can make it.¡±


    Tristan abruptly stopped and said to the others, ¡°Hey, wait up. I saw something.¡±


    He began to climb the sloping, rocky floor. What he saw was a small tunnel in the ground; the hole was about one meter in diameter.


    ¡°Hmm, I ¡­ found a hole.¡±


    He looked closer and saw that he couldn¡¯t see the bottom.


    ¡®Did someone dig this?¡¯ he thought.


    The others approached and looked at the tunnel in the ground.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look natural,¡± Tristan said with some concern in his mind.


    They continued walking, and after another week, they hadn¡¯t found anything strange until Tristan spotted another hole. As the days passed, they started appearing more frequently.


    Then, one day, Yue said something.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Everyone stopped and looked at her.


    Zhou Lan was the first to ask.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± she replied.


    She approached a nearby hole and placed her ear near the entrance. After a few seconds of silence, she said, ¡°I hear something coming from here!¡±


    The group members brought their heads close to the hole, but no one except Zhou Yue could hear anything.


    Tristan approached the hole and started entering.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to see what¡¯s making the noise Yue is hearing. It might be responsible for the holes we¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you need to go in there?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    Tristan said:


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. These holes are everywhere; if it¡¯s a creature making them, it could appear beside us while we sleep at any moment. I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night with such a high risk.¡±


    ¡®If it¡¯s a creature, it¡¯s better to find it before it finds me.¡¯


    The others thought Tristan¡¯s logic was sound, and given the size of the hole, only he and Yue could fit inside.


    Yue opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Tristan turned to her and said:


    ¡°Oh, and you can¡¯t see in the dark, so don¡¯t even think about coming with me.¡±


    Without wasting more time, Tristan crawled into the small tunnel. At a certain point, the tunnel became very steep, and he had to press his legs against the tunnel wall to avoid falling. He kept moving forward until he could hear a noise.


    ¡®That must be what Yue heard.¡¯


    He continued down the tunnel, and the noise grew louder. Then his eyes detected movement.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯


    Approaching slowly with [Shadow Aura], Tristan focused his eyes on what was moving.


    Something was digging the tunnel.


    He saw a small creature, about the size of a dog. It had six legs, pincer-like jaws, and two things that looked like antennae on its head.


    His eyes widened.


    ¡°An ant?¡±


    But Tristan noticed something else strange. Besides its obviously unusual size, the creature also had something else that made it different from ordinary animals.


    ¡®What is that? Stones? Glass?¡­ No, that ¡­ that¡¯s a crystal?!¡¯


    ¡®A CRYSTAL ANT!¡¯


    ¡®Damn, another damn magical beast.¡¯


    Suddenly, the creature stopped its digging.


    Its head turned towards Tristan!

 Chapter 27: Valuable enemy

    Tristan''s heart raced as he saw the giant crystal ant climbing up the tunnel toward him. He quickly glanced around and analyzed the ant''s speed.


    ''Damn, it''s much faster than I am at climbing. There''s no way I can escape this.''


    Tristan stopped pressing his legs against the tunnel wall and began to fall toward the ant.


    [Dark Blade]


    As Tristan collided with the ant, he struck its head with his black blade, but to his surprise, it only chipped a few of the crystals on its head. Not only that, Tristan thought he would be able to knock the creature off balance with his weight, but when they collided, the ant had no difficulty staying firm on the tunnel wall.


    The creature''s mandibles tried to sever Tristan''s leg, but he managed to escape with a powerful leap in the tight tunnel.


    ''This monster has many advantages here!''


    ''At least I could tell that it''s organic inside.''


    Tristan quickly started thinking about how he could defeat his new enemy. He remembered his knowledge of normal ants.


    "Normal ants have poor eyesight, and their antennae are sensory organs they use to smell. If this monster has similar characteristics, I might have a chance."


    Tristan began to fall again toward the crystal ant. This time, he used his black blade to cut the ant''s antennae. When he did this, the ant went berserk, thrashing around inside the tunnel, but he wasn''t finished with his attack yet. Now, he aimed for the large compound eyes that were not protected by the crystals.


    His black blade pierced the creature''s eye and drove deep into its brain. After a while, the ant''s movements ceased, and its body plummeted down the tunnel.


    Tristan let out a sigh of relief. He began to think about what had just happened.


    ''What if there are more ants? If that ant made all those holes, then the situation is resolved, but if it was some kind of scout and there''s an ant nest nearby, we''re doomed.''


    Without wasting more time, he quickly started climbing up the tunnel.


    Near the hole where Tristan had entered, the group members were waiting for him.Yue occasionally looked at the hole, and Lan had a serious expression on his face.


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    Yue said excitedly, "I hear something coming."


    After a while, they saw Tristan slowly emerging from the tunnel.


    "DUSK!" Yue exclaimed in a loud, happy tone.


    "You did it, kid!" Zhou Lan said.


    Lan grabbed Tristan and lifted him out of the hole, raising him into the air. But noticing his uncomfortable expression, he placed the child back on the ground.


    Tristan sat down, let out a tired sigh, and began to explain to the others what he had seen.


    "I found a magical beast digging a tunnel. It was a giant ant, about the size of a dog, and its body was covered in crystals."


    "Ant?" many of them said.


    "A magical beast?" Jian murmured, concerned.


    "What do we do now? What if there are more magical beasts here?" Feiyan asked.


    "We have to keep moving forward; we can''t turn back now," Jian said.


    "But they''re just ants. How dangerous can they be?" Yue asked.


    "The crystal coating on that thing was very tough; it was hard to break even with my ability."


    A worried expression appeared on everyone''s face when Tristan said this.


    "The worst part is that normal ants live in large groups. So there might be a lot more ants."


    "But even if there''s an ant colony, if it''s not in our path, we might have a chance," Tristan said with a shrug.


    "Well, first, we''d better worry about our scent."


    "Why?" Zhou Lan asked.


    Then Tristan remembered that ordinary people weren''t as interested in insect biology as he was, so he paused and began to explain what he knew about ants.


    "Do you like studying insects?" Yue asked him with a raised eyebrow.


    "Uh, well, I guess I like learning about various subjects in my free time."


    Tristan turned to Zhou Lan.


    "Mr. Lan."


    "What is it?"


    "Can you remove the bandages from my arms for me?"


    "Are you healed already?" Lan asked with a bit of surprise in his voice.


    "Not completely, but I think I can at least move my arms now."


    Lan removed the bandages from his arms.


    Tristan stared at the horrific scars on his arms for a few seconds. Then he began to move his arms.


    ''I still can''t move my hands precisely, but my arm movements are good enough.''


    Tristan thought he should try to seek information about the crystal ants in his divine fragment when the opportunity arose.


    Eventually, the group members decided to throw dirt on their clothes in an attempt to mask their scent. Tristan doubted this would be very effective, but it was better than doing nothing.


    "Let''s try to move as quietly as possible. Yue''s enhanced hearing is our best chance to detect the enemy in advance," Yi Jian said, and everyone agreed.


    Yue felt a bit uncomfortable with the pressure of the task she had to perform, but she tried not to show it and kept a confident expression on her face.


    She detected more noises a few times, but none seemed close to them. At one point, she started to walk more slowly, and a worried expression appeared on her childlike face.


    "I think something is approaching us! And it doesn''t seem to be just one thing."


    "What should we do? Run?" Feiyan asked nervously.


    "Does it sound like many ants?" Jian asked.


    Yue focused for a moment, and then she said, "I don''t think it''s many." She couldn''t give a more precise answer than that.


    "If they''ve detected us, I think it''s too late to run," Tristan said.


    "We might have a chance to defeat them. Dusk managed to kill one by himself. If there are only a few, we can handle it," Jian said, trying to sound confident.


    "Where''s the noise coming from?" Tristan asked Yue.


    She pointed out the locations to him with her finger.


    Tristan and Jian approached the holes Yue had pointed out while the others backed away. Soon, Tristan and Jian were also able to hear their enemy approaching.


    One after another, four crystal ants emerged from the three holes. The ants that appeared were no different from the one Tristan had faced earlier. But now he was able to notice one more detail due to the lighting: the ants'' crystals were blue, resembling sapphire ants.

 Chapter 28: True magical beast

    Four furious blue crystal ants charged toward Tristan''s group. Tristan advanced, extending his right arm, causing a 15 cm (6") black blade to appear in his hand. The ants were almost the same height as Tristan, but their bodies were much wider.


    He aimed for the joint of one of the front legs of the ant closest to him, but the creature was agile and managed to leap to the side. The ant jumped, its mandibles threatening to tear Tristan''s neck. He saw the crystal''s glint approaching and ducked at the last second. The creature''s mandibles snapped shut in the air, making a loud noise.


    "Damn, they''re fast."


    The other ant aimed for Tristan''s leg. He analyzed its movements and waited for the right moment. He jumped over the ant just before it could bite his leg. The ant couldn''t stop its movement properly and crashed into the ground. Tristan then spun his entire body in the air, his black blade slicing through the ant''s antennae, leaving it disoriented.


    The first ant leaped, trying to bite Tristan in midair. Its mandibles were just a second away from closing and crushing Tristan''s abdomen. He had to grab the ant''s mandibles with his hands, grimacing in pain as the sharp crystals cut into his skin. Gathering his body''s essence and channeling it into his arms, he slammed the ant into the ground with all his strength.


    The ant fell on its back, seeing Tristan descend upon it. A black blade formed on his arm once again, and Tristan swiftly cut the ant''s neck with a quick motion.


    Wasting no time, he ran towards the ant that had lost its antennae. The disoriented ant moved in erratic patterns, trying to bite its enemy but hitting only the air. Tristan easily cut the joints of the ant''s legs, making it stumble to the ground. Then he drove his black blade into the creature''s eye, ending its life.


    He looked around and saw that Jian was already finishing his fight with the other two ants.


    With the battle over, Tristan thrust his black blade into what he believed was the creature''s solar plexus. He searched for the creature''s power core in various parts of its body for a while but found nothing. He then did the same with the other ants, but they had no core.


    Tristan let out a disappointed sigh and said to the others, "These ants don''t have a power core; they aren''t awakened."


    Jian, understanding the significance of Tristan''s words, looked disappointed by the lack of something as valuable as magic gems.


    However, Lan, Yue, and Feiyan had confused expressions; they didn''t understand what Tristan was talking about.


    "Aren''t these ants magical beasts? Why don''t they have a core?" Yue asked Tristan curiously.


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    "Hmm... Right, unlike Jian and me, ordinary people like them don''t have much knowledge about the magic of this world."


    "The beast race is similar to us humans. Some can form a core, and others cannot. Those ants were like ordinary humans who were not capable of cultivating. That''s why they don''t have a core or any special abilities."


    "This is good news for us. As long as we only encounter common beasts and not magical ones, we should be able to handle them," Jian said.


    Now that Tristan had another characteristic of the crystal ants, their color, he felt he would have better luck obtaining information from the divine fragment. His first attempt was a failure because he discovered that there were several different species of crystal ants, each with distinct characteristics and abilities. He didn''t have time to study each one.


    But now, he could narrow down the results.


    "Giant blue crystal ant, very hostile, creates tunnels in the mountains." Tristan spoke this into the divine fragment, significantly reducing the number of golden pages.


    After some time researching, he reflected on the most important information he had discovered.


    "These ants have an affinity for the Water element. Their magical version is almost as large as an adult human and can shoot acid. Their nest is usually several kilometers underground."


    When Tristan had the opportunity, he shared this information with the others so they could adjust their plans accordingly. He didn''t bother coming up with an elaborate excuse for his knowledge, especially since he could now move his arms and hands a little better, reducing his dependence on them.


    Over the next few days, Tristan and the others encountered more ant beasts along the way. Once the ants spotted them, they had no choice but to fight.


    "We can''t let any ant escape after they spot us, or they''ll alert the rest of the colony that someone is invading their territory."


    His breathing was heavier, and beads of sweat could be seen on his face. But Jian, who was only a Mist Red, seemed to be in a much worse situation than him.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you rested? You''ve been fighting those ants nonstop for a while now," Feiyan said to Jian.


    Jian looked at Tristan, who shook his head slowly.


    "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. The longer we stay, the more likely the ant colony will find us," Jian said with a tired sigh.


    Suddenly, Yue stopped walking, her expression becoming more serious than usual. Everyone fell silent for a few seconds to give her time to concentrate.


    "What is it? Is another group of ants coming?" Tristan asked with a bit of irritation in his voice.


    "No, I think it''s just one ant," she replied.


    Tristan noticed the fear in her voice.


    "But the sound is much louder than before. It sounds heavy and fast. Very fast!"


    Hearing this, Jian gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    Tristan took a deep breath and prepared for what was coming.


    After a few seconds, everyone could hear the noise too. From the front of the tunnel, they could listen to the sound of something heavy striking the ground repeatedly, like a horse in heavy armor running toward them.


    This noise sent a chill down everyone''s spine.


    Tristan was the first to notice it due to his eyes. He saw an ant nearly two meters (6''7") tall, with a body covered in sharp blue crystals, rushing toward them. Yue hadn''t exaggerated when she said it seemed fast. Contrary to its weight, the giant ant was as fast as a motorcycle in Tristan''s old world.


    He had no doubt that this ant was a true magical beast. He also believed it was much stronger than the one he nearly died fighting the last time.

 Chapter 29: Irreparable losses

    Jian felt his heartbeat quicken, and his hair stood on end as if the air around him had suddenly turned colder. This would be his first time facing a true magical beast. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and turned to the weaker members of the group, saying:


    "Go as high as you can, Dusk, and I will try to deal with this thing."


    The faces of Lan, Yue, and Feiyan were fixed on the giant ant, fear clearly visible in their eyes. Hearing Jian''s words, Feiyan briefly glanced at him before climbing the sloped ground. Before they left, Lan and Yue observed Tristan. His face, as always, showed no emotion, but after spending so much time with him, they could detect a faint glimmer of anger in his eyes, directed at the approaching monster.


    In his mind, Tristan felt a bit sorry for the creature. They were invading its territory, and it was only trying to eliminate the threats to its colony.


    "Unfortunately, I have to reach the east at any cost, and you''re in my way."


    A small black blade appeared in Tristan''s hand, and he ran toward the monster''s left side while Jian moved to the right. A giant ant, larger than an adult human, with its body covered in large, sharp blue crystals, charged toward them at a terrifying speed. Jian and Tristan knew they could be crushed just by the impact of being hit by something so heavy.


    They had already discussed the best way to fight creatures like this, so there was no need to waste time talking.


    Trying to implement their usual strategy against such creatures, Tristan attempted to cut the monster''s legs. Unsurprisingly, the creature was too fast, and Tristan couldn''t land a hit.


    "I guess we''ll need to tire it out first," Tristan muttered, clicking his tongue.


    [Black Lotus''s stealthy charge]


    Jian used one of his movement techniques, barely touching the ground with his toes as he moved so quickly that his body spent more time in the air than on the ground.


    [Black Lotus fluid cuts]


    Using the flexibility and agility that Darkness cultivation provided, Jian managed to land several strikes with his short sword on the creature. To ordinary humans, it would appear as though these strikes hit the enemy simultaneously.


    But his sword harmlessly struck the creature''s crystals, causing only a few tiny fragments to fall from the ant''s powerful armor.


    The ant turned its body, aiming the rear part of its body at Jian. Suddenly, a large amount of blue liquid shot from the ant, heading toward Jian. Fortunately, Tristan had warned him about this, so he was prepared.


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    [Quickly dodge Black Lotus]


    Jian''s body seemed to blur for a moment as he bent his body at an angle that should have been impossible for a human.


    Taking advantage of the ant''s distraction, Tristan leaped toward its head, spinning his entire body to increase the speed of his strike. Tristan''s blade severed one of the ant''s antennae. Unexpectedly, the ant was not as disoriented as it should have been; its powerful jaws lunged toward Tristan''s leg.


    Tristan twisted his body in the air to avoid having his leg bitten off, but the ant''s powerful jaws snapped shut, creating a loud noise that echoed through the tunnel. Blood spattered through the air as Tristan saw that part of his right thigh had been cut.


    "Damn," he thought.


    Tristan placed his arm on the ground to cushion his fall.


    [Black Lotus Phantom Blade]


    Jian''s sword struck one of the ant''s hind leg joints. He planned to sever the creature''s leg with one blow, but it didn''t go as expected. He had to use all the essence he could gather at that moment. When the ant''s leg finally separated from its body, the creature turned toward him in anger and fury.


    The creature collided with Jian''s body, sending him flying through the air. Now, he was exhausted, and his vital essence was nearly depleted.


    "Damn, our situation is dire. At this rate, this creature will kill us and charge toward the others. I can''t let that happen!"


    With difficulty, Tristan stood up. He hobbled toward the ant and jumped onto it once more, this time landing on its back. Gritting his teeth to endure the pain in his leg, he drove his blade into the area between the creature''s thorax and abdomen. The beast tried to jump and run to shake off the irritating child, but Tristan held onto the smooth crystals covering the monster as best he could.


    Tristan kept stabbing his enemy repeatedly. But the more he tried to stay on the ant, the more he felt horrible pain. The monster''s sharp crystals cut into his skin and tore through his muscles, making his entire body bleed.


    Tristan lost so much blood that it stained the blue crystals red. Finally, he couldn''t hold on any longer, slipping off due to his blood as the ant moved once again.


    The ant turned toward the fallen child on the ground and then aimed the rear part of its abdomen at Tristan.


    A jet of blue acid shot toward Tristan. With his injured right leg, he gathered his essence in his left leg, leaping to the side as small droplets of acid landed on his cheek, burning his skin like fire.


    "Ahhh!" Tristan rolled on the ground, screaming in agony.


    The ant, not missing this opportunity, charged with its powerful jaws, trying to split him in two. Tristan used all his willpower to fight against the pain of his burning face, getting up as quickly as possible and trying to dodge those jaws that would end his life.


    "No!"


    "Damn it, I need to be faster!"


    But he wasn''t fast enough; the ant was just seconds away from ending his life.


    The fear of death gripped his young body, causing Tristan to close his eyes, even though his mind remained clear.


    "Not again!" He clenched his teeth, expecting the terrible sensation of having his existence consumed by death.


    After a few seconds, he felt his body collide with the ground, but the familiar sensation of dying never came.


    "What?"


    He opened his eyes in confusion, not understanding what had happened. Then he heard a loud human scream nearby, echoing through the tunnel.


    He looked to the side and saw Jian''s severed arm fall near him.

 Chapter 30: The Great Ant Killer

    Tristan saw Jian¡¯s arm fly through the air, landing near him. He stared at Jian¡¯s blood spreading across the ground for a few seconds, and Jian¡¯s scream echoed deeply in Tristan¡¯s confused mind.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    He was stunned, paralyzed for a brief moment, unsure of what to do.


    ¡®Did he sacrifice himself for me?¡¯


    Jian, now missing his right arm, collapsed to the ground, his body writhing in agony. The ant turned its gaze back to him, preparing for its next attack. Seeing this, Tristan banished the confusion from his mind and clenched his fists.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this.¡±


    With a murderous look in his eyes, he gathered his strength to stand once again.


    ¡®How much more can this damn thing take? After everything we did to it?¡¯


    Tristan opened his right hand, and a golden light began to appear, he was summoning the obsidian axe!


    [Dark Blade] formed in his left hand.


    Expending a large amount of essence, he charged at the monster once more.


    The creature, seemingly accepting his challenge, snapped its jaws fiercely and also rushed toward him.


    The sharp front legs of the crystal ant attempted to pierce Tristan¡¯s heart. He threw himself to the ground and rolled under the monster¡¯s abdomen. His black blade plunged deep into the creature''s belly.


    The giant ant tried to crush Tristan with its body, but he managed to dodge in time. His axe finally appeared, and he spun his entire body to deliver a powerful blow to one of the crystal ant¡¯s legs. The ant staggered slightly but fought bravely. Tristan, tired and irritated by his enemy¡¯s persistence, advanced toward the creature, striking it repeatedly with his axe in his right hand and his black blade in his left.


    When the beast tried to crush him with its jaws once again, he dodged and took advantage of the monster¡¯s close head proximity to tear off another antenna using the long reach of his axe.


    With no more essence in his body, Dark Blade dissipated.


    Tristan gripped the axe with both hands firmly and began attacking the ant with all the strength of his now weak body. Fortunately, the creature was also too exhausted to fight back. Unfortunately, Tristan couldn¡¯t cause much damage in his current state.


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡±


    He attacked the ant¡¯s head frantically; cracks began to appear in the obsidian axe. At almost the same time, the crystals around the ant¡¯s head and his axe shattered.


    [Your artifact has been destroyed]


    He heard this in his mind but didn¡¯t care.


    He grabbed the axe handle and drove it into the monster¡¯s now exposed brain.


    Finally, the giant ant stopped fighting, and its body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud that echoed through the area.


    Tristan fell to the ground, exhausted, drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily.


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    After a while, he looked at Jian with a serious expression on his face for a few seconds. Jian was lying unconscious on the ground due to blood loss. After thinking for a bit, Tristan tore a piece of Jian¡¯s shirt and tightly tied it around the small remaining part of his arm. He looked up and saw Yue, Feiyan, and Lan quickly descending the sloped ground toward him.


    A while later, they got close enough to see Jian¡¯s terrible condition.


    Feiyan¡¯s mouth opened in shock, and she asked Tristan:


    ¡°Is he... is he dead?¡±


    Tristan shook his head.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just unconscious from blood loss and lack of essence.¡±


    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Zhou Lan asked.


    ¡°If he can recover some of his essence before he dies, he might survive.¡±


    Zhou Yue looked at Jian with pity and sadness for his situation.


    They rested for about 5 minutes. During this time, Tristan searched for the ant monster¡¯s crystal. He found a Red Solid gem, which gave him four more red fragments. He also examined the monster¡¯s crystals; they were harder than those of the smaller ants he had faced. Tristan decided to keep some crystals, thinking they might have some value one day.


    After that, he thought for a moment and said:


    ¡°We have to get out of here as quickly as possible; we can¡¯t risk other monsters appearing!¡±


    ¡°But Jian isn¡¯t in any condition to move now!¡± Feiyan said worriedly.


    Tristan lowered his head for a moment, then he stood up and said with a sigh:


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way; we have to drag him if we must, but we can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    Lan, understanding the gravity of their situation, grabbed Jian¡¯s unconscious body to carry him.


    Tristan tried to start walking, but he was limping and clearly exhausted; he was more dragging himself than walking. Yue approached him and said:


    ¡°Do you need help walking?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tristan said without hesitation and continued walking with difficulty.


    Yue looked at his behavior and sighed. She approached the stubborn boy, who was a little shorter than her, and wrapped her arm around his body to support him as he tried to walk.


    Tristan looked at her with a scowl on his face.


    ¡°What are you doing? I can do this on my own.¡±


    She ignored him and didn¡¯t reply.


    Jian regained consciousness the next day, still very exhausted and still being carried by Lan. Tristan felt somewhat uncomfortable around him. Some things were going through his mind.


    Another week had passed, and they didn¡¯t encounter any major problems along the way. Finally, the big day arrived, and they saw sunlight shining through the enormous diamond-shaped exit of the tunnel.


    Tristan¡¯s and the others'' eyes brightened at the sight of the sunlight. The end of the cave¡¯s darkness warmed their hearts and lifted their spirits.


    Tristan took a deep breath of the air outside the cave. His journey was far from over, but he felt a pleasant sense of accomplishment for making it this far.


    Another three weeks passed, and the group noticed a clear change in the environment. The large mountains, alps, and hills appeared less frequently. They were still in a region with many reliefs and hills, but the journey was now much less exhausting than before.


    Another change was the tall, light green grass swaying in the wind in the area where they were. The trees in this place also had a curious appearance; they were tall, almost 20 m (65'' 7) high, and slender, with some having a slightly reddish color, but the largest ones had a vibrant red hue.


    Then Yue turned to the others and said:


    ¡°Hey, I hear something! I think there are other people here.¡± She said it excitedly.


    ¡°Really? Where? Let¡¯s go there,¡± her grandfather said.


    She pointed the direction, and they headed there as quickly as they could.


    Soon they saw that she was right; they saw dozens of people working to cut down the trees. Their appearance reminded Tristan of people from the eastern part of the central region, like Yue, Lan, and others. They were wearing light and simple clothes.


    The loggers also noticed the approaching strangers and were clearly apprehensive. Lan calmly approached and said:


    ¡°Good morning, my name is Zhou Lan; we are a group of travelers; we were heading to the city of Zaguhan when we were attacked by a group of bandits.¡±


    ¡°Are you by any chance from that city?¡±


    The loggers, initially a bit suspicious, seemed to relax a bit, and some of them even showed signs of pity. One of them approached and said:


    ¡°Yes, my name is Zao Peng; you are near the city of Zaguhan, uh¡­ welcome!¡±

 Chapter 31: Flying Sword Sect Challenge

    In a mist-covered mountainous region with strong winds, a group of people were closely watching a young girl. They were dressed in yellow Shaolin-style robes, just like the girl. The girl, with light blue eyes and sky-colored hair, and skin slightly tanned by the sun, was observing the obstacles in front of her. She took a few steps back and took a deep breath.


    Zhou Yue closed her eyes and focused, imagining her core as a red fluid spinning in circles and condensing into a small gem. When the spherical gem appeared in her mind, she imagined placing her hand close to the core and used her willpower to try to make the energy within the gem move towards her imaginary hand.


    Eventually, she succeeded, and a yellow energy flowed out of her core. Now came the hardest part¡ªshe needed to manipulate and shape this essence to acquire the characteristics required for the technique she wanted to perform.


    Shaping the essence of her Mid Red core was much easier than when she was merely Mist Red, but as Dusk had told her some time ago, shaping red essence is like sculpting with sand and stone; it would never be perfect. After a while, she managed to make her essence move through her body in the way she wanted.


    She opened her eyes and started running with all the power she could muster. As she leaped off the wooden platform, those watching her with wide eyes felt as if she was flying for a few seconds.


    Yue quickly glanced at the ground, which was about 10 meters away from her. If she missed her target and fell, she would end up getting hurt.


    But that didn''t happen. Her black wooden shoe on her right foot landed on a small spherical stone on top of a thin wooden post. Her first challenge was to jump far enough, and now she needed to find the balance point to stay stable and not fall. Her body wobbled, and she almost slipped, but at a certain point, she managed to balance herself.


    Sighing in relief, she gathered her energy in her right leg and jumped towards the next post. With her left leg, she stepped on another spherical stone. This time, she found her balance more easily and was able to move forward faster.


    ¡°Wow, she actually made it!¡± a teenage boy said, pointing at Yue.


    ¡°She¡¯s really managing to run across the posts!¡± said a young girl.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Yue. She arrived four months ago, but all the masters spoke highly of her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some people even call her the Wind Princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that too. They say she might be our sect¡¯s hope for securing a good position in this year¡¯s tournament.¡±


    Groups of young people murmured incessantly.


    A young man who seemed to be around 18 years old said to his friends while clicking his tongue, ¡°Damn, how did a farmer''s daughter manage to learn a technique in just four months? I¡¯ve been here for years, and I¡¯m still stuck in the First Flying Dao along with these plebeians.¡±


    ¡®95, 96, 97, just a little more!¡¯ Yue thought excitedly.


    Then she finally reached the hundredth and last post. She increased her focus, not wanting to fail at the last step after coming so far. With another powerful leap, she jumped from the hundredth post toward another wooden platform.


    She landed gracefully on the platform and placed her hand on her chest, breathing heavily due to exhaustion.


    A man, about 30 years old, approached Yue. He was wearing a brown sash around his waist. The man had a serious expression on his face, but a keen observer might notice a hint of enthusiasm in his eyes.


    ¡°Zhou Yue, you have mastered the movement technique, Heavenly Breeze Steps, of our Flying Sword Sect and successfully completed the 100 Celestial Steps challenge. Because of this, I hereby affirm that you have earned a place in the Second Flying Dao class.¡±


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    The sect master took out a red sash and extended it to Yue.


    Yue quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, untied her white sash, and took the red sash.


    She bowed deeply and said loudly, ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Master Feng!¡±


    Master Feng guided Yue to the room in the sect¡¯s dormitory, where she would now stay.


    ¡°You will sleep in this room from now on. Try to get along with your new companions.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± She said, and she bowed to take her leave.


    She opened the wooden door and entered the room. The room was simple but comfortable. She saw two girls, twins, with dark, almost black eyes and hair. They were younger than her, appearing to be around 10 years old.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Zhou Yue. I¡¯ll be your roommate from today. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Yue said, trying to sound cultured.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. You¡¯re the new girl the master said would come. Well, I¡¯m Xiao Mei.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Xiao Ning.¡±


    The three girls talked for a while before Ning and Mei took Yue to explore that area of the sect. Yue looked at the outer area and saw several groups of young people training tirelessly.


    ¡°Curious, people here seem to take training much more seriously,¡± Yue said, finding it strange that the young people were training so late at night.


    ¡°Well, the sect tournament is near. We in the Second Dao take it very seriously; this could be an opportunity to make our names known,¡± Mei said, showing enthusiasm about the idea of participating in the tournament.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they try so hard; the big sects always steal the spotlight,¡± Ning said lazily.


    Suddenly, some people began to move strangely. Someone was walking down the corridor, and the people around started to quickly move away.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yue asked, curious.


    ¡°It must be that crazy foreigner,¡± Xiao Mei said.


    ¡°Oh, you just got here, so you probably don¡¯t know about him. He¡¯s nuts, so it¡¯s better to stay away from him,¡± Xiao Ning warned.


    Curious, she tried to see who they were talking about.


    She saw a child walking down the corridor, his shoulder-length hair as black as raven feathers, and his eyes as dark as the night sky. His skin was now white as marble instead of sickly as when they first met. The boy¡¯s normally empty and expressionless eyes passed over her; his expression changed slightly, and then he changed direction and came toward her.


    He was wearing the common attire of people in this sect: a yellow shirt and pants made of lightweight fabric that covered almost his entire body, black wooden shoes, and long white socks that reached almost halfway up his thighs.


    She noticed his red sash around his abdomen and the red cords that adjusted the size of his shirt.


    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s coming over here! Does he want to hit us too?¡± Mei and Ning said this simultaneously and quickly left.


    Tristan approached Yue, and she noticed again how much he had grown in the four months since she first met him. He was still shorter than her, but now the difference wasn¡¯t as significant as before.


    He saw the red sash on her body; a look of understanding appeared on his face, and then he said:


    ¡°Oh, you managed to pass the challenge; congratulations!¡±

 Chapter 32: Qi Transmutation

    Tristan and Yue were walking together down the sect''s corridor.


    Yue thought about how people reacted to him. She noticed that he drew quite a bit of attention, and since she was walking with him, she was also attracting that attention. Several faces turned to her with confusion, then to him, some people looked at him with disdain, others with fear. This made her realize something.


    ¡®That must be why I''ve never seen him around anyone else in the last few months. I thought it was just his usual solitary behavior, but it seems like people are avoiding being near him. Why? What happened?¡¯


    ¡°Hey, Dusk, um, why are people acting that way around you?¡± She decided not to bring up Mei and Ning¡¯s comments about him.


    He raised an eyebrow and looked at the people around them.


    ¡°Oh, that? It must be because of what happened when I joined the Second Flying Dao.¡±


    He shrugged and continued.


    ¡°I had some issues with the older apprentices, nothing major.¡±


    She looked at him suspiciously, and a small frown appeared on her face, but since it seemed he didn''t want to talk about it, she decided to let it go.


    ¡°Well, whatever. So, have you learned anything new?¡± she asked him. She knew Dusk wasn¡¯t the type who liked to talk, but martial arts and magic were subjects he seemed capable of discussing like a normal person.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and an angry expression almost crossed his face. He sighed and said:


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t been able to create any movement techniques, nor have I learned any new ones.¡±


    She shook her head, clicked her tongue, and said, ¡°I told you that you should have asked Jian for help. He¡¯s a Darkness cultivator like you. Asking for help once won''t kill you, you know?¡±


    He rolled his eyes and didn¡¯t reply.


    Then, his lips curved slightly upward, and his eyes subtly brightened.


    ¡°But I did discover something cool. Want to see?¡±


    Tristan took her to a small storage room where the cleaning supplies were kept.


    He put his hand inside his shirt and started searching for something, then he pulled out a prism-shaped blue crystal about the size of his palm.


    Yue¡¯s hair stood on end, and her stomach churned with memories of the monstrous ants they had encountered months ago. She took a step back and said:


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    ¡°What do you need that for?¡±


    ¡°Watch.¡±


    He closed his eyes and gripped the crystal tightly.


    Yue saw black mist and white fire emanating from his body, the power of his strong aura made her shrink back a bit.


    The white fire and black mist moved towards Tristan¡¯s right hand, which held the blue crystal. The two swirled around his hand as if they were trying to merge. Then, suddenly, the black and white light they emitted began to dim, growing weaker over time as if they were about to disappear.


    Yue frowned and looked at it, not understanding the purpose of what he was doing. In her mind, this seemed pointless.


    ¡°Why is he weakening the elements? Wouldn''t it be better to try to make them stronger?¡±


    The black mist and white fire vanished, turning into orange energy.


    ¡®Now comes the hardest part,¡¯ Tristan thought.


    He clenched his teeth tightly.


    The orange essence in his hand began to change color, the air around the blue crystal started to move violently, and the light from the candles in the room began to flicker, growing stronger and weaker with each passing second.


    Yue¡¯s mind was captivated by these phenomena, and she couldn''t take her eyes off what was happening. Suddenly, she saw something that made her mouth drop open in shock.


    The essence around the blue crystal condensed, turning into small white lightning bolts.


    Tristan opened his eyes, smiling slightly. Then he reached his limit and dispelled the lightning, sighing with exhaustion.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°How can you do that? Do you also cultivate Lightning? Since when can you do that? This should be impossible! Are you a triple cultivator now? Can you teach me how to do that? Please!¡± She stared at him intently, a sparkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Calm down first,¡± he said while calming his breath.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a new cultivation. What you saw is called Qi Transmutation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Qi Transmutation! That sounds cool.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of sorcery widely used by alchemists in the eastern region. This kind of thing has always existed, but they were the first to find a good explanation for this phenomenon. They¡¯re the best at it as far as I know.¡±


    Yue listened to what Tristan said attentively.


    ¡°The principle behind it is simple. You just need to project your vital energy outside your body, but instead of transforming it into a technique, you need to try to ¡®cleanse¡¯ the energy of the element you¡¯re using and return it to its pure form, then you transform that pure energy into another element.¡±


    ¡°Wait! So, you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s possible to use techniques from any Element?¡± Yue asked.


    Tristan nodded and said, ¡°Theoretically, yes, it¡¯s possible to use techniques from any Element.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, he continued speaking.


    ¡°The problem is that each step of this is extremely difficult.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, one of the great discoveries the alchemists made is that to make this possible, not only is it necessary to have very high essence control, but your understanding of the elements also influences the success. Basically, you need to know what an Element is and how it influences the world, and that¡¯s not simple at all.¡±


    ¡°Where did you learn all this?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I heard stories about someone who could use two different elements, water and blood. Since then, I¡¯ve been curious about how that could be possible, so I started researching it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool¡­ Do you think I can learn this too?¡±


    Tristan shrugged.


    ¡®I already know how electricity works, so trying to transmute my vital energy into the Lightning element should be easier, but even with my knowledge of physics and chemistry, it took me months to create simple sparks.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. After I started practicing, I realized just how much cultivation techniques make our lives easier by creating a connection with the Elements. Trying to do this on my own was quite complicated.¡±


    Yue looked disappointed.


    ¡°Hey, you just learned your first technique. You should focus on mastering one element first before trying to learn another.¡±


    ¡°My progress in my main elements is slow, so I have time for side projects.¡±

 Chapter 33: Beware of fame

    "What are you doing?" Yue asked.


    Yue saw Tristan picking up a broom, a bucket, some cloths, and other cleaning supplies.


    "I have to clean the main hall of the Second Flying Dao," he replied.


    "Why?"


    "Master Feng wasn''t very happy with what I did to the seniors. He said something about me not respecting the hierarchy, the sect''s traditions, blah blah blah, so he punished me by making me clean this place for two months."


    "Shouldn''t the punishment have ended by now?"


    "I got punished again for leaving the sect without permission," Tristan said with a shrug.


    "Well, bye; see you later."


    "Bye, Dusk," she said with a hint of amusement.


    Tristan walked across the dark wooden floor of the sect towards the main hall of that area. The sect''s buildings were mostly made of wood, just like most houses in Zaguhan, since transporting stone in this hilly region was complicated.


    When he opened the doors to the main hall, someone approached him. He was a young man, around fourteen years old, with brown hair and eyes, and a common appearance.


    "Dusk? Um... you were late today," the young man said with a submissive posture.


    "Sorry, Jin."


    Tristan handed some of the cleaning supplies he had brought to the boy.


    The two began cleaning the large hall in silence. The place was about 20 meters wide and 60 meters long, with five large tables and a high chair in a prominent position in the middle of the hall, where the sect leader could be seen by all the guests.


    After cleaning the entire place, Tristan went to his room to sleep.


    The next day, as soon as the sun started to rise, the sect bells began to ring.


    ¡®Damn it, just 10 more minutes, please.¡¯


    But the bells outside didn¡¯t heed his thoughts and kept ringing. Lazily, he threw off the blankets, yawned, and started putting on the sect''s clothes. He was the first to leave the room and walked toward the dining hall.


    His meal was rice with mushroom soup. The Flying Sword Sect was an important sect but not a large one, so its resources were limited. Because of this, Tristan only ate meat on special occasions, but fortunately, he could eat as much rice as he wanted.


    When he finished his second bowl of rice, he went to get another.


    At that moment, Yue met up with him and placed her tray beside his.


    "Good morning, Dusk."


    "Ah... good morning, Yue."


    "Um, you know that people here don''t like me very much. Don''t you think being around me might bring you trouble?"


    "Why do you think that?" Yue asked naively.


    "Forget it," Tristan sighed.


    She shrugged and asked, "How¡¯s the training in the Second Flying Dao?"


    Tristan thought for a moment and said, "It''s more practical."


    "You''ve already learned all the fundamentals you needed to know."


    "Now that you¡¯ve shown you¡¯re capable of learning a technique, you should work hard to learn new ones and perfect what you already know."


    "Looks like I''ll have to work harder," she said.


    Tristan looked at Yue and sighed inwardly, wondering if he should say something to her. ¡®She''s very talented but also naive, and that¡¯s dangerous. Things here in the Second Dao are different from the First. She should have other concerns in this place, but the problem is she''s just a 13-year-old girl. I don''t know if she''ll listen to me.¡¯


    "You also need to be more careful now."


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    "Oh? What are you talking about?"


    "In the First Dao, there was a big difference between disciples who came from common families and those who came from cultivator families. But here in the Second, that difference is even greater. And after they learn their first technique, they start becoming more arrogant, thinking they¡¯re something beyond mere humans."


    "Besides, many people here place a lot of importance on which family you belong to. In their twisted minds, they might think it''s unfair for someone without an important family like you to have your kind of talent."


    "So, it''s better if you try not to draw too much attention... well, try not to draw even more attention."


    "What?" she said indignantly.


    "But I want to be known. I decided to come here to make my grandparents and my family proud and to improve our lives. Are you telling me I have to hide?"


    Tristan looked at her seriously.


    "It¡¯s safer that way. Besides, I didn''t say you have to hide forever. One day, you''ll be strong enough not to worry about that."


    "If you don''t believe me, then you can look into the stories of young people from common families who mysteriously disappeared."


    She pouted and said, "But what about you? Everyone here hates you because you''re... well, different from us. And you''re not from an important family either. From the stories I''ve heard about you, you don''t seem very worried about it."


    "What do I have to fear? I have nothing left, remember? My parents disappeared, you know that, but you still have your grandparents and others who care about you."


    Tristan said this because he thought appealing to emotional matters might make his words sink into her stubborn mind. Judging by her expression, he was probably successful.


    ¡®But what she said is true. I ended up drawing more attention than I wanted.¡¯


    ¡®Damn it, I should have controlled my emotions better months ago.¡¯


    ¡®At least I''m in the Second Dao. No one knows I have an orange core. As long as I stay away from the people in the Third Dao, I shouldn''t have much to worry about.¡¯


    He finished his meal feeling satisfied, not leaving a single grain of rice behind.


    After the meal, he and Yue went to Master Feng''s training section.


    The first part of the training consisted of climbing and descending the stairs that led to the sect, which was situated on top of a hill, so there were thousands of steps.


    Then they had to repeat the movements that the master taught in an attempt to learn a new technique. In Tristan¡¯s case, he just tried to learn the principles of it to figure out how it could be applied to his type of cultivation.


    His orange core was more powerful than most students'', and with the speed and agility that Light and Darkness cultivation gave his body, he could replicate some of the Air cultivators'' movements.


    What Tristan struggled with the most was the third stage of training. The members of this sect were very skilled at throwing projectiles, but unfortunately, his aim wasn''t very good.


    Yue wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "What''s the next training?"


    Tristan replied, "It''s almost noon, so it''ll probably be a duel." He let out a small sigh of annoyance.


    He was proven correct when Master Feng Ling said, "Let''s start another round of duels."


    "Ahhh," many disciples sighed.


    "Dusk, since you''ve won the last few times, you''ll be the first now," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

 Chapter 34: Duel in the sect

    "Xiao Mei, you will be his opponent this time!"


    "Huh, what? Why me again?" Mei said, distressed.


    Feng Ling shot her a severe look that made the small girl shrink back.


    "You must show what the Flying Sword Sect is capable of." Hearing this, Tristan felt that Ling''s words did not include him.


    "Good luck!" Xiao Ning said to her sister.


    "And you, don''t hurt her, or else¡­ or else I''ll¡­" Tristan glanced at her briefly. The girl fell silent and retreated in fear, causing him to roll his eyes.


    He looked at the available weapons. Air cultivators were not known for their physical strength, so they preferred lightweight weapons. He picked up a thin, double-edged longsword with both hands. Mei chose a similar sword, though slightly smaller.


    Tristan assumed a combat stance.


    Wasting no time, Xiao Mei charged toward him.


    [Heavenly Breeze Steps]


    ''This again,'' he thought.


    Tristan tried to follow her movements with his eyes, but he failed miserably. Xiao Mei was one of the sect''s most talented disciples; she had already reached Solid Red and mastered more than one technique. In an instant, she closed the distance between them.


    But this didn''t surprise him.


    His eyes, which were black before, now turned completely white, and a faint light emanated from them.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    This was a small trick he had developed over the last few months. His Light essence flowed from his eyes, subtly covering the surroundings. As he didn''t have much essence to spare, his ability only covered the area slightly. However, it was enough for his diagnostic ability to detect changes in the light before they reached his eyes.


    The image that formed wasn''t sharp, but Tristan''s brain could perceive that something was approaching. Like a blur, he could sense her blade coming toward his abdomen.


    [Ten Plumes Slash]


    He recognized this attack. He knew that if he were hit by it, ten holes would appear in his abdomen. Master Feng was supposed to prevent the disciples from getting seriously injured. Still, Tristan thought it was better not to rely too much on that.


    He used his sword to block the attack and leveraged his superior physique to push her to the left with a twist of his sword. She staggered a bit from his strength.


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    ''She''s faster, has more combat techniques than I do, and her swordsmanship is much better. My advantages are my constitution, mind, and core. But the most important thing here is that I know her style, whereas I don''t even have one yet. That makes me unpredictable!''


    He advanced with a thrust, trying to keep the combat at close range.


    Mei tried to pull away quickly, but Tristan concentrated his essence in his legs and followed her. His leg aimed at her thigh, trying to trip her.


    [Feather-Light Feet]


    She quickly dodged his strike as if the wind had shifted her position.


    Tristan attempted to strike her with a horizontal slash, spinning his entire body.


    She lowered her body to evade, but he changed his position and punched her in the abdomen. She reacted well, managing to avoid part of the damage by retreating.


    [Inclement Gale Slash]


    She used her whole body in a vertical slash from top to bottom, with wind swirling around her blade.


    He decided to meet this strike with one of his own, knowing she wouldn''t have much essence left after using so many techniques. He circulated his essence throughout his body, clashing with her sword in a clockwise horizontal slash. They were locked in a struggle of strength for a few seconds until Tristan began to overpower her. He slid his blade down toward her hilt, and with an extra burst of power, he knocked her sword aside.


    "No!" Mei exclaimed as she saw her sword flying away.


    "End of the duel, you two sit down. Juhaon and Dijanin are next," Feng said irritably.


    "Congratulations, you did it," Yue said as he sat down next to her.


    "Thanks."


    After the training, Tristan spent his afternoon working on the movement technique he had been trying to create.


    ''I''ve watched Jian fight; I''ve also fought people from the Southern Carp Body and Spirit Sect, and I''ve spent the last few months studying the fundamental principles of the Flying Sword Sect''s techniques.''


    ''I feel like the day I''ll create a new technique is almost here.''


    Tristan approached a tree and gathered its leaves, throwing a bunch of them into the air with force.


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on channeling his vital energy to his tendons and muscles.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    He opened his eyes, which were now completely white.


    The colors of the world disappeared, and he could only see some white outlines moving. He looked at the falling leaves, noticing that it was easier to detect their movements; he could see the air shifting around the leaves. However, the shape of the leaves themselves was harder to see, as if they had become ghosts of light.


    A black mist emanated from Tristan''s body, covering him like a thin cloth.


    He gripped the training sword and began to move. He kept his feet stationary, moving only the upper part of his body.


    His arms seemed to blur as they moved quickly in all directions, his sword slicing through the air. No matter if the leaves were behind him, as long as they were within the reach of his blade, they would eventually be cut.


    When all the leaves had fallen to the ground, he observed the result of his efforts.


    More than half of the hundreds of leaves he had tossed had been cut in just a few seconds.


    ''Almost there.''


    After his afternoon training, he went to sleep.


    But the next day, Tristan was woken up in the middle of the night by a knock on his door. He didn''t want to check what it was and continued to sleep, but then a few seconds later, one of his roommates approached him.


    "What?" He asked with a yawn.


    "It''s for you."


    "Who is it?"

 Chapter 35: Zaguhan Center

    "One of the masters is at the door waiting for you; hurry up; I want to go back to sleep," his roommate said irritably.


    Tristan got up and went to his door.


    He saw a woman around 40 years old, with brown hair and eyes, wearing a brown sash wrapped around her body.


    "Master Sheng." Tristan made a respectful bow.


    "Why did you call for me?"


    "The sect leader wants to speak with you!" she replied in her usual severe tone.


    He frowned, wondering what someone as busy as the sect leader wanted with him.


    "Oh, alright." He headed to the third floor of the sect, where the leader resided.


    He knocked on the door and said, "Disciple Dusk reporting, I heard the sect leader was calling for me."


    "You may enter," a voice said from the other side of the door.


    When Tristan entered, he saw several familiar faces.


    ''Ning, Mei, Ximu, and Jaeng, this again?''


    "I don''t know what they said about me this time, but I didn''t do anything, I didn''t break any rules this week."


    Tristan thought this was yet another attempt by his peers to get him expelled from the sect.


    Sitting behind a desk was an old man with long gray hair and beard. He coughed a little and said:


    "That''s not why I called you here; no one reported you this time. I called you to discuss a matter. Please, have a seat," the old man said in a gentle tone.


    "We received a request from the city lord. A group of magical beasts was spotted nearby, and it seems they may be planning an attack, so we''re assembling a group to assist the guards of Zaguhan."


    "We''ll be sending the disciples of the Third Dao, and you of the Second will be sent as a support group."


    "What kind of beasts are these?" Xiao Mei asked.


    "The information we received mentioned some kind of bear, but it seems to be a rare type of beast, so we don''t have much information."


    Ximu, a young man who appeared to be in his mid-teens, asked:


    "Are the other sects participating in this too?"


    "Yes, but each sect is being sent to a different region, so you may not encounter them."


    Jaeng, the third boy in the group, asked the sect leader worriedly:


    "Are we only being sent to the walls? What about the people outside the city center? Will they be left unprotected?"


    The sect leader''s expression turned serious, and he sighed: "The letter we received only said to protect the walls."


    Jaeng clenched his knee, and an irritated expression appeared on his face.


    Tristan looked at his group. It seemed the sect leader had gathered the best disciples of the Second Dao who were available.


    "Those three must still be incapacitated."


    A memory came to Tristan''s mind. He was in the sect''s dining hall, his left eye swollen, and he had a terrible headache from a blow he had received. He was completely exhausted, and only his anger and determination kept him standing. His hands were stained with blood; fortunately, it wasn''t his.


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    In front of him, three disciples lay on the ground with multiple cuts on their bodies. They wore red sashes and were slightly older than the other disciples present.


    Several tables, chairs, and cups were broken, their pieces scattered everywhere. Even one of the chopsticks they used to eat could be seen lodged in one of the youths'' ears.


    The other disciples looked at him in horror.


    "It can''t be."


    "He managed to defeat the seniors alone!"


    "That can''t be human! He must be a beast in disguise."


    Several youths began to whisper around him.


    But they backed away when the adults arrived.


    Feng, Sheng, and other masters came to the dining hall to see what was going on.


    ''Damn!'' Tristan thought.


    Most of the masters were furious with him.


    "What did you do?" Master Feng Ling shouted at him.


    ''That was very dangerous. If it weren''t for Master Sheng, I probably would have been killed right there.'' He thought at the end of the memory.


    ''Now, I''m going to meet the disciples of the Third Flying Dao; I hope I don''t have problems again.''


    After the explanations, the sect leader took the young disciples to meet the members of the Third Dao. They wore blue sashes, and most of them were in their early twenties.


    Leaving the mountain where the Flying Sword Sect was located, Tristan, along with the group of Second and Third Flying Dao disciples, headed toward the walls.


    The journey was relatively quiet for Tristan; the older disciples ignored the younger group, and the others in the Second Dao didn''t seem to be close to each other.


    As they passed through the center of Zaguhan, Tristan looked around again.


    He saw the large, elegant houses in the ancient oriental style, mostly made of reddish wood, but the largest houses were made of darker wood. Most residences had two or three floors, but some had as many as seven, indicating that the families living there had a higher level of nobility.


    The city''s streets were made of round yellow stones.


    Tristan observed a group of six people carrying a small cloth cabin supported by two wooden poles. He decided to call them "the carriers." They were usually people from outside the city center who had the luck to get this job of transporting nobles who didn''t want to tire themselves walking through this hilly region. The center of Zaguhan was extremely clean and bright; the nobles didn''t want animals dirtying the place, so they preferred to use people.


    He remembered when he first entered the city center; he was surprised not to find any dogs, cats, rats, or horses here. Only flying animals and insects, which were very difficult to kill, could be seen in this place.


    After two hours, they reached the end of the city center. Tristan saw a tall red wooden wall over 50 meters high and a gate nearly 3 meters tall being guarded by soldiers.

 Chapter 36: Outside the walls

    The southwest wall guards saw a group of people approaching them. Their yellow clothing was well known, so they were easily recognized.


    "The apprentices of the Flying Sword Sect have arrived. Call the leader."


    After the watchman''s warning, the guards atop the wall started moving to find their chief. A while later, a middle-aged man approached the group of apprentices.


    "My name is Goejin. I am the guard''s leader for the southwest section of the wall. It is a great honor for me to be in the presence of the apprentices of the Flying Sword Sect." The man made a deep bow, bending his body before the young ones in front of him.


    One of the older apprentices stepped forward and said, "My name is Chuang Xurain. I am an apprentice of the Third Flying Dao. Our sect leader sent us here to help protect the city."


    "So, what''s the situation? Is it true there are signs of a group of magical beasts nearby?" Xurain asked.


    Goejin nodded, "Several people from the mines and forests were found dead. Their bodies were scattered in pieces across different places. This started about three days ago. At first, we thought it was a lone nomadic beast, but in the last few hours, dozens of people have been found dead, increasingly closer to the city. The hunters who recovered the bodies said they seemed to be caused by the same type of creature. Because of this, we believe it could be a tribe of beasts migrating toward the city."


    "Has anything else happened?"


    With Xurain''s question, the guard leader continued, "The hunters found some black fur near the corpses, and based on the footprints, they believe the beasts resemble bears. The footprints weren''t very deep, so they think they weren''t made by particularly large creatures."


    Hearing the conversation between Xurain and the guard leader, Tristan''s brow furrowed slightly.


    Xurain told the guard, "Alright, I think we have enough information. We''ll stay here for the next few days to help with this."


    The guard made another bow to the apprentices before leaving.


    "How annoying having to deal with a tribe of stupid beasts. I''d rather be training for the tournament," Xurain said.


    Another apprentice of the Third Dao turned to him and said, "Look on the bright side. If we manage to kill more beasts than the other sects, the bets on our sect before the tournament could increase."


    The Third Dao apprentices began talking among themselves.


    Tristan walked toward them, seeming like he wanted to say something.


    But Jaeng stepped in front of him and spoke:


    "Ah, hello, seniors." He made a deep bow.


    The older apprentices turned their faces to him, and Xurain spoke first, "What do you want?"


    "Hum, I would like to go outside the wall."


    "Why? The leader only asked us to stay here. Why do you want to leave?"


    But before Jaeng could speak, Ximu answered. "He¡¯s one of the rats born outside the walls. He¡¯s probably worried about his beggar parents being killed by those beasts."


    Jaeng shot an irritated look at Ximu and clenched his fists tightly. Ximu stared back at him, unconcerned with his fellow apprentice''s hostility, a mocking smile on his face.


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    The older apprentices laughed at this.


    "Whatever, you can go if you¡¯re so worried about those peasants."


    "I would like to go outside the walls as well." Tristan hated having to ask permission from anyone about where he could go or not. But he''d already had many problems due to the hierarchy in the sect and tried to avoid another one.


    Now, the older apprentices turned their heads to him, a hint of irritation appearing on their faces.


    "Are you, a foreigner, also worried about those peasants?" one of the seniors asked.


    Tristan shook his head and said, "I''m good at tracking. I want to take a look at the place where the people died."


    Not seeming to want him around anymore, the seniors didn''t mind his departure.


    After talking to the guards and obtaining the location of the corpses, Tristan turned his head toward the outside of the walls.


    ''The eastern border is just a few kilometers from here. It''s strange to think that the place where my mother''s ancestors lived before coming to the central region is so close. I wonder what that place is like.''


    ''The founders of Zaguhan came from the east, so these places must be similar.''


    Tristan and Jaeng left the gate together, but they went in different directions.


    As he walked outside the walls and observed the environment, the stark dissonance between Zaguhan''s central region and the area outside the walls caused some confusion in his mind.


    ''While the city center looked like a beautiful oriental painting, the outside was just a vast slum.''


    Instead of the beautiful, dark blood-red wood and complex structures, the houses outside were made of light brown wood. They were also small, with simple and basic designs. The place was clearly overcrowded, with dozens of houses stacked on top of each other. The population density here was much higher than in the capital of the marquisate where he was born.


    ''Perhaps the high mountains surrounding this place have served as a natural protection against the various beasts that live in this region.''


    The central region hadn''t been fully colonized by any country. It was a dangerous area filled with magical beasts.


    ''The founders of Zaguhan were probably lesser nobles who came to the central region in search of more territory, much like my paternal family did centuries ago.''


    ''But why is the difference between inside the walls and outside so vast?''


    Tristan saw many beggars on the streets, both elderly and children. The people here were also very thin, some as thin as he had been while still imprisoned in the dungeon.


    He walked on the dirt ground, needing to take several turns to avoid the numerous wooden houses scattered everywhere. This place had clearly been built without any planning.


    ''If a tribe of beasts really comes here, these people are doomed. Won¡¯t the city lord ask the sects to prevent this?''

 Chapter 37: The value of a life

    While he was thinking about this matter, he looked at the type of place he was in.


    ¡®There must be thousands of people here. If there are already so many people just on this side of the city, how large must the total population living outside the walls be? Millions, perhaps.¡¯


    With this observation, he developed a new idea about the thoughts of the city''s lord.


    Tristan continued walking through the crooked and narrow streets. His first point of investigation would be the woods, where the nearest corpses had been found. But suddenly, he heard the sound of screams.


    The sounds came from far away, and a crowd of people was desperately moving away from the direction of their origin.


    He frowned and waited a few more seconds. He decided to avoid running towards the unknown threat and waited while analyzing the situation.


    The screams stopped, but the crowd of citizens was still agitated.


    ¡®If it were a monster attacking the city, the screams would have continued. It seems there¡¯s no immediate threat for me there.¡¯


    After assuming he could handle whatever was in that direction, he ran and jumped high onto a small, old wooden house. In this situation, it would take too long to cross the crowded streets of desperate people, so he decided to take an alternative route.


    He ran and jumped over the houses, hoping the wooden boards wouldn¡¯t break under him. Sometimes, when there were multi-story houses in his way, he would enter through holes that were supposed to be windows, briefly startling the residents. At his speed, he was just a blur to them.


    After leaving many people confused with his unexpected appearance, he finally neared the place he was looking for and quickly noticed what had happened.


    He saw severed limbs, pieces of flesh scattered across the ground, and a bloody mess everywhere.


    ¡®Have the beasts already arrived here?¡¯ He was surprised at how quickly the beasts had managed to get inside the city.


    ¡®And why didn¡¯t anyone notice when they reached the slums?¡¯ He found the situation a bit strange.


    He examined the disgusting scene in front of him. From the number of limbs, he assumed only one person had died. The white hair and wrinkled skin indicated to him that it was someone of advanced age.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    Tristan used his diagnostic ability and a golden light spread across the ground.


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    ¡®Sharp, thin, curved claws.¡¯


    The light moved away from the pieces of flesh and began heading toward the ground.


    He quickly noticed the creature¡¯s footprints. A three-dimensional image appeared in his mind as he studied the shape of the paw and the depth to which the ground had been deformed. This allowed him to estimate the weight and height of the creature.


    ''It looks like cat paws.¡¯


    He began walking around the place, but he couldn¡¯t figure out where the creature had come from, so he looked up.


    ¡®Did it come from the rooftops? If that¡¯s the case, then it must be an agile, light creature with good stealth skills since no one noticed a monster crossing the city.¡¯


    After investigating for a while, he heard footsteps. He was alone in this area since everyone else had fled.


    ¡®Who would have the courage to come here?¡¯


    He noticed a teenage boy with brown eyes and hair, about 15 or 16 years old. He was wearing yellow clothes that were very familiar to Tristan.


    ¡°Dusk! What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Jaeng? Hi.¡±


    He recognized the other sect member who had decided to leave the walls.


    When Jaeng approached and saw the scene in front of him, he stopped and put his hand over his mouth, his face turning pale.


    Tristan looked at Jaeng, who seemed like he was going to vomit at any moment, and said in a monotone voice:


    ¡°A monster invaded the city.¡±


    Jaeng turned his face away and took a deep breath for a few seconds.


    ¡°What? How did no one notice? Why didn¡¯t the patrollers in the woods warn us?¡± After recovering a bit, he asked Tristan.


    ¡°This monster seems to have good stealth skills, and from the footprints I found, it looks like only one entered the city for now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it went.¡±


    ¡®Hmm, strange. The monster entered the city, killed only one person, and left.¡¯ The creature''s behavior raised some questions in Tristan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°And now, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°We need to warn the guards. That beast might have returned to its tribe. It might lead the others here.¡±


    They walked in silence back to the southwestern gate of the city.


    After a while, to Tristan''s surprise, Jaeng decided to speak to him.


    ¡°What do you think the city lord will do about the people outside the walls?¡± he asked, with notable concern in his voice.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Tristan replied, shrugging.


    ¡°Those people will probably have to rely on their own luck.¡±


    Hearing this, Jaeng spoke with a bit of anger in his voice:


    ¡°But why? The lord definitely needs the people outside the city walls. Who else would do the manual labor, like cutting wood, mining, or tending the crops? The nobles would never do that, and the city lord should know that!¡±


    Tristan let out a sigh and said:


    ¡°Look around you. What do you see?¡±


    Jaeng¡¯s eyebrows raised in confusion. He looked around, not understanding the reason for Tristan''s question.


    ¡°Uh, houses, dirt, people...¡± Tristan interrupted him and said,


    ¡°That¡¯s right, people. Look how many people there are in this place.¡±


    He noticed his companion hadn¡¯t understood what he was saying, so he decided to explain further.


    ¡°There are more people outside the walls than anything else. The city lord does need these people, but he doesn¡¯t need all of them. Even if 70% of the people out here die, a few hundred thousand would still remain. The lord would still have more than enough people to keep the city center stable.¡±


    ¡°Besides, a single tribe of monsters couldn¡¯t kill that many people, or if it could, it would take many months. Why would he risk the lives of his guards while the place he actually cares about isn¡¯t threatened? For now, he has no reason to worry about the people outside the walls. He can simply wait and see if the beast group migrates elsewhere while reinforcing the protection in the city center, in case any beast decides to go where it shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 38: Danger in the shadows

    Tristan observed Jaeng¡¯s stunned expression in silence as they walked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Jaeng¡¯s nostrils flared, his brow furrowed, and he clenched his fists. Confusion quickly turned into anger.


    ¡°This is ridiculous! Are you telling me that the lives of most of these people are disposable?¡±


    Tristan shrugged in response.


    ¡°It seems they are, at least to the city lord.¡±


    Suddenly, his eyes caught something strange.


    Tristan abruptly turned his head to the left and looked at the top of a house about 60 meters (167 feet) away. A dark blur appeared in his vision for a brief instant. It was so fast that normal eyes would¡¯ve missed it, but thanks to his enhanced vision, he was certain he saw something.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯


    He tried to recall the shape of what he¡¯d seen in his memory, but although the sun was nearly setting, its light still bothered his eyes, making his vision less sharp. All he could make out was that the figure was about half the height of an adult man and seemed bipedal.


    After seeing his companion squinting at something for a while, Jaeng finally asked, ¡°What is it? Why are you making that face?¡±


    ¡°I think I saw something,¡± Tristan replied.


    Without further explanation, he ran toward what he had seen. A clear suspicion about the identity of what he¡¯d glimpsed formed in his mind.


    He was running and jumping across the rooftops, and some people passing on the streets pointed at him in surprise at the rare sight of a martial artist displaying his abilities.


    He began walking more slowly and cautiously as he neared his target. He scanned his surroundings, investigating for anything that seemed out of place.


    Jaeng appeared a few seconds later.


    ¡°Why did you run off?¡± he asked, confused.


    ¡°I saw something suspicious on top of this roof.¡±


    Jaeng looked concerned. ¡°Do you think it was a monster?¡±


    ¡°Yes, unless there¡¯s some strange martial artist who likes to dress up and wander across rooftops.¡±


    Tristan and Jaeng searched the area for a while, but they found nothing.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here! Are you sure you saw something? Maybe you were mistaken.¡±


    Tristan pointed to his own eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator of Darkness, or did you forget?¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, but I heard you guys don¡¯t see well in the light.¡±


    Tristan¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°My ability to detect movement is still perfect, and I can guarantee the speed of the thing I saw wasn¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°So now we¡¯re dealing with a monster that disappears like a ghost. Wonderful.¡±


    Tristan sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯d better inform the others as soon as possible.¡±


    After Tristan returned to the city walls, he reported what had happened to the guards.


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    ¡°Strange. It seems these beasts are of a smarter kind than usual. That makes things more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the information you¡¯ve provided.¡±


    Goejin, the leader of the guards, looked at the child who wasn¡¯t even half his height, but he knew the hierarchy between them was clear. He respectfully bowed to Tristan before leaving.


    After reporting to the guard leader, Tristan went to the room that had been made available to him.


    But his rest didn¡¯t last long when he heard a loud knock on the door. From the rhythm of the knock, he became alert.


    ¡®Something happened?¡¯


    He quickly got up and opened the door. One of the guards was standing there.


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency. We need you to meet with the leader.¡±


    Tristan followed the guard, who led him near the gate.


    His fellow sect members from the Flying Sword Sect were already there, forming a circle around something. Several guards were also nearby, looking down at the ground.


    When Tristan approached, he had to push through some people to get to the front, and finally, his eyes saw what the others were staring at.


    He saw the yellow robes of his sect, black wooden shoes, and a blue sash, and he quickly recognized it as one of the seniors from the Third Flying Dao.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and a subtle expression of surprise appeared on his face. There was a pool of blood on the ground, but what truly caught his attention was the absence of something.


    His head. Tristan was staring at the headless corpse of one of his seniors on the ground.


    ¡®What the hell?¡¯


    ¡®How did this happen?¡¯


    He looked at the faces of the other members of his sect and only saw a mixture of fear and shock on their faces. He noticed that only Xurain was missing from the group, so the identity of the corpse was now clear to him.


    One of the female seniors finally composed herself and asked the leader of the guards, ¡°What does this mean? How did he die? What¡¯s going on here?¡± Her tone became more irritated as she spoke.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. One of my subordinates found him like this near the wall.¡±


    ¡°This happened inside the walls?¡± she asked.


    The leader nodded.


    She clicked her tongue and said, ¡°How did a beast get into the city center without any of your men noticing?¡±


    He shifted uncomfortable and replied, ¡°We don¡¯t know. It seems we¡¯re not dealing with simple creatures. They must have abnormal abilities.¡±


    ¡°What a mess!¡± she said.


    She thought about the current situation for a moment, contemplating what to do next.


    ¡°We need to find this monster quickly! If any citizens of Zaguhan are hurt, the honor of our sect will be stained, and we¡¯ll be considered incompetent. Let¡¯s split up and search for this monster,¡± she told her fellow ThirdDao members.


    ¡°Split up? This creature killed Xurain, and we don¡¯t know how strong it could be.¡±


    She considered this. ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s just a stupid beast. We have nine people with us. Let¡¯s divide into three groups and hunt it down. We¡¯re from the ThirdFlying Dao; we¡¯re used to this.¡± Her chest puffed out a little as she said the last part.


    As they walked through the alleys of the city center at night, Tristan looked at the overconfident senior leading their group. She was the same person who, with Xurain¡¯s death, seemed to have taken over as the leader of the disciples.


    ¡®She¡¯s probably from an important family.¡¯


    She walked with firm steps and confidence on her face. It seemed that the death of a fellow disciple hadn¡¯t affected her at all, but this lack of emotion didn¡¯t surprise Tristan much.


    Ahead of him was Xiao Mei, the twin he had recently defeated. Seeing one twin without the other gave him a strange feeling.


    The group moved forward silently, and it seemed there was an invisible wall between each of them. Still, he noticed that Xiao Mei occasionally gave him threatening looks, though she was probably trying to appear menacing, Tristan found it cute.


    ¡®She must still be mad about the duel¡¯ he thought.


    He glanced briefly at her but suddenly noticed something unusual in the shadows near Xiao Mei.


    As quick as a tiger, Tristan leaped toward Xiao Mei, grabbing her small body and throwing himself to the side.


    Still in the air, he felt a sharp pain in his back.


    ¡®What the hell is that?¡¯


    He had the sensation of his back becoming wet from the blood.


    He hit the ground, rolling while keeping Mei in his arms.


    When his body stopped rolling, he immediately let her go and quickly looked back. With fury in his eyes, he searched for the cause of his pain. He saw a hunched figure straightening up, rising to a height of nearly 2 meters (6¡¯7¡±). The creature had a thin body covered in black fur, feline legs, and disproportionately large paws with long, curved claws at the tips of its fingers.


    The creature looked at Tristan with its large, glowing yellow eyes filled with rage, its vertical pupils fixed on him. Its bear-like mouth opened, revealing several sharp white teeth. The monster¡¯s tail swayed in agitation.


    The beast bent its legs and jumped nimbly toward Tristan, its enormous paw¡ªtwice the size of his head¡ªheading straight for his neck.

 Chapter 39: Dark Beast

    Tristan saw the monster¡¯s giant paw coming toward him with the clear intent of tearing his head off. The enemy¡¯s claws were less than an arm¡¯s length from reaching him.


    The world seemed to slow down for him, and he could hear the sound of his heart pounding hard, spreading adrenaline throughout his body. Using all the strength in his muscles, he bent his back.


    He saw the sharp claws of the beast pass through the strands of his fringe. A drop of crimson blood trickled from his forehead to his right cheek.


    In that moment, after the immediate threat to his life had passed, his survival instinct told him to eliminate the enemy in front of him. That was the only way to guarantee his safety.


    [Dark Blade]


    A black mist emanated from his body, forming a short blade around his left hand. He made a spinning motion with his blade toward the monster¡¯s furry arm. He could see the creature¡¯s flesh being cut, and the thing¡¯s blood sprayed into the air.


    But it seemed the creature had reflexes just as good as his. The beast pushed off the ground with force, leaping to the side at an impressive speed before Tristan could sever its arm.


    The creature looked at its right arm, which was gushing large amounts of blood, and let out a growl. Tristan thought it resembled the sound cats made, though much louder and fiercer.


    The senior apprentice of the sect stared at the scene in shock, surprised by the sudden appearance of the monster. But as an experienced monster hunter, she quickly regained her composure.


    She drew her liuyedao, a single-edged saber with a slightly curved blade, about 1 meter (39 in) in length.


    ¡°How dare a filthy creature like you attack a junior apprentice of my sect?¡±


    [Steps of the Celestial Wind]


    Yellow energy particles emanated from her body, and the air around her began to move quickly, turning into a strong wind that propelled her toward the monster.


    Tristan watched this and was impressed to see the improved version of the technique Steps of the Celestial Breeze. He hadn¡¯t had many chances to see the more advanced techniques of his sect, as they were usually used by members of the Third Flying Dao.


    ¡®Hmm, she¡¯s barely touching the ground. It¡¯s like she¡¯s gliding while being carried by the wind. But will that be enough?¡¯


    His mind considered the current situation in that brief moment.


    ¡®It¡¯s better to step back and see how the creature reacts. Based on its performance, this thing is definitely a magical beast. What kind of core does it have? It doesn¡¯t seem like its core is red.¡¯


    The monster¡¯s large, pointed ears reacted to the changes in the atmosphere. Its eyes shifted away from Tristan and focused on the approaching apprentice.


    She closed the distance between them in just a few steps, spinning her saber toward the monster¡¯s belly.


    [Winged Wind Slash]


    Illusory yellow feathers began to grow from her weapon¡¯s blade, completely covering it. Each feather made the sound of a whipslicing through the air.


    The fur on the creature¡¯s body stood on end, and it contracted the muscles in its legs, leaping to the left. The apprentice¡¯s blade missed the creature¡¯s body, but the illusory feathers didn¡¯t, tearing through the beast¡¯s belly.


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    Tristan frowned when he saw that even if she had missed her target, the senior apprentice had still managed to wound the monster. But what happened next caught his attention even more. He noticed that the woman was taking longer to stop her movement, while the monster didn¡¯t have that problem.


    As soon as it dodged, the creature was already adjusting its body to counterattack.


    A black mist covered the monster¡¯s front paws like a glove.


    ¡®This creature uses Darkness magic.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t too surprised; he had already suspected that was the case due to the incredible stealth abilities that the evidence he found earlier had indicated the monster possessed. ¡®This isn¡¯t good. Even though the senior is much faster, her eyes are still those of a normal person.¡¯


    The creature took advantage of the woman¡¯s slight mistake, and its claws almost struck her back.


    But she managed to block it with her sword at the last second. However, her eyes widened when she saw the monster¡¯s claws almost breaking her blade.


    She grated her teeth hard, her arms trembling. She had to use all the strength that vital energy could provide her to avoid being flung far away by the beast. The creature was very strong.


    [Feet Light as Feathers]


    Two pairs of feathers appeared on her feet. She quickly jumped back with impressive agility, distancing herself from the creature.


    She landed gracefully on the ground, looked at her blade, and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Damn, do you know how much this cost?¡±


    She adjusted her stance once more. Gathering the essence in her core and guiding it to her legs, she ran toward the monster, this time more cautiously.


    She spun her saber again, trying to slice the monster in two once more.


    [Winged Wind Slash]


    Repeating exactly the same movements as before, her blade approached the creature once again.


    The monster¡¯s fur darkened, and its figure seemed to blend with the night environment. To the senior apprentice¡¯s eyes, it was as if the monster¡¯s body had expanded slightly.


    When her blade reached the creature¡¯s black fur, she thought it would cut its flesh again, but this time her sword cut only air. She adjusted her body and tried again, but the result was the same.


    ¡®She can¡¯t see the creature¡¯s real body,¡¯ Tristan thought.


    Even he was having trouble seeing the monster since it had used a powerful ability, and Tristan was only using the passive enhancements from the Darkness cultivation.


    As he watched this, he remembered his fight against Xiao Mei and the other apprentices of the sect.


    ¡®It seems like it¡¯s using the same tactic I used. But instead of using light magic, it has a much wider arsenal of abilities than I do. If its senses are sharp enough, it might be able to handle the senior¡¯s speed.¡¯


    He analyzed the current battle and tried to predict how it would end.


    ¡®Can she handle this without exploiting the greatest weakness of Darkness users?¡¯

 Chapter 40: Child of Darkness and Light vs Dark Beast

    Xiao Mei was lying on the ground, unable to understand why the foreign boy had suddenly attacked her. She felt his arms tightening around her, preventing her from moving.


    She gritted her teeth in anger, ready to make him pay for it. She looked at his face and saw that he wasn¡¯t looking at her but at something else in that dark alley.


    Mei turned her head to where he was looking, and what she saw made her hair stand on end and her heart race. A tall figure covered in shadows with glowing yellow eyes was staring at her. She thought the pointed things on its head were horns.


    ¡°A demon?¡± she said.


    Her mouth went dry, and her hands started to sweat with cold sweat.


    She didn¡¯t notice when the foreign boy released her, but at some point, he had, because now she saw him running toward the demon.


    Mei¡¯s eyes widened as she realized he had managed to wound the demon. Her mind was confused, but his actions lessened some of her fear. She looked at the tall, shadowy figure again.


    Black fur all over its body, a bear-like build, legs and head like a cat, and front paws two or three times larger than normal.


    ¡°A magical beast!¡±


    She swallowed hard; she had never seen a beast this large before.


    When the apprentice of the Third Flying Dao, whom she knew as Ai Wen, charged toward the creature, a sense of hope blossomed in her heart.


    She watched the advanced techniques of the sect she dreamed of learning one day shine before her eyes.


    Ai Wen and the monster clashed at a speed Mei found difficult to follow. In just a few seconds, they had exchanged several blows.


    At first, she couldn¡¯t tell who had the advantage, but when shadows enveloped the monster, making it look like its body had grown more than twice its size, her senior apprentice could no longer land any hits.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be; Ai Wen ¡­ is really losing.¡±


    Mei felt she should help Ai Wen; after all, that¡¯s why the sect master had sent her to this place. But she didn¡¯t know how to help, nor did she have the courage to face a beast with that level of power. Her legs began to tremble at just the thought of standing before that creature.


    She knew that monster could tear her apart with a single blow from its enormous paws.


    Then the monster did something strange. She watched the creature twist its upper body around itself with impressive ease, as if twisting its spine was as simple as wringing out a towel.


    ¡°What is it doing?¡±


    The moment the monster stopped twisting, she saw Ai Wen breathing more heavily than before, the strain of using so many powerful techniques taking its toll.


    Then, the entire body of the beast spun like a cyclone of darkness. With its arms extended and its long, sharp claws covered in darkness, the creature charged at Ai Wen.


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    The older apprentice tried to dodge, but the cyclone of darkness managed to hit her, sending her flying through the air. Her body hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling several times before coming to a stop.


    From her legs to her head, deep cuts could be seen, gushing blood that stained her yellow uniform red.


    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± Ai Wen let out a scream of pain.


    With clenched fists, she glared at the monster with only her left eye, as her right eye was covered in blood.


    She struggled to her feet, using her own saber as support to stand.


    The beast charged again, running on all fours.


    ¡°No!¡± Xiao Mei shouted.


    The hybrid monster opened its mouth, ready to tear the human in front of it apart, but then its ears twitched, detecting a slight shift in the air around it. It turned its head upwards, but it was too late to react.


    A small body, covered in a dark mist, dropped from the sky and latched onto the monster''s back.


    He used his legs to stay firmly on the creature¡¯s back and placed his small hands over its large head, covering its eyes with his fingers.


    A brilliant white light burst from the child¡¯s fingers. It was just the release of Light essence in its purest form, not a skill or something capable of causing damage, but such an intense light in the sensitive eyes of a being of Darkness would cause unbearable agony.


    A loud, wailing cry of pain filled the air, waking up the nearby residents from their sleep.


    The monster thrashed, trying to throw the child off with all its strength, but Tristan refused to let go. He used his life force to strengthen his body and hold on tight, releasing more and more Light essence.


    Normally, it would be impossible for a creature with that body structure to reach something on its back. However, due to the natural flexibility that all Darkness magic users possessed, the beast managed to bend its arms at impossible angles. Its huge claws were almost reaching the boy.


    Tristan gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the monster. He released all the Light essence he could gather throughout his body, the light he emitted illuminating the entire alley.


    The shadows surrounding the beast began to waver, trying to fight back against the light, but Tristan was clearly in better condition than the beast. Light and Darkness clashed, and Darkness lost.


    The shadows that enveloped the monster¡¯s body dissipated, and the creature returned to its normal size.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Tristan said, a smile crossing his face, revealing his perfectly white teeth.


    [Dark Blade]


    A black blade formed in his hand, and he swung his arm toward the creature¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 41: Confrontation in the alley continues

    The black blade sliced through the neck of the hybrid beast without much difficulty. The creature''s head fell to the ground with a thud, and blood gushed from its severed neck. The monster''s corpse collapsed to the ground with Tristan still on its back.


    Tristan stood up and began straightening his clothes and cleaning the dirt off his body.


    He let out a subtle and almost imperceptible sigh of relief at his successful plan.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the senior apprentice was keeping the creature occupied, he used his Shadow Aura ability to slip away silently and climbed onto the balcony of a nearby house to surprise the creature, striking its weak point.


    He wrinkled his nose and furrowed his brow as he pondered something.


    "Impossible!" Xiao Mei said, causing Tristan to look at her.


    She was staring at the corpse of the monster near him.


    The terrifying creature that had almost defeated a Third Flying Dao apprentice had just been taken down by a mere Second Dao apprentice like her.


    Mei looked at him as if he were crazy. She had no idea where he''d found the courage to jump on the back of a monster that could kill him with a single blow.


    She saw Tristan grab and wield his training sword. She took a step back, thinking for a second that he might use it on her, but then he crouched down and pierced the spot between the beast''s chest and abdomen. Her eyes widened in understanding.


    "How can you think about that at a time like this?"


    His response was a shrug.


    He inserted two fingers into the wound and began searching for the core. After a few seconds, he pulled out an orange gem from the corpse, inside of which an energy in the shape of mist swirled in circles.


    "A Mist Orange? All that effort for a simple Mist Orange?" Xiao Mei said.


    She glanced at her senior, thinking about why Ai Wen had had such difficulty facing that monster. She knew that as a Third Dao apprentice, her senior should have already reached the orange core.


    She wondered if it was simply due to the difference in mass or if the beasts'' techniques were far superior to those her sect used.


    As Tristan held the orange core, Ai Wen''s hand moved toward the gem, grabbed it, and slipped it into her pocket without saying a word.


    She looked at the beast''s corpse and clicked her tongue in irritation.


    Then she looked at Tristan and spoke in a challenging tone.


    "What?"


    He merely stared at her blankly.


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    Losing interest in him, she turned her gaze away.


    Ai Wen raised her head and looked toward the rooftops. Tristan looked in the same direction but noticed nothing unusual. He glanced at Xiao Mei and saw a frightened expression on her face.


    "Did something happen?" he asked Mei.


    "I... I hear something... something is coming from the rooftops," she replied, stammering.


    Tristan gripped his training sword tightly and waited for whatever was coming next.


    Small shadowy figures leaped from the rooftops of the surrounding houses toward them.


    One, two, six, eight... Tristan began counting.


    "Eleven, eleven damn beasts."


    The creatures that had just arrived were eleven beasts similar to the hybrid creature they''d faced, with the only difference being that they were much smaller, roughly the height of an adult man''s leg.


    "Why... why are they here?" Mei''s question wasn''t directed at anyone in particular; she was just questioning the reason for her current situation.


    Tristan grabbed his training sword.


    Ai Wen clicked her tongue and said, "Are those damn sentries asleep or what?"


    She rushed toward the monsters, yellow light particles swirling with the wind around her body.


    Tristan grabbed his training sword.


    He decided to use his sword in this battle to conserve some essence.


    His eyes briefly passed over the senior apprentice, who seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment. ''That spinning attack from the monster really took its toll. She should be able to stand for a few more moments with the life energy she has left.''


    Then he looked at his classmate.


    He had expected her to remain frightened and downcast, but what he saw instead was a slight spark of determination. She gripped her sword firmly as she stared at the creatures with a serious expression.


    Xiao Mei''s eyes met Tristan''s for a moment, and he noticed her lips tighten slightly before she quickly turned her face away.


    ''It seems she wants to use this as an opportunity to prove herself. Well, whatever, as long as it motivates her to help in the fight.''


    He raised his sword and ran toward three beasts in front of him. Using the swordsmanship knowledge he had learned within the sect over the past few months, combined with amateur footwork he was still developing, the battle was strangely balanced.


    Those creatures were extremely agile, and their claws were as sharp as the finest swords he had ever seen.


    In confusion, he thought, ''Aren''t they too strong for mere beasts?'' He hadn''t seen any evidence that these creatures could control essence, but he found their performance surprisingly good.


    The combat lasted for a few minutes, and Tristan''s group emerged victorious, though the marks of a tough fight were visible on their bodies.


    Ai Wen was barely standing, and Mei was breathing heavily.


    Now that the conflict was over, Tristan turned his head toward a sound he''d heard during the fight but had decided to ignore it to focus on his battle. In a finely crafted window adorned with intricate details made by talented artisans, a person dressed in elegant clothing watched him and his group. But when Tristan observed his surroundings, he realized that several people were also watching the scene from the rooftops of their houses.


    From the looks on their faces, they were clearly shocked to see beasts here.


    ''This event will probably stir things up on this side of the city.''


    When they returned to the city gate, other apprentices were already there. Xiao Ning, Jaeng, and another senior apprentice were waiting for the others to return.


    From the wounds on their bodies, it was easy to deduce that they had also been attacked.


    After talking, Tristan learned that the group had been luckier than his; they hadn''t encountered any magical beasts, only ordinary ones. Their wounds were superficial and would heal soon, unlike Ai Wen''s deep injuries, which would render her unable to fight properly for a long time.


    Tristan and the others rested and recovered from their injuries.


    But even after a long rest, the other group had still not arrived. The time the third team was taking to return suggested that they might have had worse luck than them.


    ''With two senior apprentices, that group should be the strongest. What could they have encountered to delay them this long?''

 Chapter 42: A monster inside the city

    A few minutes had passed, but the other apprentices had still not returned. A letter had already been sent to the sect leader, and no further traces of the creatures had been found. As a result, the sect apprentices were resting and recovering from their wounds at the guard station near the walls.


    No one seemed eager to search for their missing companions.


    Meanwhile, Tristan thought about the creatures they had faced. The intelligence those shadow beasts had shown had already caught his attention before, but now he was even more curious about it. ¡®Most beasts would have treated the city¡¯s people as a feast; these monsters are strangely cautious.¡¯ Moreover, he couldn¡¯t understand why the beasts chose to attack the apprentices instead of going after ordinary humans, who would have been easier prey.


    He found the silence strange¡ªit didn¡¯t seem like a tribe of beasts had just invaded the city center.


    ¡®I wonder what¡¯s happening at the other gates. Have the other sects summoned by the city lord faced these monsters yet? If so, what was the outcome?¡¯


    He decided to stop thinking about it. In this ancient world, where letters were used to transmit information, knowing what was happening in other places was infinitely slower than in his previous world.


    ¡®Especially in this cursed city that prefers to use humans as messengers instead of birds.¡¯


    The wooden door opened, and he saw the guards'' leader enter.


    From the look on his face, Tristan doubted he brought good news.


    ¡°We have a problem. The apprentices¡ªwe found them,¡± the guard leader said.


    ¡°What happened? Where are they?¡± Ai Wen asked, her face contorting in pain as her wounds worsened when she moved.


    After the guard explained what had happened to the other apprentices, only Tristan and Ai Wen decided to see what remained of them.


    Tristan frowned as he opened the bag the guard had handed him. There were only a few small pieces of flesh and fabric.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we could recover. We found nothing else,¡± the guard leader replied.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he looked into the bag again.


    ¡®These wounds... could the monster we fought have done something like this?¡¯


    He wanted to think the answer was yes, but he knew that if the creature they had killed could cut people like a sword slicing through paper, what had happened to their other companions was more like being thrown into a blender. This suggested there was a far more dangerous beast inside the city.


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    A dangerous monster he knew almost nothing about could be his next enemy.


    He clicked his tongue.


    The fear of the unknown was irritating.


    After the previous shock, everyone was tense.


    Tristan returned to his room, but he didn¡¯t try to sleep this time.


    Instead, he decided to use his divine artifact.


    In his spirit form, he began to recite the characteristics of the strange shadow creatures he had faced.


    He clicked his tongue in frustration when he realized there were still countless pages ahead of him. With a sigh, he started reading, hoping to find some useful information quickly.


    After reading dozens of stories without finding anything particularly unusual, one in particular caught his attention. The title of this story was:


    | The Origin of the New Green Pheasant Village |


    ?¡­The sky was covered with dark red clouds, and the sound of thunder filled the air as if an army were marching over the heads of the citizens of Green Pheasant Village.


    All the dying survivors of the war between the Demonic Sect and the Celestial Alliance could do was watch their homes turn to ash from the black fire that ravaged everything it touched.


    Then, something caught their attention.


    They saw a solitary figure walking from afar, moving through the falling ash around her. The visitor was a tall, elegant woman, wearing a long robe and a white veil that not only covered her hair but also hid her eyes.


    That sacred beauty stood out in the middle of the ruined village.


    Slowly, she approached a child lying on the ground, half of his body completely burned. She extended her hand over the boy¡¯s head.


    A white flame emerged from her hand and covered the child''s body. In the blink of an eye, his arms and legs, which had been as black as coal, now looked pink and healthy.


    Seeing that incredible display of power, the survivors crawled toward the visitor and kneeled before her, begging for her grace.


    They watched as she raised her arms to the sky, and a powerful white light spread from her body, enveloping the entire village and fully restoring the hundreds of people on the brink of death.


    The grateful villagers began to worship their savior and offered her everything they had left.


    But she refused everything they offered her. What she wanted was information.


    The venerable lady asked the citizens if they had heard any rumors of a tribe of shadow beasts. She described creatures that had the features of both bears and felines. The villagers told their savior that they knew of a type of monster matching those characteristics.


    After they pointed her in the direction where those creatures had last been seen, the strange visitor disappeared as silently as she had appeared.


    She was never seen again, but the descendants of the people she saved never forgot the visitor from the West who enabled the New Green Pheasant Village to rise.


    ...?


    After reading this story, many questions arose in Tristan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Could this woman be from the Church of the God of Healing?¡± he wondered aloud, again hearing the echo of his voice in that place.


    ¡°From the description of her clothing, all I can think of are the nuns from that church.¡±


    That seemed very unlikely to him.


    ¡°But what on earth was she doing in the eastern region? And why was she searching for a simple tribe of beasts?¡± He had no idea where Green Pheasant Village was, but since this place had been affected by the war between the Demonic Sect and the Celestial Alliance, he was sure the story originated in the eastern region.


    But that wasn¡¯t what intrigued him the most.


    ¡°She healed an entire village? That¡¯s ridiculous. If the people who created this story weren¡¯t exaggerating, this woman must have been at least a Martial Master to have enough vital energy to do something like that.¡± He began to doubt the truth of the story.


    ¡°It would be easier to believe that a spirit from the Upper Realm appeared and healed everyone than to believe a Martial Master from the Church of the God of Healing did it.¡± He decided to file this story away in the part of his mind reserved for possible nonsense.


    After spending more time reading, another story caught his attention.


    | The Incredible Territorial Dispute Between the Bronze Wolves and the Urslurus Nightfurs |

 Chapter 43: Creating a movement technique

    ''Urslurus Nightfurs?'' Tristan thought of that strange name and began to read the tale.


    | The Incredible Territorial Dispute Between the Bronze Wolves and the Urslurus Nightfurs |


    ?...


    When I was younger, during one of my many adventures, I witnessed a confrontation that, even after so many years, remains clear in my mind.


    At that time, your grandfather was thirsty to uncover the mysteries of this world. From east to west, I traveled alone, relying only on my power to survive the countless threats I encountered along the way.


    By chance or fate, I wandered into a territory that was in the middle of a struggle for dominance between two tribes of beasts.


    On one side were the Bronze Wolves fierce creatures that lived in large packs led by a single, imposing alpha. They had dense, metallic brown fur, and their fangs were sharp as blades, capable of cutting even the hardest rocks. They were brutal but also organized beings.


    On the other side were the dark Urslurus Nightfurs, those enormous beasts that seemed like hybrids of bears and felines, like shadows materialized. Masters of stealth, they were light and slim, their eyes glowing with the intelligence of a cunning predator. They usually lived in small groups led by the elders of the tribe.


    These creatures typically lived in distinct ecosystems, so encounters between them were extremely rare. Something must have happened in one of their territories, forcing them to migrate and cross paths with the other tribe.


    And I arrived just as the situation was about to unfold.


    At first, the outcome of this battle seemed predetermined. The Bronze Wolves were stronger and lived in much larger groups. The Urslurus Nightfurs had a strong connection with Darkness, which amplified its negative effects. Their birth rate was much lower compared to other beast species, and their development was much slower. Most of them were about half the height of an adult human, and only a few managed to surpass that.


    ...?


    Tristan paused after reading the first part of the tale. He needed to reflect on what he had just read.


    ''Increasing elemental connection also increases its negative effects?'' He thought about the consequences if that were true.


    Surprisingly, the following days passed quietly. There were no further incidents involving any beast tribes.


    ''Did they leave?'' He wasn''t sure whether to consider the situation anticlimactic or a harbinger of something worse.


    Fortunately, it wouldn¡¯t be his problem anymore, as a letter from the sect leader had arrived, instructing them to return.


    ''The sect lost many valuable disciples in just a few days; this could complicate things in the tournament.''


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    However, from the information he received, the disciples from other sects hadn¡¯t fared much better.


    Tristan decided he should put more effort into mastering his movement technique in the coming days, as something he had learned from the last encounter was that his abilities were still very limited.


    A few days had passed since the events at the city wall. Tristan was now at the library of the Flying Sword Sect.


    He approached the receptionist, who was seated behind a desk with a bored expression on his face. The man¡¯s skin was wrinkled, and his hair and beard were gray, almost white. He looked well past 70 years old.


    As Tristan approached, only the old man¡¯s eyes followed his movement; his head remained still.


    "Who are you? What are you doing here?" the old man asked in a low, raspy voice.


    Tristan¡¯s keen eyes noticed a subtle expression of confusion on the old man¡¯s face, and he sighed at the lack of recognition. He frequented the library so often that he had lost count of how many times he had to introduce himself.


    "Good morning, honored elder. I am Dusk, a disciple of the Second Flying Dao." He gave a respectful bow.


    "I would like access to the third section of the library."


    Tristan lifted the yellow robes of his uniform and the red sash at his waist, ensuring the old man saw that he belonged to this sect.


    "Since when does the sect allow foreigners to invade this sacred place? You think you can fool me, boy?" the elder said, his sagging skin around his mouth curling in disgust.


    After spending much time convincing the elder of his identity, Tristan finally gained access to the library.


    The tomes and scrolls were kept in metal safes embedded in a massive wall.


    He took an old copper key reluctantly given to him by the library receptionist and opened one of the safes.


    Lifting the top lid, he reached inside and retrieved several yellowed scrolls with brownish tones.


    Tristan glanced at the first scroll, seeing six points arranged in what he assumed to be a random pattern.


    The next scroll showed an amateur drawing of two human legs with six highlighted points on each leg.


    ''So these are the twelve meridians of the Light Steps technique.''


    The third scroll contained drawings of the movement sequences required to perform this technique, which was not versatile, meaning its movements had to be executed precisely as instructed.


    The following scrolls contained tips and theories on how Qi could be manipulated to open these meridians.


    He spent some time studying the meridians of this technique and the tips on the scrolls.


    After doing so, he left the library and headed to one of the sect¡¯s training rooms. Opening a meridian could be very dangerous, so disciples usually did this in special places where they were watched over by elders.


    When he opened the door, he saw other youths meditating on mats, most with frustrated expressions on their faces.


    Choosing a spot for himself, he sat down and closed his eyes.


    After controlling his breathing and repeating the mantras in his mind, he felt his connection to Darkness strengthen. He focused on his legs and began searching for the primary meridians.


    One, two, four¡­ eight. After so much practice, he could now find the eight primary meridians with little difficulty. He was developing several techniques simultaneously, and this was the one he had made the most progress with.


    Tristan suspected that the Light Steps technique could be combined with one of the movement techniques he was trying to develop.


    He imagined a black mist piercing a membrane. The membrane was resistant and flexible, fighting against his will.


    But then he strengthened his mind and pierced the membrane, causing one of his meridians to fill with dark essence, growing much larger. Or so he envisioned with this mental visualization method.


    One after another, eight meridians exploded with power. At this moment, Tristan searched for the meridians of the Light Steps technique. Once he found them, he began to nudge them gently.


    Using his intuition, he sensed that two of them responded well to the other eight, so he chose those.


    He swallowed hard at the next step.


    This would be the most dangerous part, the first time was the most likely for a meridian to explode, potentially crippling a cultivator''s energy circuit, possibly forever.

 Chapter 44: Pride and herbs

    Carefully, he used his Dark Essence to fill his meridians. He gritted his teeth as he felt a sharp pain in his legs.


    Cold sweat dripped down his back.


    He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, calming his heartbeat.


    With sheer willpower, he controlled the energy released from his ten opened meridians as if he had created an invisible shield around them, preventing them from exploding. His condition stabilized after a while, fighting to maintain his concentration, and the pressure the immense amounts of vital energy were putting on his legs eased.


    The ten opened meridians were stable, releasing their power in sync.


    His back touched the mat, and he let out a sigh of relief.


    Wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeves, he thought:


    ¡®Ten are done; only two more to go.¡¯


    He had been studying hard to create a versatile technique so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the tedious process of finding movements that matched the meridians he had opened.


    After opening the twelve correct meridians, he would be free to create his technique.


    Tristan sighed.


    ¡®Movement techniques are really difficult.¡¯


    Lying in his bed, Tristan woke up to the start of a new day. His hands gripped the sheets tightly. The nights were getting colder.


    He remembered that the day before, Master Sheng Ming had said she would make an important announcement today, so he got out of bed faster than usual.


    Walking through the sect¡¯s corridors, he saw the brown leaves on the trees through the window. A cold wind blew past him, making his hair stand on end.


    The new season disturbed him deeply.


    Rubbing his hands together, he headed to the outer area of the sect.


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    He saw the other disciples of the Second Flying Dao sitting on the shallow green grass, a few dozen in total, and Master Sheng stood in the center with the apprentices around her.


    Tristan sat near Yue and waited.


    When the last disciple arrived, Sheng spoke:


    ¡°As you all know, this year is coming to an end, and the New Year¡¯s Tournament will begin soon. You all understand the importance of the tournament and what it represents for the position of the sects in Zaguhan.¡±


    Some disciples nodded, determination in their eyes.


    ¡°Because of this, there is a type of ritual that Second Dao students must undergo. In the northeastern region of the city, there is a place called the Ethereal Mist Peaks. On the highest peaks grows a unique type of herb that absorbs large amounts of moonlight. These herbs are called Silver Moon Tears.¡±


    ¡°They grow in the summer and absorb moonlight until autumn, when they are fully developed.¡±


    ¡°They have great mystical properties; their main effect is to open the spiritual pores of the golden body and unblock the intertwined meridians, allowing a cultivator to connect their soul to the realm of spirits much more easily.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Tristan didn¡¯t understand a thing, and judging by the expressions of the other disciples, they were just as confused as he was.


    But hearing that herbs could help improve his cultivation was a great surprise to him; he thought that such things were just myths.


    A disciple raised his hand and asked a question after Sheng nodded at him.


    ¡°So, the more herbs we use, the stronger we¡¯ll become?¡± he asked enthusiastically.


    But the master shook her head.


    ¡°There is a limit to the improvements that the herbs can provide. Otherwise, no one would allow mere disciples to have them.¡±


    She saw the disappointment on many of the apprentices¡¯ faces.


    ¡°You need to take this seriously!¡±


    She said with a scowl on her face.


    ¡°This journey will not be without danger. It won¡¯t just be you who will go in search of the herbs; all Second Dao disciples from every sect will be there too.¡±


    Tristan noticed her lips curling in displeasure and her brow furrowing with more irritation than usual.


    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. Although, according to customs and traditions, only Second Dao disciples are supposed to participate in the ritual, some dishonorable and shameless sects send older disciples to help their younger members, and in some cases, even to eliminate the competition.¡±


    The faces of some young disciples froze as they realized the severity of the situation.


    ¡°But, but if the other sects already do that, why don¡¯t we do the same? I mean, wouldn¡¯t it be better to bring some Third Dao disciples along just for safety? If everyone¡­¡± The disciple¡¯s words died in his mouth before he could finish as a powerful gust of wind hit him and those around him, sending them flying.


    ¡°How dare you? Do you want to be expelled from the sect? Do you think it¡¯s right to stain centuries of tradition just because of the behavior of vermin without pride?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t see a problem with this, then you¡¯re in the wrong place.¡±


    ¡°No matter what others do, a true Flying Dao disciple must never bring shame to the Flying Sword Sect.¡±


    Many disciples shrank back and averted their eyes in shame.


    Meanwhile, Tristan was deep in thought about something.


    ¡®This trip seems like it¡¯s going to be very dangerous. She deliberately left out the part where other disciples from the same sect who are ranked lower can take advantage of this opportunity to surpass those above them.¡¯


    ¡®Tsk, having to worry about external and internal enemies... I hope these herbs are worth it.¡¯

 Chapter 45: Wind against Rat

    The air was cold and dry on the streets of Zaguhan. Noon had not yet arrived, but Haun''s back and forehead were already drenched in sweat. He wanted to rest. Due to his old age, his thin body was no longer able to bear the burden of his work as it once did, but the need to support his family was strong enough to keep him standing. He was one of the people from outside the city''s center, one of the many known as Carriers, people responsible for transporting the city''s nobles.


    Haun looked at the other carriers who were carrying their passengers. There were three others besides him, all with their backs slightly hunched under the weight of the wooden support they were carrying. Their legs trembled every time they stepped on the yellow stones of the road. At the same time, the noble comfortably traveled on top of their heads in something resembling a small cabin. The fabric protected the passenger from the sun and the cold wind.


    Around them, there were two more groups of Carriers, also carrying young masters out of the city.


    Suddenly, Haun felt weaker. His chest had been making a strange sound for some time every time he breathed, but now he also felt tightness in his chest.


    Cough.


    He was struggling to breathe.


    Coughing uncontrollably, he tried to stay steady. But the support felt heavier and heavier.


    "Haun? Are you alright? Did something happen?" One of his coworkers asked, concerned.


    With Haun''s intense coughing, the support became unstable and wobbled. The carriers desperately used all their strength to keep it steady.


    But tragedy was inevitable.


    Haun lost his strength.


    The wooden support tipped over, and the person on top of it fell.


    The citizens of Zaguhan watched closely, some finding the scene amusing and covering their mouths in a false attempt to hide their laughter.


    The Carriers, both those carrying the other two young masters and those nearby carrying the other nobles, opened their mouths in shock. Some looked away, not wanting to see what would happen next.


    Haun''s coworkers turned pale; they all knew the consequences of dropping a noble. The three of them began murmuring, praying for the mercy of the Spiritual Kings.


    ''Oh no! What have I done?'' Haun thought.


    He tried to get up to beg for the noble''s mercy, but before he could even try, he felt a powerful hand grab his collar and pull him up brutally.


    Brown hair and eyes, about 18 years old, overweight, and dressed in the brown clothes of a martial artist, the young master squeezed Haun''s neck with one hand, almost breaking his bones with his strength.


    "How dare you drop the great Kong of the noble Rahan family?"


    With his thick hand, the young master Kong threw Haun to the ground.


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    Haun almost felt life leave his body from the impact.


    Seeing this, his coworkers trembled with fear and broke out in a cold sweat.


    "Do you know who I am? I am the number one disciple of the Second Dao of the Mole-Rat Sect of Mount Gu!" He shouted angrily.


    "My clothes are dirty because of you!" He looked at the other three.


    The three Carriers pressed their foreheads to the ground and said, "Please, young master Kong, we beg for your forgiveness; have mercy on us!"


    "Forgiveness? Is this how you beggars repay our kindness for letting you cross the wall?"


    Amidst all the commotion, his sect companions dismounted from the support. His two companions were equally robust. One looked a few years older than Kong, and the other younger.


    Once again, Kong grabbed Haun from the ground and lifted him like he was a toy. His hand moved toward Haun¡¯s head to crush it.


    At that moment, a voice cut through the air.


    "Let him go!"


    Haun''s tear-blurred eyes found the figure of a young girl approaching, dressed in yellow, with light blue hair and eyes.


    Her hair seemed to dance as it swayed in the wind, and her eyes were sharp as they locked onto the older disciples.


    Disciple Kong paused momentarily, surprised by the intervention, and released Haun, who fell to the ground, gasping for air.


    Yue didn¡¯t hesitate. She positioned herself between the disciple and Haun, her blue eyes glowing with determination.


    "Aren¡¯t you ashamed? Do you think you¡¯re strong by oppressing the weak? What kind of martial artist are you?"


    Kong''s face turned red and twisted with anger.


    "Who do you think you are to speak to a disciple of the noble Mole-Rat Sect of Mount Gu like that?"


    His fists clenched tightly. He had always prided himself on being one of the top ranks within his sect. His talent was well known, and he had never been publicly humiliated before, much less by a child.


    "My name is Zhou Yue, disciple of the Flying Sword Sect!" she shouted, and her voice echoed through the surrounding crowd, surprising most of them.


    Kong''s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.


    ''Flying Sword Sect?'' His intense emotions deflated upon hearing where that bratty girl came from. Of course, he knew about a sect as important and powerful as that. The famous disciples of the Flying Dao weren¡¯t something people from smaller sects like his could dream of facing.


    At least not normally. His confidence returned when he looked again at the girl. She was so young that she barely reached the height of his legs. He saw the red sash around her body, but it didn¡¯t impress him. After all, he also had one. Sure, someone her age reaching the Second Dao was a testament to immense talent, but he wasn¡¯t alone.


    One of his companions, the youngest, approached him and spoke quietly.


    "Kong, for someone that young to have reached the Second Dao could mean she¡¯s from a powerful family. We better not cause trouble with her!"


    But then they heard the girl''s voice again.


    "I''m not from a powerful family, nor am I a noble! What is it? Is your sect full of cowards who only dare to bully those who can''t defend themselves?"


    Yue spoke with confidence in her voice.


    Kong looked around at the crowd surrounding them. Some didn¡¯t seem to care and were just there for the entertainment, while others looked at him with a hint of disdain.


    He listened to what they were saying.


    "Even so young, she shows a lot of confidence."


    "People from great sects really are different from those from the smaller ones."


    "I¡¯ve always heard that disciples of the Flying Sword Sect were bold and courageous. Looks like it wasn¡¯t a lie."


    Clenching his teeth, Kong spoke:


    "Girl, don¡¯t you have any respect for your elders? Didn¡¯t your parents teach you how to behave? Or are you also a child of the slums?"


    Without hesitation, she replied in the same tone as before:


    "Is insulting people''s origins all you know how to do? Does being from an important family make you think you''re better than others? My parents taught me that only people without honor use their strength to oppress the weak!"


    "Without honor? Me? A member of the noble Rahan family! A member of the Mole-Rat Sect! How dare someone who isn''t even a noble speak to me like this?"


    Kong felt his blood boil, and his round face turned even redder.


    "Girl, you''ve crossed the line. I tried to avoid conflict, but you kept insulting my honor. As a martial artist, I cannot tolerate this!"


    He grabbed his guitoudao, a short, curved, single-edged saber.


    ¡°Haha, a joke of a martial artist like you could never defeat someone of simple origins like me!¡±


    Zhou Yue also drew her sword.

 Chapter 46: Shadow and Wind against Earth

    Silence hung in the air for a moment. The eyes of the curious crowd glimmered with the anticipation of an exciting duel. Yue stared at Kong with determination, but she also knew that her enemy could not be underestimated.


    She studied the Earth cultivator''s physique as he approached. He was three times her height and easily weighed over ten sacks of rice. The arrogant smile on the Rat Sect disciple¡¯s face didn¡¯t intimidate her.


    "You think you can take me on, little girl? I''ll teach you to respect your elders!"


    [Wild Bull Charge]


    He charged, the ground shaking under his feet. It was as if the earth itself was pushing him forward. He marched towards Yue like an enraged bull.


    But that didn¡¯t intimidate her.


    [Celestial Breeze Steps]


    Yue moved as swiftly as a leaf carried by the wind. A yellowish energy swirled around her body.


    [Light Feet]


    Tiny ethereal feathers appeared around her feet.


    Using more than one technique at once was a rare skill that required immense talent, but that was something she didn¡¯t lack.


    She leaped to the side, escaping Kong¡¯s attack with fluid movements. Her feet barely touched the ground as she circled him.


    Kong spun his bulky body, trying to keep up with Yue¡¯s agile movements. He swung his *guitoudao* with brutality, but the strike only sliced through the air¡ªYue was already gone.


    "Stop running!" he snarled, frustration growing. He charged again, this time with more precision, his weapon cutting the air in a wide arc.


    Yue flipped over the blade with an acrobatic move, her light body, enhanced by wind magic, seemingly defying gravity. She landed gracefully behind Kong, a faint breeze swirling around her.


    ''Now!'' Yue thought, seizing the opening. She lunged with a quick strike, her sword light as a feather, gliding across Kong¡¯s exposed flank. The blade¡¯s impact against his tough skin was followed by a soft crack, like slicing something hard.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" he laughed, barely bothered by the shallow cut. "You¡¯ll have to do better than that, little girl."


    [Thunderous Strike of Minus]


    His blade swung close to her, and when the saber hit the ground, the yellow stones of the city were sliced like butter.


    Yue took a deep breath. ¡®That was close,¡¯ she thought, relieved.


    [Winged Slash]


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    Yellow energy particles enveloped her sword, and with a quick move, she made a small cut on his forearm.


    Gritting his teeth, Kong began stomping the ground forcefully.


    [Trembling Quakes]


    Orange essence poured out of his body and spread across the ground, making the earth tremble like during an earthquake.


    Yue lost her balance for a brief moment.


    Kong''s eyes gleamed, and he rushed toward her, unwilling to miss this chance.


    Yue''s blood ran cold. She knew that a single strike from him on her frail body would likely be fatal. She jumped high, leaping over him. When he turned to face her, he saw that her sword was already dangerously close.


    [Ten Feathered Slash]


    Yue''s sword lunged toward Kong¡¯s belly, accompanied by nine illusory air blades.


    [Primal Retreat]


    Using a large amount of essence in his legs, Kong managed to retreat, but he still felt small punctures on his abdomen.


    A furious scowl appeared on Kong¡¯s face. He began panting, his massive muscles demanding more effort to keep up with the young cultivator. He tried to hit Yue with a series of heavy attacks, his saber slicing through the air with the force of a storm, but she was far too quick.


    "You''re getting slower," she said with a smirk.


    She delivered another strike, this time aiming at Kong¡¯s shoulder. Her blade sliced his flesh, leaving a thin line of blood.


    Kong backed off for a moment, feeling the increasing weight of his own movements. He was exhausted. Though the wounds were superficial, they were taking a toll, but the idea of losing to a child drove him mad.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Guian, Jiahen, help me!¡± he demanded.


    The two exchanged a strange look.


    ¡°But what about the duel rules?¡± Jiahen, the younger one, asked.


    Kong shot them a look that made it clear their lives would be in danger if they didn¡¯t help.


    Seeing this, Guian and Jiahen hesitated no longer and rushed toward Yue.


    Or at least, they tried.


    Someone stuck a leg out in front of Guian, causing him to fall flat on his face.


    ¡°Hey, is your friend crazy? Is he not worried about the humiliation the Rat Sect will face for breaking the rules of a fair duel? Doesn¡¯t that sort of thing get you expelled from your sect?¡±


    Hearing this, Jiahen lowered his face. He quickly stepped back, surprised to see another child standing beside him.


    ¡®What the hell? When did he get here? Is this a ghost?¡¯ He thought, frightened.


    A thin body, pale white skin, abnormally black hair, and wearing yellow clothes.


    After staring at the figure that had appeared suddenly, he realized it was just a child, not a spirit.


    The boy''s cold, dark black eyes gazed at him expressionlessly, but for some inexplicable reason, a chill ran through Jiahen¡¯s body. Something unknown within him screamed in terror.


    Tristan furrowed his brow, noticing the boy''s expression as he backed away. He glanced around, confused as to why the boy seemed so scared.


    Guian, still on the ground, spoke:


    ¡°Boy, how dare you do this to me?¡±


    The Rat-Mole Sect disciple stood up and straightened his clothes. Guian was a tall and robust man with a thin beard. Looking at Tristan, he said:


    ¡°Another Flying Sword disciple? Is that place infested with brats now? You¡¯d better not get involved in this, kid. Mind your own life!¡±


    Tristan¡¯s right eyebrow raised slightly, and his lips curled into a subtle expression of disdain.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to teach you a lesson!¡± Guian said, raising his hand and moving it toward Tristan¡¯s head.


    The boy stood still, not reacting.


    This sight brought joy to Guian, who thought the child had panicked.


    But Tristan was merely thinking.


    ¡®Should I start trouble with the Rat Sect? I¡¯ve already made enemies with the Southern Carp Body and Spirit Sect disciples, and now I¡¯m once again getting involved in events that could put me in a bad situation with another sect in Zaguhan.¡¯


    However, he didn¡¯t have much time to ponder, as a hand strong enough to knock him out¡ªor worse¡ªwas coming his way.


    ¡®Oh well, whatever.¡¯


    Tristan swung his arm toward Guian''s hand.


    SLASH


    Guian recoiled with a loud scream, and a deep cut appeared on his hand, causing blood to drip onto the ground.


    ¡°Looks like Darkness beats Earth.¡±

 Chapter 47: Wind and Earth

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Guian looked at Tristan in confusion, seeing his hand covered by a black mist, and asked angrily.


    ¡°A cultivator of Darkness? How dare you, brat? Identify yourself! What sect do you really belong to?¡±


    Tristan¡¯s response was to increase the Darkness essence in his hand, making the black mist swirl and form a blade.


    [Dark Blade]


    ¡°You bastard, don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m from the noble family...?¡± Tristan charged towards him.


    ¡®It¡¯s very unlikely there¡¯s anyone from a very important family in a small sect like this. As long as I don¡¯t go too far, I shouldn¡¯t have many problems in the future.¡¯ Because of that, he only made a superficial cut on the disciple instead of severing his arm.


    Guian¡¯s leg sank into the ground as if it were mud. He performed a kick towards Tristan, and a rock almost a meter in diameter formed and flew in his direction at an impressive speed.


    [Rock Bull Kick of Griph]


    Tristan looked at the large rock that could easily turn his body into pulp and scoffed.


    The essence of Light filled his black eyes, reducing the discomfort he felt from the sunlight and improving his sharpness.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    He tilted his head to the right without slowing down, the rock passing just a few centimeters from his cheek.


    He had to work a lot on his speed to pass the training of the Flying Sword Sect. Dodging this was child¡¯s play for him.


    With a face twisted in rage, Guian bent his body toward the ground and shoved his hand into the soil. When he pulled out his fist, the earth moved like living mud and hardened, forming a glove.


    [Secret Punch of the Mole-Rat Sect]


    Tristan feinted, pretending to dodge to the left, drawing Guian¡¯s punch in that direction. When Guian leaned to hit him, he ducked and rolled to the right, aiming his blade at his enemy¡¯s left thigh.


    Guian screamed in pain as blood spurted from his leg.


    Quickly taking advantage of his opponent¡¯s imbalance, Tristan jumped and made a superficial cut under Guian¡¯s armpit.


    Still in the air, he spun his entire body, landing a kick filled with pure Darkness into his enemy¡¯s abdomen.


    With so much damage, Guian fell to the ground in agony.


    Tristan pointed his blade at the fallen disciple¡¯s throat and spoke in a monotonous tone, ¡°Stop circulating your Qi.¡±


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    Guian, sweating with fear, swallowed hard and stopped amplifying his body.


    Noticing his enemy¡¯s muscles relaxing, Tristan immediately grabbed his hair, lifted his head, gathered his vital energy into his arm, and with all his strength, slammed Guian¡¯s head into the ground. But the constitution of an Earth cultivator was phenomenal, and Guian was still conscious. Tristan didn¡¯t give up, though. He kept lifting and slamming his head into the ground until, after a few attempts, Guian finally passed out.


    Meanwhile, Kong, who was still fighting Yue, was furious.


    ¡°Damn it, who are these cursed kids?¡± He said it angrily, seeing Guian¡¯s defeat and Jiahen¡¯s disappearance.


    He was already exhausted from the physical effort and the essence expenditure.


    Breathing heavily and with sweat running down his face, he said, ¡°I, the great Kong from the noble Rahan family, will never lose to a mere commoner like you.¡±


    He placed both arms into the ground and poured all the essence he could into this technique.


    [Minus¡¯ Devastating Double Throw]


    Two large rocks rose from the ground toward Yue, but that wasn¡¯t all. Around them, dozens of medium-sized and small stones spun.


    Seeing this, Tristan was worried for a moment. ¡®Can she dodge all that?¡¯ The bodies of Air cultivators were very fragile, and with the speed of the smaller stones, he feared that if even one hit a child like Yue, it could be fatal.


    Thinking of moving, he suddenly stopped when he saw Yue¡¯s calm face.


    A subtle wind swirled around her body.


    [Steps of the Celestial Breeze]


    Yellow particles spun with the wind around Yue¡¯s blade like a small cyclone.


    [Winged Slash]


    Then something impressive happened. The winds around Yue¡¯s body started moving closer to her sword. The small yellow cyclone around her blade grew much larger, and the energy emitted became much denser.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes, watching the fight, widened. ¡®What the hell, she used the winds of the movement technique to strengthen an attack technique?¡¯ Her ingenuity impressed him, but he also had something else on his mind: ¡®How can she move both winds in sync? Neither of these techniques is versatile, I¡¯m sure of it. The winds should be circulating differently... Wait... did she improve these techniques?¡¯


    He thought about it a little more and came to two possibilities: the first was that she made both techniques versatile and combined them. The other:


    ¡®Maybe these techniques were once a single one in the past but were split, hiding their true power. So Yue and maybe others realized that the winds of these techniques could be mixed.¡¯


    Yue remained still as her enemy¡¯s devastating attack approached.


    With the fierce and noisy wind around her sword, she received the huge stones by stabbing into them.


    Her body was pushed back a few meters.


    She gripped her sword tighter.


    After the stones hit the powerful cyclone, their speed was considerably reduced. They were dragged by the power of the wind, spinning along with the hurricane around Yue¡¯s sword.


    Yue swung her sword, directing the cyclone towards Kong.


    All the stones that had been taken and that he had created with so much effort were now coming back at him much faster than before.


    He tried to run, but it was useless. The stones, made with his own energy, brutally collided with his large body.


    Crushed, bleeding, and with many broken bones, Kong fell unconscious to the ground, making a loud sound echo.


    The mouths of the crowd that had been watching everything from the beginning hung open. Even though Yue¡¯s sect was much more powerful, an Air cultivator defeating their natural enemy was not something common.


    Tristan looked at the fallen Kong and then at Yue. ¡®I knew she was talented, but I didn¡¯t imagine she was a prodigy. Being able to learn so many techniques in such a short time is almost monstrous,¡¯ he thought, with a hint of envy at her talent.


    Yue approached old Haun and spoke.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Uncle?!¡± A voice came from the crowd.


    A tall, young man wearing yellow clothes ran toward them.


    Thinking he recognized the young man, Tristan searched his memory. Soon, he remembered this person: Jaeng, another disciple of the Second Dao, one of his companions sent with him to guard the city walls.


    Jaeng looked at the fallen disciples of the Mole-Rat Sect lying on the ground, injured, and said worriedly, ¡°Uncle Haun, what¡¯s happening here?¡±

 Chapter 48: Noodles and missing people

    Haun was surprised to see his nephew there and said, ¡°Jaeng? Why are you here?¡±


    Jaeng replied:


    ¡°I was going on a mission for the sect outside the walls. Now tell me, why do you look hurt? Everyone was talking about a fight between disciples, so I decided to check it out, but why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Well, I ran into some trouble while working, and these kids saved my life.¡±


    Jaeng and Haun spoke briefly.


    After hearing everything that had happened, Jaeng gritted his teeth, ¡°Bastards!¡± He approached Tristan and Yue and bowed.


    ¡°Dusk and Yue, I am deeply grateful that you saved my uncle. I owe you both.¡±


    Yue responded, ¡°It was nothing. We just did what we had to do.¡±


    Tristan remained silent.


    Haun said, ¡°Jaeng told me you¡¯re leaving the city for a long trip. My wife and granddaughter sell delicious food outside the walls. Would you like to stop by for a meal? I know it¡¯s not much, but I¡¯d like to repay your kindness somehow.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯d really appreciate that,¡± Yue said.


    Tristan''s attention turned to his stomach as it growled. Due to his fast metabolism, he got hungry quickly. Shrugging, he said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After some time, they crossed the walls and arrived in a busy area with various people at their stalls trying to sell something¡ªsome selling food and others, handmade objects.


    Haun''s family¡¯s food stall was simple but welcoming. The aged wooden benches and the aroma of spices in the air brought a sense of comfort that contrasted with the recent battle.


    Tristan saw an older lady and a young girl, slightly older than him, preparing various noodles.


    ¡°Haun? Why are you here so early? Did something happen? Jaeng?¡± The woman approached with a worried expression.


    Haun spent some time explaining what had happened to her.


    The lady approached Tristan and Yue, bowing deeply.


    ¡°Thank you so much, young masters, for defending my husband. We are deeply grateful for your kindness. Our family is indebted to you.¡±


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    Feeling embarrassed, Yue tried unsuccessfully to stop the lady from continuing her series of bows.


    ¡°We only did what was right. Those who use the Dao path to oppress the weak are trash. You don¡¯t need to thank us,¡± Yue said.


    Even so, Haun''s entire family continued to thank them a few more times.


    Afterward, Haun''s wife approached Jaeng.


    ¡°Jaeng, how you''ve grown. You look like a real man now. Are you doing well in the sect? Are they treating you well there?¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Jaeng replied, ¡°Ah, thank you, Aunt Mingmi, yes ¡­¡± He coughed a little, ¡°Life in the sect is great.¡±


    After the family reunion, Haun invited Tristan and Yue to sit down.


    Mingmi brought a steaming bowl of noodles. The smell was intoxicating¡ªa combination of rich broth, spices, and the subtle touch of fresh herbs. The noodles were long and soft, submerged in a vibrant red broth, topped with succulent pieces of mushrooms and vegetables.


    "This is the house special, kids. Eat, you need to regain your strength after that fight."


    Tristan¡¯s dark, shadowy eyes almost glistened, reflecting the oily broth.


    He nodded, accepting the gesture. He firmly grasped the chopsticks, making swift and precise movements as he lifted a large portion of noodles, watching the steam rise before bringing it to his mouth.


    He blew on it a little and filled his mouth with noodles, chewing slowly.


    The taste was truly delicious. The robust broth pleased his palate, with a balanced mix of salty and spicy flavors dancing on his tongue. The noodles, perfectly cooked, had a soft texture that contrasted with the firm mushrooms and the light crunch of the vegetables. It was a comforting sensation.


    ¡®Simple but tasty, and even better¡ªfree.¡¯ That detail made the meal all the more enjoyable.


    Haun''s wife, with a gentle smile, approached, bringing a teapot.


    ¡°Kids, drink some tea. It¡¯ll help digest the noodles.¡±


    Tristan accepted with a silent nod, drinking the hot, bitter liquid that perfectly complemented the strong flavors of the noodles.


    While most of his focus was on eating, he still overheard something that caught his attention.


    A man with a worn-out appearance, wrinkled clothes, and a vacant expression wandered near the food stall.


    Haun signaled to him, catching his attention, and approached, placing a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Jaujing! You can¡¯t go on like this. It seems like you haven¡¯t eaten in a long time. You need to keep your strength up in times like these.¡±


    Two men sitting near Tristan spoke:


    ¡°Poor guy, it looks like Jinjia is still missing,¡± one of them said, shaking his head and sighing.


    The other said, ¡°Another one. I can¡¯t imagine what he¡¯s going through. She was such a kind girl. I wonder when this will stop.¡± He clenched his fists and added, ¡°Tsk, what the hell is happening in this city?¡±


    His friend responded:


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think the rumors about demons roaming the city might be real.¡±


    ¡®Demons roaming the city?¡¯ Tristan thought.


    Yue, who was obviously also listening to everything they said, stood up, walked over to them, and asked:


    ¡°Excuse me, but has someone gone missing? Is something strange happening in the city? Could you tell me more about it?¡±


    The two men looked at Yue, and though she was just a child, they clearly felt uneasy when they saw the clothes she wore.


    To common folk like them, a martial artist was like a figure from legends.


    ¡°Ah, please forgive us, noble lady. We didn¡¯t mean to trouble you with mere commoners'' rumors¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing their nervousness around her, she decided to reassure them and explained:


    ¡°You can relax. I¡¯m not a noble. I¡¯m also a commoner. I just want to know if something wrong is happening here.¡±


    The fear they felt was replaced by surprise at her kind and respectful behavior.


    One of them gathered the courage to speak: ¡°A few months ago, some people started disappearing and never returned. At first, it was just one or two people a month, but now almost someone disappears every week. The strangest part is that most of the people who disappear are young girls.¡±

 Chapter 49: More noodles please

    "More, please."


    Tristan extended his arm, holding his bowl toward Haun''s granddaughter. The young girl, who had been listening intently to the grim story about the recent disappearances, was startled by his words. She had been leaning over the counter, trying to catch more of the conversation between the customer and Yue.


    Her eyes widened, and she gave a small jump, quickly remembering her job. With a faint blush, she adjusted her posture behind the counter, took Tristan¡¯s bowl, and spoke shyly:


    ¡°Oh, of course, right away, sir¡­¡± She looked at him with some confusion, probably unsure how to address him. He was younger, but his social position was incomparably higher.


    She coughed a little and said, ¡°It will be ready soon, young master.¡±


    She picked up a large spoon and dipped it into the spicy red broth, filling the bowl with soup twice. With chopsticks, she added noodles, mushrooms, and vegetables, then sprinkled a few seasonings on top.


    ¡°Here you go! Enjoy your meal.¡± She bowed awkwardly.


    Tristan nodded to her.


    He lifted the bowl to his lips and drank some of the broth, thinking, ''Not bad, it¡¯s not as good as what I used to eat in my noble life, but it¡¯s still tasty¡ªimpressive considering the ingredients are so simple.''


    While Tristan focused on savoring his food, Yue and Jaeng wore concerned expressions.


    After hearing about the alarming situation, Yue asked, ¡°Wait, no one has managed to find who''s responsible after all this time?¡±


    With a sorrowful expression, the man looked at her and said, ¡°We¡¯ve tried everything we could. We even set people to travel the region at night, but the disappearances still haven¡¯t stopped. We don¡¯t believe it¡¯s something we common people can resolve anymore.¡±


    Hearing this, Yue asked, ¡°What about the Lord¡¯s men? Haven''t they found anything wrong?¡±


    At these words, Jaeng¡¯s face grew tense, and he clenched his fists tightly.


    This time, the other customer spoke with anger in his voice, ¡°We reported it to the lord¡¯s guards several times, but months have passed, and they haven¡¯t shown any sign of doing anything.¡±


    He shook his head and said, ¡°We¡¯re abandoned out here beyond the walls.¡±


    ¡°How can that be¡­¡± Yue murmured softly.


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    Jaeng quickly glanced at his ¡°cousin¡± with a hint of concern.


    Yue moved closer to Tristan, but before she could speak, he said:


    ¡°We already have a very important mission, you know? The place is far, so losing a few hours won¡¯t make much difference, but a ghost hunt could take days or weeks.¡±


    ¡°Dusk, saving lives is more important than gathering some herbs!¡± she said, a bit annoyed.


    Tristan shrugged and replied, ¡°Well, good luck with the investigation. I¡¯m sure you also have amazing tracking skills to be so confident in your ability to help.¡±


    She clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes. Tristan observed her flared nostrils and sensed an impending headache, expecting several long minutes of her pestering him. But to his surprise, she only sighed, seeming to give up on convincing him to help.


    Seeing this, he thought, ''Hmm, she¡¯s growing up.''


    At the end of the meal, Tristan thanked Haun and his family. He wasn¡¯t surprised when Yue insisted on paying for the meal, wanting to pay for both her share and his. However, the family refused to take her money, as the meal was meant as a thank-you for saving Haun¡¯s life. They debated it for a while, and he left before finding out the result.


    He stretched his limbs and looked at the clear blue sky. With a stomach full of warm food, the chilly day felt pleasant.


    Only the desperation of the people around him was ruining that moment.


    Stopping his gaze from lingering on the sky, he lowered his head and paid attention to what they were saying.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be; my husband works there! Someone needs to help him, please!¡±


    ¡°We need to form a rescue group; call everyone who can help.¡±


    He saw an old lady faint while muttering softly, ¡°My grandson¡­ is trapped in the mines.¡±


    Tristan yawned, bored by it all. ''It seems like something happened at the mines.'' That topic quickly vanished from his mind as he started thinking about his trip to the Ethereal Mist Peaks.


    ''Those herbs might help me achieve a new breakthrough. Plus, if my body can¡¯t absorb it all, I can sell the excess.'' His monetary reserves were extremely low¡ªat least for the things he wanted to buy. The Flying Sword Sect¡¯s missions usually provided a decent reward in coins, but it wouldn¡¯t even be one percent of what he needed to buy magical artifacts.


    ¡°Are you crazy? You want to go there? Didn¡¯t you hear what he said? That place is overrun with monsters!¡± Those words caught his attention, and he turned to see a short woman with a large belly, shouting and waving her finger at a much taller man.


    Her words made many people in the surrounding crowd look at her with disdain, while others seemed embarrassed and worried, probably agreeing with her but trying not to show it.


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather abandon your pregnant wife?¡± she said.


    ''Monsters? Have the dark beasts returned?'' He thought as the woman slapped the man and stormed off, muttering countless curses he didn¡¯t recognize.


    All that commotion had long since drawn the attention of Yue and Haun¡¯s family.


    Haun approached one of his neighbors he recognized in the crowd.


    ¡°Kurgara, do you know what¡¯s going on here? Why all this commotion?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Haun?¡± His neighbor looked at him with melancholy on his face and said, ¡°A tragedy happened in the mines. See that boy over there?¡±


    He pointed at a young man of about twenty who was sitting on the ground, looking exhausted. His body was covered in dirt and dust, with small bruises and wounds visible on his skin.


    ¡°He worked in one of the mines in the Yihan Yuh Mountains. He came running here to warn us about a collapse; they were attacked by a horde of flying monsters. He was the only one who managed to escape,¡± his neighbor gulped before continuing, ¡°The others might still be trapped in there.¡±

 Chapter 50: Rescue

    Tristan approached the young miner. When people around him looked at him, they stepped back, creating a path for him to pass. It was as if an invisible force around him repelled everyone.


    The miner, who was breathing heavily, swallowed nervously when the pale boy fixed his dark, deep eyes on him.


    ¡°What did the beast that attacked you look like?¡± Tristan asked the miner.


    The young miner seemed confused by his question, but his posture changed when he noticed Tristan''s attire. He trembled slightly, his face contorted with fear and terror before he spoke:


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see them well because, after the collapse, most of the torches went out. I could only tell there were countless of them.¡±


    Pain showed on his face. ¡°They made a loud, shrill sound that made me feel like my brain was going to explode.¡±


    Tristan narrowed his eyes, noticing that the young man seemed to be struggling to speak, but he assumed it was due to trauma.


    The miner continued, ¡°They could also fly and were very fast. I almost thought they were ghosts.¡±


    The young miner¡¯s face grew paler as more memories flooded his mind. Although he was still far from being as pale as Tristan, he didn''t look as good as a normal person.


    ¡°I¡­ I saw those monsters¡­ carrying my companions up and tearing them apart in the air¡­ their blood scattered like rain¡­¡± His voice grew slower, and he seemed barely able to stay on his feet.


    ¡°Um, hey, are you alright?¡± Tristan asked.


    The young man staggered and fainted on the ground.


    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± some people in the crowd screamed.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Why did he faint?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s cursed! He brought the curse here!¡± an old voice spoke.


    Trying to ignore the commotion, Tristan knelt, placed his hand on the miner¡¯s chest, and used his diagnostic skill on him.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    He focused as he guided the essence of Light to flow through the fallen miner¡¯s body.


    Soon, Tristan frowned, a look of confusion appearing on his face.


    He moved closer to the miner¡¯s right leg and lifted his pants slightly. He found a wound that looked like a bite mark, with two large punctures likely from the main fangs and smaller marks around them.


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    Yue approached and asked:


    ¡°What happened? Was he injured? Is that why he fainted?¡±


    With a thoughtful expression, Tristan shook his head. ¡°This wound is too small to cause an adult man to faint, and it¡¯s not even bleeding. I don¡¯t know why he fainted.¡±


    Thinking further, he said, ¡°Maybe the beast¡¯s fangs had some sort of poison? Or he might have caught some fast-spreading disease.¡±


    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Yue asked, looking at the miner with concern.


    Tristan shrugged.


    ¡°Is there a healer around here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already called Grandma NinpNin; she should be here soon,¡± a man among the group around them said.


    Tristan nodded slowly. He examined the young miner once more and said,


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be getting worse.¡± He figured the miner might survive, but he wasn¡¯t about to give false hope so directly¡ªthat wasn¡¯t his style.


    He stood up and started to walk away, losing interest in the situation, his mind now on something he found more interesting.


    ¡®Did the miners have bad luck and dig near a nest?¡¯


    He thought of the strange creatures the young miner had described in fear before fainting.


    ¡®Flying monsters that live in caves, what kind of beast could it be? He said the creatures made a terrible sound, so maybe they¡¯re related to the Air element? Or perhaps they¡¯re other dark beasts since it seems they lived in the shadows.¡¯ He doubted the latter slightly, ¡®Nah, that kind of creature is very rare; what are the chances of encountering a dark beast just a few weeks after finding a tribe of that type?¡¯


    A feeling of curiosity began to stir in his mind.


    He shook his head. ¡®No, I should focus on my current mission; I need to find those herbs, improve my cultivation, and earn a lot of money.¡¯


    He decided what was best, yet something still wouldn¡¯t let him set aside those thoughts.


    ¡®What if it¡¯s another dark beast? Seeing other creatures of that type could be an invaluable opportunity. Having real examples of how to use Darkness from a being that naturally learns it could greatly enhance my understanding of this element.¡¯


    While he thought deeply about what to do, the citizens outside the walls were also discussing their own dilemmas.


    ¡°Did you see what happened? He fainted out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to check if the others are still alive!¡±


    ¡°They were attacked by a group of monsters; it¡¯s more likely they¡¯re all dead.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? We need to find the others!¡±


    ¡°What chance do we have if those creatures show up?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to wait for the guards to deal with this?¡±


    ¡°Are you an IDIOT?¡±


    "Spiritual Kings please grant us your blessings."


    The quiet murmurs of the crowd reached Yue¡¯s ears clearly. She clenched her fists, feeling her fingers damp with sweat and a chill in her stomach.


    She took a deep breath and said:


    ¡°Citizens of Zaguhan! Do not worry¡ªI, Zhou Yue, disciple of the Second Flying Dao of the Flying Sword Sect, will take responsibility for rescuing those trapped in the mines.¡±


    Her words cut through the murmurs of the crowd like a knife slicing through paper, and silence settled over the place. Yue looked at all the people in front of her. If any normal person her age had said something like that, they would certainly have been ignored or mocked.


    But the uniform of her sect caused the citizens to develop an almost illogical faith in her.


    She felt discomfort seeing their eyes shining with hope as they looked at her.


    On the outside, she kept a facade of confidence and courage, but inside, her heart was beating faster than ever.


    She looked around, searching for some support.


    Her eyes sought her only friend.

 Chapter 51: Bloody Mountain - Part 1

    Looking at Tristan, Yue unfortunately saw a grimace on his face that expressed a mix of emotions, ranging from disdain to disbelief. She didn¡¯t find the support she was hoping for.


    Disappointed, she kept up her convincing posture.


    Inspired by her words, Jaeng also spoke up, "I''ll help you with this. I can''t stand around while someone who just reached the Second Dao goes on a dangerous mission alone; a senior disciple should assist the younger ones."


    The crowd around them cheered, with many moving to tears.


    After receiving words of thanks, Yue approached Tristan.


    ¡°Dusk, could you¡­¡± she started to say, but he cut her off.


    ¡°I thought this kind of thing only happened in movies,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What are movies?¡± she asked, confused.


    ¡°Do you really want to go into a cave full of monsters to save a bunch of strangers?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, if you put it that way, yes!¡± she responded.


    He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    The three traveled northwest, and thanks to their enhanced bodies, they managed to reach the indicated location by early evening that day.


    Tristan''s eyes wandered over the Yihan Yuh mountains. He found the appearance of this place peculiar¡ªthe ground had a dark gray tone, and no matter where he looked, he couldn''t see any green.


    As he breathed, a peculiar smell entered his nose, causing a slight burning sensation in his chest.


    After scratching his nose and sniffling a bit, he crouched down and picked up a stone from the ground. Rubbing its surface with his thumb, he noticed its porous texture. He pressed the stone without using much force, yet it crumbled easily.


    ¡°This place is so dry, almost as if there¡¯s no moisture here,¡± he said to the others.


    ¡°Must be terrible to work here every day,¡± Jaeng said with sympathy for the miners.


    Tristan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Which of these mountains are the mines in?¡± Yue asked him.


    He reached inside his robe and pulled out a piece of paper.


    After reading the directions the people outside the walls had given them, he looked at the mountains and compared them to the drawing on the paper.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s that one,¡± he said, pointing at a large mountain flanked by two others of similar size.


    They walked for a few minutes until they found the cave entrance to the mines. Yue and Jaeng grabbed two oil lanterns, and with a couple of flint stones, they lit the wicks.


    As they entered the cave, they saw several wooden signs indicating different directions.


    Jaeng spoke:


    ¡°Uhm, what do we do now? Which way should we go?¡±


    Yue looked at the various paths with a face that expressed confusion, as if she were trying to decide by luck.


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    Tristan crouched and looked at the ground; in this dark place, his enhanced vision would be at its peak. Even without his diagnostic ability, he could analyze every speck of dust with precision.


    ¡°This way,¡± he said.


    ¡°The freshest footprints go in this direction. That guy must have exited through here.¡±


    He thought for a moment, ¡°Uh, we might encounter the monsters if we follow the same direction he did, so it¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    Tristan shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s look for the place where the miners were attacked. If they¡¯re still alive, they must be hiding somewhere; otherwise, they¡¯re probably all dead.¡±


    The three moved in the direction of the tracks. There were several tunnels branching in all directions around them. ¡®How far do these tunnels go?¡¯ Tristan thought as he passed by endless pathways.


    When he looked at Yue¡¯s face, he noticed she was sweating a bit and seemed uncomfortable with something. ¡®This must be reminding her of that cave.¡¯ Memories of his journey to Zaguhan crossed his mind. ¡®I hope we¡¯re luckier this time.¡¯


    After a few minutes, they found an area with several pieces of clothing scattered on the ground. There were dozens of them.


    Tristan looked at the place, noting that part of the ceiling had collapsed. Many of the tunnels around had caved in.


    He crouched down and picked up some clothing, noticing that it was stuck together and stained with a dark liquid.


    ¡°Why are there so many clothes here?¡± Jaeng asked.


    Tristan turned to Yue and Jaeng and showed them the stains on the clothing.


    Then he said, ¡°I think we found the place where the miners were attacked.¡±


    An expression of surprise appeared on their faces.


    ¡°I think this is all that¡¯s left of them,¡± he said.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Yue said. ¡°Where are their bodies?¡±


    ¡°The monsters might have taken them, or maybe they used Darkness magic if they¡¯re Dark creatures,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°No,¡± Yue said with sadness in her voice. ¡°So they¡¯re all dead?¡±


    Seeing her disappointed face, Tristan sighed and decided to investigate further.


    Eventually, he said, ¡°Here, those who were further back managed to run into this tunnel.¡±


    Tristan looked up and saw that there were also small tunnels everywhere.


    ¡°The monsters must have attacked those in the front first; that lucky guy was the only one who managed to escape, while the others had to retreat deeper into the mountain.¡±


    ¡®And they were probably eaten afterward,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Then we have to hurry!¡± Yue dashed into the tunnel at high speed.


    ¡°Hey, hey, WAIT UP,¡± Tristan said loudly to her.


    Tristan walked at the front of the group, moving through the tunnel, following the miners'' tracks. Somehow, he managed to calm Yue down and convinced her that it was better to proceed cautiously.


    Then he started walking more slowly. Ahead of them, he saw a wall of rocks.


    ¡°Tsk, looks like another collapse happened,¡± Tristan said.


    After thinking for a bit, he continued, ¡°The monsters must have caused this while chasing them.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jaeng muttered.


    The three of them tried to move the heavy rocks but soon gave up.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless; these rocks are almost our size, and this wall looks wide. Can you cut through this with that strange black blade?¡± Jaeng asked Tristan, panting with fatigue.


    Tristan looked at the wall of rocks and considered its thickness. Then he turned to Jaeng and answered, ¡°After an entire day, maybe. But it¡¯s possible the whole tunnel was blocked; in that case, even if I stayed here for over a week, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Jaeng asked the others.


    ¡°Leave?¡± Tristan suggested.


    ¡°Uh, we could try another tunnel; maybe we can reach them from the other side?¡± Yue said.


    ¡°Or we might end up going nowhere. Seriously, we¡¯ve wasted too much time on this already.¡± Tristan''s usually monotonous voice sounded slightly annoyed this time.


    ¡°Tristan, please, just one more try!¡± she pleaded with him, her big blue eyes shining as they reflected the lantern''s light.


    Seeing her cute expression, Tristan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Alright, but if we don¡¯t find anything new, I¡¯m out of here.¡±


    They backtracked and chose another tunnel that they thought might lead them in that direction.


    As they walked along the alternate path, Tristan¡¯s attention was drawn to something, and his brow furrowed slightly in confusion.


    Seeing her companion stop walking for no apparent reason, Yue asked him:


    ¡°What is it? Why did you stop?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I just found something strange,¡± he said, then pointed his finger at the ground.


    Yue brought her lantern closer to the position he indicated.


    She only saw subtle deformations in the ground, unable to understand what he was referring to, so she said:


    ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Shoes,¡± he replied. ¡°There are shoe prints on the ground; I just thought it was odd here. The miners'' footprints showed they were all barefoot. But here, there are several prints from people wearing shoes.¡±


    ¡°Are they recent?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, probably a few weeks or months old,¡± Tristan replied.


    ¡°Maybe the miners'' supervisors decided to check this place. Perhaps there was something important in this direction that needed their attention,¡± Jaeng suggested.


    ¡°Could be,¡± Tristan said, unconvinced. ¡®Well, who would want to wander around this place?¡¯

 Chapter 52: Bloody Mountain - Part 2

    Tristan, Yue, and Jaeng were walking through the dark tunnel. They spent a few minutes searching but found nothing unusual.


    Tristan covered his mouth, hiding a yawn. His face showed as much boredom as he was capable of expressing.


    Suddenly, he became alert when he heard a noise coming from behind. The loud sound of a male voice echoed through the silent tunnel.


    He looked back and saw Jaeng on the ground.


    ¡°What happened? Are you alright?¡± Yue asked, her voice containing a hint of concern.


    Lying on the ground while rubbing his knee, Jaeng replied, ¡°It''s nothing serious; I think I tripped on something.¡±


    Yue approached to help him up, while Tristan¡¯s eyes wandered to something just behind Jaeng. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered to himself, ¡°What is that?¡±


    He cautiously moved closer and, now observing up close, saw an oddly-shaped object on the ground.


    Bringing his right hand toward the object stuck in the ground, he rubbed his index finger along its surface, noting its rough texture.


    ''It seems like it''s made of wood,'' he thought.


    The strange shape of the object reminded him vaguely of something, so he decided to pull it up to see what it was.


    With little effort, he lifted the peculiar-looking item.


    The surface of the piece was whitish with dark dirt stains, featuring two pointed structures and some cavities. Its shape was elongated and somewhat triangular. At the bottom, it had dozens of grooves resembling teeth.


    Tristan recognized the shape as the skull of some animal. Another thing that caught his attention was another object, this one made of black wood with carvings resembling snake scales, appearing to come out of one eye socket and enter the other.


    ''Why is there a skull statuette here? Wait... haven''t I seen something like this before?''


    As he tried to search his memory, Yue approached him and spoke.


    ¡°What are you holding?¡±


    ¡°Jaeng tripped over this. It¡¯s a statuette of some animal,¡± he said.


    He noticed a disgusted expression appear on her young face.


    ¡°Is that a snake coming out of a cow''s skull? Ew, why is this creepy thing here?¡± she said.


    Tristan shrugged. ¡°Maybe some rebellious group of youths decided to party here, or it could be part of some dark ritual.¡±


    Jaeng, who had already gotten up, asked Tristan in confusion, ¡°What does a cow skull have to do with parties?¡±


    Before Tristan could respond, Yue spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a cow skull, not a bull.¡±


    Jaeng retorted, ¡°How can you tell the difference?¡±


    ¡°Well, I grew up on a farm,¡± she replied, shrugging, then looked back at Tristan. ¡°Are you going to keep holding that thing? What if it''s actually cursed?¡±


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    ¡°This kind of thing is really rare; what are the odds of finding something like this in a place like this?¡± Even though he said this and knew the difficulty of creating such an item and its rarity, he felt a slight apprehension.


    He threw the statuette over his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have much time to waste,¡± Yue said.


    ***


    Back to searching for traces of the miners, they passed through several tunnels, searching randomly. Without Tristan''s keen vision, they would have been lost long ago.


    Yue and Jaeng had depressed expressions on their faces; it seemed they were losing hope.


    But then they heard Tristan''s voice.


    ¡°Hey, look at this.¡± Tristan pointed to the ground.


    Yue and Jaeng looked at him, confused and curious.


    ¡°I found footprints, barefoot footprints. They¡¯re recent,¡± he said.


    ¡°The miners must be close! Let¡¯s go!¡± Yue said excitedly.


    Tristan followed the tracks and led his companions, moving quickly.


    After a few minutes through several tunnels, Tristan detected movement.


    Ahead of him, a humanoid form began to take shape in the darkness. As he got closer, more forms appeared, becoming clearer.


    Thin bodies, tattered clothes, barefoot, and wounded. Tristan had no doubt who they were.


    ¡°They¡¯re the miners. We found them,¡± he said to Yue and Jaeng.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Jaeng cheered.


    Yue rushed forward, overtaking the other two. She was the first to reach the miners. Thirteen people were trembling, leaning against the cave wall.


    ¡°Are you alright? We¡¯re here to rescue you!¡± she said, trying to calm them.


    She noticed they began to tremble more, appearing increasingly frightened. Some turned pale and looked at her with panic in their eyes.


    ¡°Calm down; we¡¯re here to help you. You don¡¯t need to be scared.¡±


    They shook their heads frantically, covering their mouths with their hands.


    Some pointed upwards, then covered their ears, throwing themselves to the ground in despair.


    When Yue looked up, she saw only darkness; her lantern didn¡¯t illuminate that high. But now that she was paying attention, she could hear something¡ªlike the flapping of wings¡ªbut also another sound she found strangely familiar, though she couldn¡¯t initially recognize it.


    She focused, then realized why the sound seemed familiar:


    ¡°Is that... rain?¡±


    As Tristan approached Yue, he noticed she was staring fixedly at something above, so he decided to look in the direction her face was pointing. He saw when something strange emerged from a hole in the tunnel ceiling.


    The thing he saw seemed to be flying, but it didn¡¯t appear solid¡ªit was as if its body was fluid. Drops of a thick, slimy liquid would fall and then return, merging with the creature''s body again.


    With two pairs of membranous wings and two pointed ears, Tristan thought the creature slightly resembled bats.


    ''Is it liquid? Liquid Bats? What kind of monster is this?''


    They weren¡¯t very large, about the size of an adult man''s forearm, but what scared Tristan was that there were many of them.


    ¡°Damn, Yue, back up, get away from there!¡± Tristan shouted.


    Dozens of bat-like monsters headed toward Yue and the miners, swirling like a tornado.


    Yue looked at the massive whirlwind that almost covered the entire ceiling; at times, it looked like one single entity rather than dozens of terrifying bat monsters. They were fast, but she was much faster. She could easily get out of there. However, she felt she couldn¡¯t leave, knowing that nothing would stop those creatures from massacring the innocent people behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who attracted them; I have to handle this!¡±


    She quickly dropped her oil lamp and grabbed her sword.


    [Celestial Breeze Steps]


    [Winged Slash]


    Her essence spread throughout her body and around her sword, causing the air around her to transform into a powerful wind swirling around her. She managed to use both techniques at once, but she knew she didn¡¯t have enough time to merge them perfectly.


    Perhaps drawn by the noise she was making, she saw the slimy whirlwind focus on her and come her way.


    As they were about to collide, she pointed her blade backward, gripped the sword hilt tightly, and then swung her arms upward in a sweeping motion toward the whirlwind coming from above with all her strength.


    Tristan watched Yue¡¯s winds, like a yellow cyclone, collide with the strange monsters. For a brief moment, it seemed they were fighting for control of that place. Yue''s wind sliced through part of the whirlwind, creating a large opening. Many bats were thrown aside by her winds.


    But there were still many more.


    The creatures regrouped, and Yue¡¯s winds began to weaken.


    From the expression on her face, he knew she was using all the essence she could, but it didn¡¯t seem to be enough.


    The monsters'' whirlwind broke through Yue¡¯s wind cyclone.


    ¡°YUE¡± he shouted to her.


    Tristan watched as Yue¡¯s body was engulfed by the wave of monsters.


    ¡°NO!¡±

 Chapter 53: Bloody Mountain - Part 3

    Tristan was briefly in shock as he saw Yue falling through the vortex of monsters. He ran as fast as he could, but it didn¡¯t seem to be enough¡ªeven though he had started first, Jaeng, with his orange core, had already surpassed him.


    Would he make it in time? Tristan doubted it.


    He gritted his teeth tightly. He was already circulating his vital energy throughout his body, but there was no way he could run faster.


    He forced his brain to think of a solution for the situation.


    ''Damn, what can I do? How can I go faster¡­ Think! Think! Think!''


    Suddenly, he felt something¡ªsomething in his mind reacting to his desperation. It felt like a nail embedded in his brain, slowly wavering at first but picking up speed over time. He was certain it was something that had now become part of his very being, though it still felt foreign, like an unfamiliar presence.


    ''What is this? What could it be?''


    Then something snapped in his mind, as if a dam had broken.


    It was a horrible sensation for him, like his mind was being controlled and forced to think about something. He had no doubt his free will had been affected. However, in that moment of desperation, he didn¡¯t resist it. Even though it was probably pointless, he ignored his own instincts for freedom and let that foreign presence shape his thoughts.


    He heard his own voice in his mind repeating something very familiar to him:


    ''Light, Light represents order and change; Light is the element of life, nourishment, and fertility. Light is the structure that supports the universe. Light is the beginning. Light reveals what is hidden and dark. Those who do not find the Light within themselves will never be able to master it.''


    Tristan shook his head as the uncomfortable sensation passed, and his mind returned to normal.


    ''Light? Is that it? How can Light help me in this situation?''


    He muttered something. ¡°Order and change.¡±


    ''Light is the element of order and change. Control was the pillar I chose to learn this element¡¯s principles.''


    His instincts told him he could use this for something.


    ''If I can¡¯t make my body run faster, maybe¡­ maybe I can change something in the world?''


    An idea formed in his mind: ''Change something around me that allows me to be faster!''


    Roughness, friction, he remembered what he had learned in the college about these concepts.


    With sheer willpower, he gathered the essence of Light in his core and tried to spread it through his body. Almost immediately, he noticed the difficulty of this task¡ªthe more he spread the Light, the less control he had over the element.


    His face contorted with the effort; he gave up on that attempt and focused only on his feet. A white flame emerged from his feet and enveloped them. He imagined Light filling the imperfections in the ground where he stepped, making the surface as smooth as possible.


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    When his right leg touched the ground, he nearly slipped. His upper body lurched forward as he struggled not to fall face-first. He tried to use his left leg to support himself, but instead, his left foot slid forward.


    He gritted his teeth as he nearly did a split right there.


    ''I should have tried this on one foot first.'' But now, he had no time to waste¡ªhe needed to get used to it in the next few seconds.


    With his enhanced senses as a martial cultivator, he regained stability after a few attempts.


    ''I just need to imagine I¡¯m using skates. I¡¯ve seen that on TV; it shouldn¡¯t be too hard, right?'' His positive thinking didn¡¯t help much; it was still tough, and if he weren¡¯t a martial artist with superhuman senses, he would likely have failed already.


    Clumsily, Tristan skated across the ground.


    Incredibly, he managed to overtake Jaeng, who had been far ahead just a moment ago. His muscles were filled with essence provided by his orange core. He was closing the distance between himself and Yue twice as fast, and his speed only continued to increase.


    As he got closer, he could see those creatures more clearly. Illuminated by the dim light of the oil lamp Yue had dropped on the ground, which was about to go out, he saw the color of the monsters.


    Red¡ªtheir bodies seemed to be made of a dark red fluid.


    ''Blood! Blood Bats!'' He thought.


    ¡°DAMN.¡±


    The memories of terrifying blood magic in his mind made his skin crawl. He knew that if those monsters had the same abilities as Li Cheng, Yue¡¯s life might already be lost. He swallowed hard.


    Soon, Tristan saw Yue¡¯s body lying on the ground¡ªor he should have seen it. All he could make out were dozens of bats sinking their teeth into her small frame. Although they weren¡¯t huge, she was just a child, and a single bite could be fatal.


    ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Seeing him approach, the Blood Bats around her flew in his direction.


    Tristan¡¯s face twisted in anger as he saw the lifeless eyes of the beasts staring at him.


    He grabbed his sword. Dark Blade would be much better, but he didn¡¯t know if he could use that skill while maintaining an improvised technique.


    Gripping his sword firmly with both hands, he slashed at the nearest bat, splitting its body in two.


    His eyes widened in surprise. Those creatures weren¡¯t very resilient; their ¡°flesh¡± felt like jelly, and their bones were cut through with ease.


    But he wasn¡¯t too encouraged¡ªthere were more than ten of them around him. Tristan swung his sword in all directions as he continued sliding, struggling not to fall.


    Slashing and piercing, he carved his way toward Yue.


    When he finally got close to her, he deactivated his new ability and planted his sword into the ground.


    [Dark Blade]


    A black blade appeared on his right arm, while the beasts around him flew at him with insane fury. The bats feeding on Yue¡¯s body seemed to have barely noticed his presence.


    Tristan¡¯s normally expressionless black eyes were now filled with fury. He mercilessly slashed all the monsters in front of him¡ªhis attacks were not precise; he made many unnecessary strikes, desperately trying to turn those bats into pieces.


    A few seconds later, all the bats on Yue were reduced to pulp. But Tristan wasn¡¯t pleased; his brow furrowed as he saw Yue¡¯s blood seeping from multiple wounds and floating towards the bats still flying in the sky.


    He looked up, seeing this, and thought, ''Bastards!''


    Thinking of a solution, he deactivated Dark Blade and knelt down, placing his hand on Yue¡¯s body. A white flame emerged from his hand and spread over her body.


    [Fallen Grace]


    His second Light ability¡ªsomething he had developed while still trapped in the dungeon. He created it to keep the threads blocking his cultivation intact while he severed them safely. It was a weak ability that couldn¡¯t be considered true healing magic, but it could still work as a bandage at least.


    ''Come on, work, please.''


    When his Light essence reached Yue¡¯s wounds, he managed to close them, preventing further blood loss.


    The bats flying in the sky screeched in rage.


    Tristan looked at Yue¡¯s body. He had never seen her so pale and thin as she was now; her body was covered in countless bite marks from head to toe.


    Her breathing was weak.


    The sound of Blood Bats was drawing closer quickly. He couldn¡¯t let go of her, or her wounds would reopen¡ªhe needed direct contact to use this ability.


    He clicked his tongue and pulled his sword from the ground.


    Looking up, Tristan saw more than thirty bats circling again. They were preparing another Blood Whirlwind.

 Chapter 54: Bloody Mountain - Part 4

    Tristan looked at the large red vortex of monsters coming toward him, his hand holding Yue to prevent her wounds from reopening.


    He thought with melancholy, ''If I could use Shadow Aura on her too, I could take her away, and these damned creatures probably wouldn¡¯t even see us.''


    Between Blood and Darkness magic, Tristan believed he would have the advantage within the shadowy tunnels.


    But in his current situation, his actions were limited.


    He looked at the bats, his eyes tracking their movements precisely. Tristan spread his vital energy throughout his body.


    As the red vortex was just seconds away from reaching him, his arm moved so fast it was a blur.


    One, two, five¡­ Tristan attacked fiercely, and any bat that came close enough to his sword was instantly sliced in two. Drops of blood splattered on him, staining his face and uniform.


    Tristan felt his arm ache, but he didn¡¯t stop; instead, he attacked with even more ferocity.


    The bats pulled back, flying around him, encircling him as they tried to strike from different directions.


    Fortunately, Jaeng had already arrived. His sword, infused with wind power, pierced the creatures and scattered their blood into the air.


    ¡°Be careful; don¡¯t let them wound you,¡± Tristan said to Jaeng.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to tell me that. I wasn¡¯t going to let these damned things touch me,¡± Jaeng replied with a grin.


    The two fought together against the beasts, and though they tried to avoid injuries, both ended up hurt. There were too many creatures; no matter how fast or alert they were, some bats managed to get close enough to bite them.


    Tristan saw blood from a wound on his thigh fly toward a bat¡¯s mouth, and it seemed to increase the creature¡¯s vitality.


    Jaeng had far fewer wounds than Tristan, but his situation was also far from ideal.


    Both realized they couldn¡¯t hold back, and they spent a large amount of essence to end the fight as quickly as possible.


    After a grueling battle, there were no more bats in the sky; some had fled, but most lay in piles of bodies on the ground.


    Tristan and Jaeng were exhausted and sweating, but the relief of victory was clear on their faces.


    With the battle over, Tristan went to check on Yue. She was pale and cold, covered in bite marks, though fortunately, none were too deep. He tried to use his Light essence to heal her wounds to the best of his ability, but her condition didn¡¯t seem to improve.


    ''I need to take her to a real healer.''


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    He picked her up in his arms, preparing to use some essence to carry her due to the difference in their weight.


    The miners watched the scene with evident astonishment, as if they had just woken up from a nightmare.


    ¡°Did you really come here to save us?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Of course, why not?¡± Tristan replied.


    ''Not like we had anything better to do.''


    A few minutes later, Tristan, Jaeng, and the miners were walking through the tunnel. Tristan was carrying Yue, and one of the miners held her oil lantern.


    As always, Tristan led the way, every detail of the tunnels evident before his eyes.


    Thanks to the regenerative power of his Light cultivation, his superficial wounds were almost entirely closed.


    He turned his face toward a small stone falling from the ceiling, and a faint tremor spread through the tunnel.


    ¡°An earthquake?¡± Tristan murmured.


    ¡°Oh no, not again,¡± one of the miners said in distress.


    ''I don¡¯t think this is a good sign.''


    Tristan looked up and saw more slimy bats appearing on the tunnel ceiling.


    He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Damn it, how many of them are there?¡±


    Thinking about what he could do, he handed Yue to one of the miners.


    ¡°Here, take her and get out of here.¡±


    Yue had already lost a lot of blood, and it was important to keep her away from those creatures.


    The miners were frozen with fear, their bodies trembling like twigs swaying in the wind.


    ¡°GO! Get out of my sight!¡± Tristan shouted.


    The restrained anger in his voice had an effect, snapping the miners out of their terrified state.


    One of them nodded nervously and took Yue.


    Tristan watched the miners regain their composure and leave the tunnel. He and Jaeng positioned themselves at the tunnel¡¯s exit, drawing the monsters¡¯ attention.


    Soon, the tunnel ceiling was covered with bats. Tristan noticed an expression of pain on Jaeng¡¯s face as his wounds reopened, staining his clothes even more.


    Tristan thought of saying something but hesitated; he wasn¡¯t good with motivational words. Even so, he tried. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Uhm¡­ hang in there; we can beat these things. It shouldn¡¯t take long¡­¡±


    His words were cut off by a deafening sound echoing through the tunnel. Jaeng collapsed, covering his ears, his body writhing in agony.


    Tristan tried to cover his own ears as hard as he could, but he still felt excruciating pain, as if someone were hammering his brain. He could barely stay standing.


    With his heightened senses, he detected something coming from above. He dodged backward, moments before a part of the ceiling crashed where he had stood. He looked up and saw that the tunnel was collapsing.


    The bat monsters flew nimbly, dodging every falling rock with fluid movements.


    Tristan looked down at Jaeng, still lying on the ground. Seeing his temporary companion unable to react, he ran over, grabbed his uniform with one hand, and picked up the fallen oil lantern with the other.


    His muscles filled with essence; Tristan¡¯s arms and legs swelled slightly. After a deep breath, he tried to dodge all the falling rocks as he carried Jaeng.


    At that moment, he could only rely on his enhanced vision and strength to survive.


    His body moved constantly; he had no second of rest.


    It wasn¡¯t an easy task, but it seemed like he could manage until, on his next step, his foot slipped to the right¡ªhe had stepped on a rock!


    He tried to regain his balance, but the extra weight made it difficult. His body leaned forward, and he used his left knee to cushion his fall.


    As he attempted to stand up again, he caught a glimpse of a large rock dangerously close.


    A black mist swirled around his leg as he flipped backward and swung his leg toward the rock, shattering part of it and sending fragments flying in all directions.


    When he landed again, he noticed the tunnel seemed more stable.


    Tristan let out a sigh of relief.


    He looked at the tunnel entrance, noticing that part of it was blocked but not entirely closed.


    However, that feeling didn¡¯t last long. From a hole above the tunnel, a flood of slimy liquid poured out.


    Tristan¡¯s heart pounded.


    That blood-like liquid was forming into a creature much larger than the other bats, sending chills down his spine.

 Chapter 55: Bloody Mountain - Part 5

    By its size, there was no doubt in his mind that it was a creature with a core.


    When all the liquid stopped pouring out, it took the shape of a bat as large as an adult man and solidified. Its appearance was similar to the smaller bats, but for some reason, Tristan felt something was wrong with this beast. He noticed that its flight wasn¡¯t as stable and fluid as the others; it seemed more erratic. It was very subtle, and he was only able to notice due to his eyes'' ability to track movements precisely.


    ''Tsk, well, this is new,'' Tristan thought, discouraged.


    Seeing the creature change its physical state only served to confirm his suspicions; as far as he knew, only an ability could have this kind of effect.


    Jaeng, who had been stunned, slowly began to stand.


    His eyes widened in fear when he saw the powerful creature in front of them.


    "Impossible, there''s no way to beat that thing!" Jaeng said.


    "What are we... what are we going to do?" Jaeng asked in a trembling voice.


    Seeing his companion trembling and nearly panicking, Tristan handed him his oil lamp and said,


    "Take this; you handle the smaller bats."


    He looked at the huge and imposing flying beast.


    "I''ll kill the big one."


    With a surprised expression, Jaeng asked, "Are you sure? That¡¯s a real magic beast, and you''re already exhausted!"


    "It''s not like we have many other options," he replied.


    The giant beast dove toward the two, ending the conversation.


    Tristan moved away from Jaeng and ran into the tunnel. He placed two fingers between his lips and whistled, the sound drawing the attention of the monsters around him.


    The giant bat was the quickest, adjusting its body and changing its flight path towards Tristan.


    He moved as far away as possible from Jaeng and his oil lamp. Now, in the deep darkness of the tunnel, he could only see the shape of that monstrous creature approaching.


    When the other bats tried to follow the larger one, Jaeng caught their attention and stepped in their way.


    Tristan wondered if Jaeng could handle the other bats alone or if he could survive the next confrontation.


    As the monster got close enough to try to swallow him, Tristan dodged to the right and performed a vertical slash with his sword, aiming at one of the beast''s wings.


    But when his blade touched the monster''s body, he only felt resistance for a second. His blade sank into the wing and passed through it without leaving a mark.


    The monster landed behind him, digging its ten claws into the ground. Its enormous body rose before Tristan, with its wings spread wide.


    Tristan felt overwhelmed, but he didn¡¯t give up. He charged forward, spinning his body to strike a horizontal slash at the creature¡¯s abdomen.


    But again, his sword passed through the creature''s body without causing damage. This time, he saw more clearly what happened: the monster''s entire body turned into slime the moment his sword touched it.


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    The beast screeched and struck Tristan with its wings, causing him to drop his sword and throwing him far away.


    Tristan gritted his teeth in pain as his body hit the ground.


    Taking advantage of his weakness, the creature lunged, trying to bite him with its large fangs.


    Still, on the ground, Tristan grabbed the bat¡¯s two upper canines with his hands.


    The difference in their mass was immense. He had to use all the strength that his vital energy could provide to prevent the monster from tearing off his head.


    His arms trembled from the effort.


    [Dark Blade]


    A short black blade appeared in his right hand, and he swung his arm diagonally upward, cutting through several of the bat¡¯s teeth along with part of the beast¡¯s forehead.


    The creature recoiled in pain.


    Wasting no time, Tristan charged at the monster again, leaping toward it and aiming his dark blade at the creature¡¯s heart.


    Unfortunately, when the blade hit the creature, it became non-solid once more. In its slime form, the creature moved behind Tristan.


    ''Even Darkness doesn¡¯t affect this thing?'' he thought.


    Stepping back, he watched as the monster solidified again and charged at him.


    He only dodged the beast''s attacks, thinking of a solution to the situation.


    Then something worried him. He looked at the monster¡¯s head, where he had left a terrible cut that would likely have killed any normal creature. But now, the wound seemed to have closed.


    ''I hope this thing doesn''t have more tricks up its sleeve; otherwise, my plans might not be enough.''


    He swallowed hard and jumped towards his sword. At that moment, it was important to use as little essence as possible.


    ''Let''s see if this works.'' After studying the creature¡¯s abilities, he felt confident in his plan.


    He faced the giant bat once more.


    Circulating essence throughout his body and strengthening his muscle fibers, he sprinted toward his enemy.


    Although the creature likely had no emotions, Tristan could almost see the excitement on its face.


    The creature made a powerful leap and flew towards him.


    Tristan put all his strength into his legs and jumped onto the beast¡¯s back as it approached to devour him.


    He grabbed the monster''s back fur and made a motion to stab the creature.


    Unsurprisingly, he felt the creature turning into slime again.


    "Not this time, bastard!"


    [Fallen Grace]


    The white light of his Rank 1 ability spread across the creature''s body.


    ¡®Maintain order¡¯, he thought.


    He managed to delay the creature''s transformation for a brief moment, but it was enough for him to plunge his sword into the beast¡¯s back.


    It felt as though his ability was in a tug-of-war with the monster¡¯s transformation ability. To his dismay, almost immediately, he knew he didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    His lips twisted in displeasure, and a grimace appeared on his face. ''The monster¡¯s ability must be superior to mine.''


    The creature completed its transformation, and Tristan sank into its body, falling to the ground.


    Fortunately, when the creature solidified again, he saw it squirm in pain.


    Seeing this, Tristan¡¯s lips curled into a subtle smile.


    ¡®Now I just need a good opportunity to land a fatal blow.¡¯


    He gripped his sword¡¯s hilt tighter.


    The creature didn¡¯t seem to care about his enthusiasm; it moved with the same vigor it had at the start of the fight as if Tristan¡¯s attacks were nothing more than a minor annoyance.


    The monster approached and slammed its massive wings into Tristan''s small body again.


    The force of the impact pushed Tristan back, but he managed to stay on his feet.


    He decided to retreat to the pile of rocks blocking the tunnel exit, and the giant bat pursued him.


    When Tristan¡¯s back touched the stones, he knew there was nowhere left to retreat. He prepared for the creature¡¯s next attack.


    Seeing its prey cornered, a strange liquid dripped from the creature''s mouth. Its jaws opened wide enough to swallow Tristan in one bite.


    The monster lunged and closed its teeth around where Tristan had been standing, but its jaws snapped shut on nothing but air.


    The bat sniffed the spot where Tristan had been but found nothing. Confused, the creature raised its head, its large, pointed ears twitching back and forth.


    Then, suddenly, the creature felt something fall from the sky, colliding with its head.


    [Shadow Aura]


    Tristan had saved that ability for the perfect moment. While hidden, he quickly climbed the rocks blocking the tunnel to jump onto the creature''s head.


    With his knowledge of the bats from Earth, he felt that this ability could affect the creature, especially in this type of environment.


    He sensed the creature trying to transform.


    [Fallen Grace]


    His ability could only delay the monster¡¯s transformation by a few seconds, but Tristan had prepared to make those seconds count.


    Grabbing the beast¡¯s neck with his right arm while using Fallen Grace, he drove his sword into the creature¡¯s ear with all the strength left from the last drops of essence in his body.


    He felt his sword piercing the creature¡¯s brain.


    Surprisingly, the monster didn¡¯t die immediately.


    Tristan clenched his teeth so hard that he almost felt they would break. His orange core burned with such effort, and he maintained Fallen Grace for as long as he could.


    He twisted his hand and turned the sword¡¯s hilt.


    "Die, wretch!"

 Chapter 56: Worms

    At the end of the battle, Tristan realized he had been so focused on killing the creature that he hadn¡¯t noticed what had happened to Jaeng.


    He turned his head to the side and saw that there were no more bats in the sky. He decided to look for Jaeng. He found the disciple¡¯s body lying on the ground, his skin covered with wounds and bite marks.


    After examining the boy, Tristan discovered that he was still alive, but he wasn¡¯t sure if Jaeng had fainted from exhaustion or for a worse reason.


    Tristan tore Jaeng¡¯s clothes and used them to bandage his body.


    ''Good thing cultivators wear long clothes.''


    After ensuring his sectmate¡¯s safety, he approached the giant bat¡¯s corpse. He took his sword and stabbed it into the creature''s solar plexus, causing some blood to spurt from the wound he had made.


    Suddenly, his eyes caught an abnormal movement. He agilely jumped back, preventing the monster¡¯s blood from touching him.


    He frowned as he saw the drops of blood hitting the ground. Wondering why his instincts were on alert, he moved closer.


    What he saw left him perplexed.


    ''It¡¯s actually moving!''


    In the bat¡¯s blood, there were tiny gray masses¡ªcylindrical bodies, flattened heads, and sharp tails. These strange creatures were no larger than a grain of rice, but in a single drop of blood, there were countless numbers of them.


    Tristan¡¯s stomach churned at the sight.


    ''Why is this thing¡¯s body full of worms?''


    His curiosity piqued.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    His Light essence left his body and entered the creature, taking its form. Once the structure of his target was copied, Tristan¡¯s essence returned to him.


    Using his mystical senses, he analyzed the Light hologram of the creature, confirming that the body of his fallen enemy was indeed infested with those tiny creatures.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened, and a perplexed expression appeared on his face.


    Two things caught his attention.


    First, he noticed a much higher concentration of worms near the monster¡¯s brain than in the rest of its body.


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    He tried to figure out if they were doing something there but soon gave up, realizing that his lack of knowledge made it impossible to understand the worms'' behavior.


    The second thing that caught his attention wasn¡¯t related to the worms but to the bat itself. As he analyzed its body, he noticed an internal scar.


    ''This looks like it was caused by a thick blade.''


    ''Strange, I saw the wounds I inflicted on this thing heal before my eyes. If this were an old wound, it should have healed, but something seems to have affected its regeneration.''


    He wondered if the people who left the footprints or the strange figurine had anything to do with it or if it was just a coincidence.


    Since there was no way for him to get an answer now, he decided to continue what he was doing.


    This time, he stood farther from the corpse. Tristan poked the wound¡¯s hole with his sword until he managed to push the core out.


    Soon, he saw an orange-glowing sphere appear, making his eyes shine with surprise and greed.


    ''An orange-core beast! I really killed a beast of this level by myself!''


    Of course, with his recent discovery, he knew that the beast was probably not at its peak, but even so, he still found his achievement impressive.


    The orange core fell from the creature¡¯s corpse and rolled across the bloody ground.


    Using the little essence he had left, Tristan gathered his Darkness essence in its pure form in his hand and brought the black mist close to the sphere.


    Destroying a core wasn¡¯t an easy task, so he wasn¡¯t worried about it.


    To his relief, the tiny mysterious beings reacted normally to the Darkness, being completely destroyed.


    He picked up the orange sphere and squeezed it in his hand, sending it to his personal space in the Tower.


    [You have acquired 1 orange fragment]


    ''Not bad. With this, I could buy a low-grade artifact, at least if I were in the great cities of the Central region.''


    He sighed in regret.


    When he arrived in Zaguhan, he quickly realized that magical artifacts were scarce there. He had only seen a few sect masters with one, which contrasted greatly with the region where he was born.


    ''If even guards with mediocre potential had magical artifacts in the county, I wonder how common they are in the main countries.''


    After collecting the core, he examined the other bat monsters, looking for more strange things. To his disappointment, he didn¡¯t find any more cores.


    ''Damn, there are so many corpses. If a few of them had cores, I¡¯d have a small fortune by now.''


    He also confirmed that only the large bat had worms in its body.


    Thinking about the reason for this, he made an assumption: ''Maybe some of the smaller bats were also infected but were too weak to survive?''


    He sighed and decided to stop delaying an inevitable task.


    Approaching Jaeng, he shook the young disciple with his foot. There was no response; he was as unconscious as before.


    With a grimace, Tristan grabbed the boy¡¯s arms and dragged him to the end of the tunnel. He looked at the pile of rocks blocking his way with a sad expression.


    He hoisted Jaeng onto his right shoulder and slowly climbed the rocks, using the remnants of his essence. At the top, he saw a small opening, but it was enough for someone as small as him to pass through.


    Pushing Jaeng out was a bit tricky. It would have been impossible if the young man hadn¡¯t had a lean and athletic build.


    However, that was just the beginning.


    He looked down the tunnel ahead and tried to carry Jaeng again, but then a sudden weakness surged through his body.


    Tristan collapsed to his knees, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. His body seemed to be burning, and he struggled to keep his mind clear.


    He felt something rising up his throat and couldn¡¯t stop the contents of his stomach from coming out.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±

 Chapter 57: Return to Zaguhan

    Tristan was lying on the ground with a tired expression on his face, his chest rising and falling slowly as he tried to inhale as much air as he could.


    His body was drenched in sweat, and he tasted something bitter and acidic in his mouth.


    He wiped his lips with the sleeve of his clothes as he tried to stand up.


    ''What the hell! I''ve never felt this tired; it felt like I would die if I lost consciousness.'' His teeth still ached from how hard he clenched them while trying to stay awake.


    He began checking his body, opening and closing his hands and moving his limbs.


    ''My muscles are a bit numb; is this the effect of pushing my core to the limit?''


    Though uncomfortable with the situation, he sighed in relief, grateful to still be alive.


    ''I never want to go through that again.''


    His face turned towards his unconscious sectmate lying on the ground.


    ''Well, there''s no choice.''


    He looked at the tunnel exit.


    "Let''s hope you''re lucky."


    Tristan moved away from Jaeng and began walking slowly through the tunnel. Without vital essence, it was impossible to carry Jaeng with his weak body; all he could do was find the miners quickly and ask for their help.


    ''Hopefully, they haven¡¯t gone far. It''s very likely they¡¯re lost somewhere in the tunnels.''


    This wasn''t a usual mining area; it was just a place they fled to hide from the monsters. Tristan thought they would have trouble finding their way out under the circumstances.


    He lowered his head and immediately found their footprints.


    ''At least my eyes still work.''


    The changes cultivation techniques caused in the body didn¡¯t require much essence. As long as a cultivator was alive and breathing, they could supply enough energy to maintain those changes.


    Tristan plunged into the darkness, following the miners¡¯ tracks while using the tunnel wall to help keep himself upright.


    After some time searching, Tristan saw a faint light and a few figures moving around it. He didn¡¯t have to search for long. As he had predicted, the miners seemed unsure where to go.


    It took the miners a while to notice him, but when they realized something was approaching, their bodies visibly trembled. They tried to stay as quiet as possible.


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    Their stiff shoulders relaxed after they saw it was a child who had found them and not a pack of hungry beasts.


    Tristan''s eyes moved toward Yue, and he approached her to check on her condition.


    ¡°What happened? Where are the monsters?¡± one of them asked in a low tone.


    Tristan saw the anxiety in everyone''s gaze, and as he examined Yue, he replied:


    ¡°Those that attacked us are dead now, but I don¡¯t know if there are more of them.¡±


    He sighed in relief when he noticed nothing unusual with Yue. She was as he remembered, but the lack of improvement in her condition also left him worried.


    The miners looked at one another, and then one of them decided to speak:


    ¡°That boy who was with you, did something happen to him?¡±


    Tristan turned to them and said, ¡°Jaeng passed out. I need you to help me carry him out of here.¡±


    He led them to the spot where he had left Jaeng. This time, there were no unexpected situations. The young disciple was exactly where Tristan had left him.


    Now that Jaeng had been recovered, Tristan guided the miners out of the tunnel. When they emerged from the cave, the sunrise was just appearing on the horizon.


    He felt his skin warming as it was bathed in the rays of sunlight.


    Before he realized it, his body was collapsing, everything around him began to grow dark, and his thoughts slowed.


    In contrast to the cave¡¯s interior, he felt comfort in this environment, lying on the earth, warmed by the sun, before slipping into a deep sleep.


    Tristan regained consciousness a few hours later. Since the miners traveled at a much slower pace than cultivators, they hadn¡¯t yet reached the city.


    The miners had carried Tristan after he collapsed, and he was sincerely relieved by that, though relying on others¡¯ kindness once again left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    During the journey back, he wondered when he would become strong enough to walk the path of ascension. He had so many goals, but in his current state, they all seemed like mere childish dreams.


    ¡®Getting more melancholic is another side effect of exhausting a core?¡¯ He thought of that as a justification for his current emotions.


    When they finally reached the city''s slums, they saw a crowd of people waiting for them.


    A large commotion began. At first, joyful and hopeful expressions appeared on most people¡¯s faces. The surviving miners ran and embraced their loved ones as soon as they saw them. There was a contagious sense of celebration in the air, but Tristan knew it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Very quickly, a large part of the crowd turned pale, with vacant expressions on their faces. In seconds, hope was lost, and tears filled many eyes.


    Tristan remembered all the clothes he had found on the ground; at least a few hundred miners had died, and those who survived were only a tiny fraction compared to the many who perished that day.


    Despair, longing, and sorrow¡ªthose feelings filled the air as if a thick, dark cloud hovered over everyone¡¯s heads.


    He turned his face to the few surviving miners now hugging their loved ones.


    Observing the contrast between some people''s happiness and the grief felt by most of the crowd, he wondered how successful this "mission" had been.


    ''Yue worked so hard to save them. I wonder if these few people will make any difference in this world.''


    He could only think that all of this had been a futile effort.


    His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a group of people approaching Jaeng, led by an older man and woman. Tristan recognized the others¡ªit was Haun and his family.


    ¡®Those two must be Jaeng¡¯s parents¡¯ He thought.


    The man and woman¡¯s desperation grew as they tried and failed to wake Jaeng.


    When Haun saw Tristan, he approached him and asked, ¡°Kid, why won¡¯t Jaeng wake up? Do you know what happened to him?¡±


    Tristan looked at him and answered, ¡°He fought against a group of beasts. He might be suffering from essence exhaustion or from some serious injury. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Hearing his words, the man and woman holding Jaeng turned deathly pale.


    ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve been more subtle.¡¯ Tristan reflected on that.


    A bit awkwardly, he looked at Jaeng¡¯s possible parents and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take him to the sect. He should receive proper treatment there.¡±

 Chapter 58: Diseases and treatments

    After trying to reassure Jaeng''s parents, Tristan went to the sect as quickly as possible.


    He was still without essence, so he asked someone to carry Yue and Jaeng with him.


    The people of the sect were surprised by his return, but since the situation was urgent, he only gave a brief explanation.


    The three were sent to the sect''s recovery area.


    Yue and Jaeng were also in that room, but they still remained unconscious.


    Tristan wondered if the sect¡¯s healers would be able to heal them. ¡®Do they have methods to replenish lost nutrients? Are the healing arts here effective in replacing the stolen blood?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know much about the healing arts of this city. Tristan didn''t need to visit the healers as often as others since the effects that the Light cultivation had on his body were usually enough to solve most non-severe problems.


    Since childhood, he had learned that medicine in this world was extremely rudimentary and was only in its early stages.


    Most healers used archaic methods with questionable efficiency.


    Disasters caused by viruses and other plagues were quite common.


    The most effective alternative for those who had enough money to pay were the Light magic users.


    But Tristan knew better than anyone that unless someone had access to the great countries of humanity, common Light cultivators were not capable of miracles. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to hear that some of them died from an ordinary illness, just like anyone else.


    ¡®Maybe things are better in Zaguhan?¡¯


    However, he started to think that this was very unlikely; this city was far inferior to the place where he lived in every aspect of development he had noticed so far.


    He remembered that Yue and Jaeng had been bitten by the bats. ¡®Can magical beasts transmit diseases? I hope they don¡¯t catch rabies or leptospirosis.¡¯


    While lying on the bed in the sect¡¯s medical room, Tristan took advantage of this moment of rest to cultivate and recharge his core.


    ¡®Spending essence is so fast, but recharging it fully takes almost an entire day.¡¯


    This was another problem he needed to resolve on his long list of tasks. The more powerful the core, the better the cultivation technique would need to be to recharge it in a reasonable time.


    ¡®I have no idea what level the cultivation technique I invented is at; I don¡¯t know its limit, but it¡¯s probably not very high. For now, it¡¯s been enough, but I¡¯ll have to improve it or find another one when I advance further.¡¯


    Tristan began to think about where he could find the cultivation techniques he needed.


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    ¡®Maybe if I can accumulate a fortune, I can buy some principles of these techniques from the sects of Zaguhan.¡¯


    Light and Darkness cultivation was rare; there weren¡¯t many people born with the proper lineage for these elements, and because of that, the number of sects specializing in them was much smaller compared to others, making everything related to them more expensive and valuable.


    ¡®Or I could simply capture a cultivator of these elements and torture them until they reveal the secret of a mid-level cultivation method.¡¯ This was the cheaper option, making it tempting, but it was also incredibly dangerous and had a high potential for triggering terrible consequences.


    Tristan shook his head and banished those dangerous thoughts from his mind, at least for now.


    Suddenly, he heard the creak of a door opening, and turning his face towards the sound, he saw two people entering the room.


    They were two elderly men of short stature, with long black beards and mustaches streaked with many white hairs. Their hair was hidden under long, ornate hats. They wore colorful, long robes with many jewels hanging from the fabric.


    Accompanying them from behind was a sect employee.


    She pointed towards Yue and Jaeng, and the two old men approached them with slow steps.


    After frowning, Tristan got out of bed and approached the old woman. ¡°Greetings, Elder Meilin Jinghuan,¡± he bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡± he asked the wrinkled-skinned lady who guided the two old men.


    The woman turned to him and said in her aged voice, ¡°They are honored healing masters from the Shining Star Sect. The sect leader hired their services due to the seriousness of the situation.¡±


    ¡®Two healers from another sect? That can¡¯t be cheap. Did the sect leader get worried about them?¡¯ he thought.


    The two healers extended their hands and touched the unconscious children. Just like Tristan, a white light emanated from their hands and spread over their bodies.


    A few seconds later, the healing masters withdrew their hands.


    Tristan''s eyes widened. ¡®So fast? They¡¯re really on another level. Is this the difference between a real healer and an amateur like me?¡¯ Before he could sigh, the elders moved their hands and touched another part of their bodies.


    ¡®Oh, it¡¯s not over yet? Did they find something unusual or what?¡¯


    But then Tristan¡¯s mind went silent for a moment when the healers changed positions again.


    They needed to touch their legs, arms, head, chest... among other parts of the body.


    ¡®What the heck is this?¡¯ Tristan thought.


    They switched patients, and the same thing repeated. Sometimes they rechecked a part they had already examined before.


    Thinking about the reason for this, Tristan could only come to one conclusion: ¡®Either they¡¯re using a method extremely different from mine, or they¡¯re not capable of creating large Light holograms and maintaining them for long.¡¯


    After finishing examining them, the two healers approached Meilin, and one of them spoke:


    ¡°Their condition is not good. We can try some things, but there¡¯s not much we can do. They will have to rely on the blessings of the Spirit Kings to survive this.¡±


    Meilin made a sad expression, and pity appeared in her eyes.


    After saying those words, the healers began their treatments. One of them lit some incense, and several different scents spread through the air. The other took several needles and placed them into their bodies with trembling hands.


    Tristan approached the incense and smelled it.


    His mystical senses didn¡¯t detect any essence.


    ¡°Are these ordinary incenses? How can they help treat them?¡±


    One of the old men looked at him and laughed.


    ¡°This has to do with the theory of JungJiangDok¡¯s 1001 strengthening scents, boy. It¡¯s not something a child like you would understand.¡±


    After mocking the child, the old man grabbed some bells and began singing a strange song.


    Tristan''s face showed a blank and unreadable expression.


    When the song ended, the two healing masters placed their hands on Yue and Jaeng. A white flame spread across their bodies. Tristan saw their pale skin turn pink immediately, but they were still thin and showed no signs of waking up.


    The two elders sighed, and one of them said:


    ¡°We¡¯ve done all we could. Now we just have to wait and see if they wake up.¡±


    ¡°May the glory of the Kings fall upon them,¡± said Meilin.


    After that, the three left the room.


    Once again, Tristan was the only one there who was conscious.


    ¡®What the heck was that?¡¯

 Chapter 59: Noble crafts shop

    Tristan approached Jaeng and touched his head.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    He analyzed the area where the needles had been placed and wasn¡¯t surprised to see they were inserted into his meridians. What caught his attention was that not all the needles were placed precisely; he detected that some were a few millimeters off the meridians.


    ¡®Did they miss that?¡¯


    Tristan then focused on observing how the needles interacted with the meridians. To his surprise, nothing happened¡ªthe energy flow remained unchanged.


    ¡®Of course, these needles don''t have magical properties. Purely physical objects don¡¯t affect mana pathways.¡¯ He knew this but thought the healers had done something different to make it effective.


    A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.


    ¡®According to my senses and my diagnostic ability, many of the things they did are completely useless.¡¯


    Of course, he considered the possibility that his senses couldn¡¯t detect something unknown that the old healers might have done. However, he couldn¡¯t discard the other possibility.


    ¡®Their Light ability had some effect for sure. I can feel their vitality has improved, but the previous issues still remain. It¡¯s like they increased the energy, keeping their bodies functioning without addressing what caused the problems.¡¯


    If Tristan¡¯s hypothesis was correct, Yue and Jaeng had their lives extended a bit, but their bodies would have to deal with the diseases on their own.


    ¡®Did this just buy them more time?¡¯


    He felt concerned.


    ¡®If that''s really the case, what can I do to help them?¡¯


    Tristan thought about what to do and remembered his knowledge from Earth.


    An idea came to his mind.


    He began to formulate a plan.


    ¡®Well, it won¡¯t hurt to try.¡¯


    He took out some papers and started drawing.


    Now, Tristan was outside the sect¡¯s territory. The sky was already dark, and thanks to the herbgathering mission, he had permission to leave the sect. He decided to look for artisans in the more noble part of the city.


    He didn¡¯t doubt the capabilities of the Flying Sword Sect¡¯s artisans, but they were too used to creating simple, practical things the sect members needed for survival.


    On the other hand, the artisans in the commercial district had to meet the unusual and peculiar demands of the city¡¯s nobility. Because of that, their work had a more artistic and complex nature. Tristan believed that due to this, they would be able to create what he needed without much difficulty.


    After walking through the quiet streets of the city¡¯s center for some time, he arrived at his destination. The shop had three floors and was built using light red wood, which indicated that the owners¡¯ social status wasn¡¯t very high.


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    Looking at the establishment, Tristan felt a bit apprehensive. ¡®This place looks expensive.¡¯


    Swallowing slightly, he opened the shop¡¯s door, and the sound of a bell spread through the space.


    The shop¡¯s interior was well-lit, with several lamps lined up, hanging from the ceiling by metal chains.


    Tristan saw funeral urns on ceramic tables, jars, statues, and some simple jewelry on the shelves.


    A few seconds after he entered, a tall, slender man dressed in elegant clothes, about twenty years old, appeared. His long, dark brown hair was combed to the right side. He looked Tristan up and down, then adjusted his round glasses.


    Adopting a respectful posture, he spoke with barely disguised enthusiasm:


    ¡°To what do I owe the honor of having a member of the illustrious Flying Sword Sect in this humble shop? My name is Moeh Chiu. Does the young master need something?¡±


    Seeing the man¡¯s behavior, Tristan guessed that this place didn¡¯t often receive visits from important sect cultivators.


    ¡°My name is Dusk. I¡¯ve come to hire an artisan to create some pieces. I made some drawings of how I want them to look, and there are also some instructions here.¡± Tristan removed the bag strapped to his back, reached inside, and took out a few scrolls, handing them to the attendant.


    Moeh Chiu took the scrolls Tristan gave him and opened them. His face didn¡¯t show surprise at the strange shapes of the objects Tristan had drawn, but it seemed he was trying not to roll his eyes at yet another request for something useless.


    ¡°Interesting. It seems the young master is working on something important.¡± He said this in a serious tone, making his words sound believable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check your request with the best artisan we have available. Please, young master Dusk, wait a moment. I¡¯ll return shortly.¡±


    Moeh Chiu made a deep bow and climbed the stairs to the upper floor.


    After a while, he came down the stairs accompanied by a man who appeared to be around forty years old. He was tall, muscular, had a thick black beard, and his hands were rough. He had a rugged appearance compared to the more delicate young man, but Tristan noticed some resemblance between them. To his eyes, even the subtlest traits were as clear as lights on a Christmas tree.


    ¡°Hello, young master! This is my father, Moeh Danjiu. He is the owner of this shop, and he would like to discuss a few details with you.¡± Chiu introduced his father.


    Tristan greeted the old man and asked, ¡°Is there a problem with my requests?¡±


    Chiu¡¯s father replied, ¡°Nothing major. Most of what you asked for is easy to make. The most complicated part is these tubes. You wrote here that the material should withstand boiling and be flexible. That type of material isn¡¯t common. How long do you need them to last?¡±


    ¡°A short time¡ªone or two days should be enough,¡± Tristan said.


    ¡°Alright, we received a special hard-paper material from the eastern region. It¡¯s made from a recently discovered substance. It doesn¡¯t last long, but it has the characteristics you want.¡± Moeh Danjiu said in his rough voice.


    ¡°How long will it take for everything to be ready?¡± This was a matter that worried him.


    The old man¡¯s broad shoulders slumped a bit as he said, ¡°Making everything according to your drawings might take a while. I believe I can finish your order in about an hour, young master!¡±


    ¡®Just that?¡¯ Tristan thought, surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    After Tristan agreed, the old man went upstairs.


    Tristan turned to the attendant and asked the question he dreaded:


    ¡°How much will this cost?¡±


    Chiu took a small notebook, checked his notes, and then said, ¡°Forty silver ships, young master.¡±


    Tristan froze for a brief moment.


    Then he nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    But what he really thought was:


    ¡®What a rip-off! That¡¯s almost a whole month¡¯s rent in the noble district of the city.¡¯


    He thought about how much money he had left:


    ¡®After so many months doing missions for the sect, I only have a hundred and sixty silver ships.¡¯


    Suppressing a sigh, he asked another question:


    ¡°Could you tell me where the bathroom is?¡±


    Moeh Chiu pointed to the left hallway and said, ¡°Third door down that corridor.¡±


    Tristan bid farewell and headed toward the hallway.


    When Chiu stopped watching him, Tristan turned and used his concealment ability.


    He climbed the stairs, curious about how the shop¡¯s production process worked.


    He saw a door slightly ajar and approached, peeking inside.


    He saw Moeh Danjiu placing shards of glass into a crucible, then putting it into the furnace. The old Moeh opened his hands, and red light particles came out of his fingers.


    As his fingers moved, the flames followed their movements, becoming stronger or weaker.


    ¡®The old craftsman knows how to use Fire magic? No wonder he works so fast.¡¯


    Danjiu removed the crucible from the furnace and poured its contents onto a metal table.


    He manipulated the bright, soft orange glass with his hands, seemingly unbothered by the heat.

 Chapter 60: Sleep herb

    ¡®Interesting, he seems to have a basic mastery of Fire magic, yet he¡¯s already able to use it to speed up his production process. It makes me wonder if it¡¯s possible to use higher levels of magic to replicate the technologies of my former world.¡¯


    After observing the craftsman at work for a while, Tristan went downstairs and returned to the shop¡¯s entrance.


    He saw Chiu sitting behind a counter, making notes with a brush. Approaching, Tristan said, ¡°I have some things to take care of. I¡¯ll be back here in an hour to pick up my orders.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe trip. You¡¯re always welcome in our shop, young master,¡± Chiu replied.


    After exchanging bows, he said farewell to the attendant, Moeh Chiu, and left the store.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have everything I need sooner than I expected. That¡¯s good¡ªI¡¯ll be able to move my plans forward.¡¯ He thought.


    Deciding to prepare the other things he needed until it was time to return to the craftsman¡¯s shop, he walked to a less noble area in the city center.


    This was an area where basic necessities were sold. Judging by the clothing, which was far below the city nobility¡¯s standard, Tristan knew that most of the people he saw walking those streets were probably employees of powerful families.


    Wooden shoes were the most common in that place, and as a result, there were constant sounds of wood hitting stone as he walked.


    He saw a large variety of goods, from clothes to exotic fruits and peculiar utensils.


    ¡®For a place that¡¯s practically isolated, the trade here is quite extensive.¡¯


    Memories of the merchant guild where he had met Yue and the others during his trip east crossed his mind.


    ¡®It seems that other guilds are willing to make that hellish journey to get here.¡¯


    Tristan¡¯s eyes continued to wander around the place until they landed on a shop selling kitchen utensils. He entered the shop and looked at the pot section; many seemed to be made for decoration due to their carvings and complex shapes, with a wide variety of materials, from harmless ones to some that Tristan knew were toxic to humans. He chose the deepest steel pots he could find.


    Running his finger along the pot¡¯s surface, he thought, ¡®This should be safer for my experiments than those at the sect.¡¯


    ¡°How much are these two pots?¡± he asked the vendor.


    ¡°Twenty copper ships,¡± the vendor replied.


    Hearing this, Tristan handed over a silver ship and received eighty bronze ships as change.


    He bid farewell to the vendor and continued to walk through the city¡¯s commercial area.


    Then, as he walked, he saw a single-story shop that looked like a small wooden hut, with a line of people stretching out the door.


    ¡®A line?¡¯ He was surprised, as this was unusual in the city center.


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    Curious, he decided to see what it was about. He walked past the people and entered the shop, approaching the counter. Some people narrowed their eyes, looking at him with disdain; his clothes did not inspire as much fear in them as they did in those outside the walls, but still, no one dared to say anything.


    Inside the shop, Tristan saw various types of plants in a range of colors; flowers and roots were hanging from the ceiling by a string.


    Looking behind the counter, he saw an old lady, and in front of her were several glass bottles.


    ¡®An elixir shop?¡¯


    He wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic; aside from the vital essence of this world, he didn¡¯t feel even a drop of energy in that place.


    He was quite skeptical about the usefulness of things that didn¡¯t have magical properties.


    His eyes wandered over the products on the counter until suddenly, one of the bottles caught his attention.


    ¡°Hey, madam, what is this elixir for?¡± Tristan asked, pointing to one of the smaller bottles on the counter.


    ¡°This here is an insomnia elixir, young master. It¡¯s made from a rare herb called the Sleep Flower; it¡¯s one of the best products we have available,¡± the old lady told him.


    ¡°May I see it?¡± Tristan asked.


    The lady nodded and picked up one of the blue bottles, handing it to him.


    Inside the bottle was a thick, milky blue liquid.


    Tristan began to remember something.


    ¡°Could you show me a Sleep Flower?¡±


    The vendor looked puzzled but quickly responded, ¡°Of course, young master!¡±


    She bent down and opened a drawer in the counter.


    ¡°Here it is,¡± after retrieving the contents from the drawer, she showed him a flower with blue petals and a thick green stem.


    ¡®This looks like the Iluna flower. I remember hearing that lesser nobles, who couldn¡¯t afford to hire healers, often made tea from this flower to relieve pain.¡¯


    Though the Iluna flower in his memories had a more purple coloration, ¡®They¡¯re very similar and have similar effects. The Iluna flower also only grows near the east; perhaps they¡¯re from the same family.¡¯


    ¡°I want to buy the flower,¡± he said.


    The old woman widened her eyes and said, ¡°Are you sure, young master? This flower is very dangerous if not handled with care; any product made from it needs precise measurements; otherwise, it can be fatal.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± There was confidence in his voice.


    The lady sighed and asked, ¡°How many would you like?¡±


    ¡°All of them!¡± he said without hesitation.


    After buying eight Sleep Flowers for three silver coins, he went to another store and bought some jars of vinegar for five bronze ships.


    ¡®I can get the salt and alcohol from the sect¡¯s storage.¡¯


    Almost an hour had passed¡ªthe time to pick up his things was approaching.


    He walked back to the craft shop.


    Opening the door, the sound of the bell spread through the place, and when he entered, the attendant didn¡¯t come to greet him as last time.


    The sound of a female voice was coming from the shop¡¯s corridor.


    ¡®They must be dealing with another customer.¡¯


    Tristan waited a few seconds, but no one came to assist him.


    Not wanting to waste time, he went looking for Chiu.


    When he reached the corridor, he heard the woman¡¯s voice he had previously heard coming from the third door, and her tone sounded quite irritated.


    Without any decorum, he opened the door and entered.


    He saw various human sculptures made of different materials like bronze, plaster, and marble.


    There were four people inside that room; Moeh Chiu was the only one he recognized. Next to him was a short man with wrinkled skin; his hands looked rough and bore some scars.


    In front of them stood a young couple.


    The lady, probably in her early twenties, wore a long green oriental-style dress with many jewels attached to the fabric. Her black hair was tied in a bun, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she had an angry expression on her face. Everything about her posture indicated she was someone of high status, at least compared to the people she was arguing with.


    The last was a tall young man of average appearance, looking a few years younger than the woman. He was dressed in the classic white-and-black martial artist attire. There was a symbol on the back of his outfit that caught Tristan¡¯s attention, as he felt he had seen it before.


    The symbol was a circle with two figures in its center; in the upper half was a white carp with its head facing right, and in the lower half was a black skeletal carp with its skull facing left.


    An expression of understanding appeared on Tristan¡¯s face, and his lips curled in disdain.


    ¡®A disciple of the Southern Carp Body and Spirit Sect,¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 61: Social difference

    Tristan analyzed the disciple of the South Carp Body and Spirit Sect. Although the long robes made it difficult to observe, he judged that the young man was not very athletic and that his body might not be very developed. He assumed that the person in front of him was not a dedicated martial artist, and when his eyes landed on the white sash around the man¡¯s abdomen, his concerns faded.


    "How dare you call yourself a sculptor?" a female voice spoke, drawing his attention again.


    After losing interest in the sect disciple who reminded him of unpleasant memories, Tristan turned his gaze to the lady in a green dress, trying to understand her confrontation with the shop employees.


    ¡°Miss Nauchang, please calm down. If you''re not satisfied with your sculpture, we can make another one,¡± Chiu said, trying to appease the situation.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with this sculpture. I¡¯ve been the best sculptor on this side of Zaguhan for over twenty years; even the city lord has praised my work. Who does this young woman think she is to question my talent as a sculptor?¡± said the older employee beside Chiu.


    ¡°Please, Mr. Jinbue, don¡¯t make things worse!¡± Chiu whispered while adjusting his glasses.


    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s nothing wrong with this sculpture? Are you saying my face looks like this? Don¡¯t you know what family I belong to? My name is Neilin from the Nauchang family; my grandmother was a councilor of the former city lord. How dare a mere craftsman like you disagree with me?¡± She said, snapping her purple fan closed and pointing it in Jinbue¡¯s direction as if to strike him.


    ¡°Miss Nauchang, please wait. Don¡¯t you think this reaction might be a bit exaggerated?¡± asked Chiu.


    ¡°An exaggerated reaction? Next week will be my twenty-third birthday. All I wanted was a sculpture for my party, but that won¡¯t be possible with a sculpture this fat!¡± she said through gritted teeth.


    Tristan looked at where Neilin pointed, seeing a full-body sculpture carved in a type of white marble-like stone.


    "Fat?" Her words brought confusion to his mind. Observing her appearance, he judged her weight was likely below average, while the sculpture was quite an accurate representation of her body proportions.


    He found the entire conversation nonsensical.


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t like the sculpture? It looks good to me,¡± Chiu said, trying to reason with her.


    ¡°It looks nothing like me! My cheeks aren¡¯t that round, and my nose isn¡¯t that flat,¡± she turned to Mohan and said, ¡°You agree with me, don¡¯t you? This sculpture looks very different from me; am I not right?¡±


    Mohan¡¯s body trembled slightly as he looked from the sculpture to Neilin. ¡°Yes, of course, completely different!¡± he said, his tone a little thin.


    ¡°Mr. Jinbue, couldn¡¯t you make the changes the lady wants?¡± Chiu asked.


    ¡°My sculptures are perfect, and I take pride in that. They reflect reality with precision; there¡¯s nothing wrong with them!¡± The old sculptor declared with indignation in his voice.


    ¡°You dare to refuse the requests of a lady from the Nauchang Family?¡± Neilin¡¯s voice was sharp as a blade.


    ¡°If I criticize this shop, no one will ever set foot here again¡­¡± Neilin¡¯s words were interrupted when her body was pushed aside. She took a few clumsy steps before regaining her balance.


    ¡°Oh! How dare you!¡± Neilin pronounced these words while looking to the side, trying to identify who had pushed her.


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    ¡°Young master Dusk?¡± said Chiu, surprised.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Moeh, I came to see if my things were ready,¡± Tristan spoke.


    ¡°Who are you, brat?¡± Neilin¡¯s companion said irritably.


    He looked at Tristan¡¯s back, recognizing his sect immediately from the clothes he wore, his lips curving in disdain.


    ¡°Do you think you can interrupt a noble lady¡¯s matters and go unpunished?¡± he said, stepping closer.


    ¡°As a mere disciple of the Flying Sword Sect, how dare you act so arrogantly before me?¡± His face bore a deep scowl. ¡°Do you know who the woman you pushed is? She¡¯s Juen Mohan¡¯s companion; I¡¯ll put you in your place, bastard!¡±


    Mohan grabbed Tristan¡¯s left shoulder, his fingers pressing with unnatural strength.


    Tristan turned his face, narrowed his eyes at Mohan, and said, ¡°Take your hands off me.¡±


    ¡°A foreigner? Besides not respecting the sect hierarchy, you¡¯re also an invading rat¡­¡± Suddenly, his words were cut off, and his eyes roamed over Tristan¡¯s small figure. With his abnormally pale skin, jet-black eyes, and hair, along with his foreign features distinctly different from the local people, he was not someone easily forgotten.


    A look of recognition appeared on Mohan¡¯s face.


    ¡°You!¡± he swallowed hard.


    Memories of the admission test of the South Carp Body and Spirit Sect from a few months ago crossed his mind, making him take a step back.


    ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to put this foreigner in his place?¡± She shot a furious glare at Tristan, but her eyes widened when she saw the red sash on his body. She backed away from him and moved behind Mohan.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a child; it wouldn¡¯t be honorable for me to fight someone so young,¡± Mohan said awkwardly.


    ¡°But, but what about my sculpture? What are we going to do about it?¡± she insisted.


    ¡°We can resolve it later; maybe there¡¯s still time to find another sculptor.¡± He said while gently guiding her out.


    Chiu and Jinbue remained in awkward silence as Chiu dragged Neilin away, but Tristan¡¯s voice caught their attention.


    ¡°So, are the things I ordered ready?¡±


    Tristan crossed the walls and headed toward the slums around the city center. He looked around and, with a leap, climbed atop a small house, hanging onto the roof with one hand and grabbing a curtain covering a window with the other.


    Jumping over houses, he moved toward the poorer areas, occasionally glancing at the people below. His gaze turned to an old beggar lying on the ground. ¡®Too old,¡¯ he thought.


    He continued observing the homeless while looking for something until he saw a small figure. A child sitting in an alley caught his attention, but he was soon disappointed when he saw the child¡¯s thin body, pale skin, and red spots. ¡®This one won¡¯t do, next.¡¯


    After searching a bit longer, he thought he¡¯d found what he was looking for. Three young men were wandering the streets, carefully watching the people passing by.


    Looking at their appearance, Tristan thought, ¡®They should do.¡¯


    He wrapped the curtain around himself, hiding every part of his sect attire, and jumped from the roof. Tristan ran his hand through his hair, covering his eyes with a fringe, and walked toward the streets, pulling out some silver coins and counting them carelessly.


    It didn¡¯t take long for someone to approach him.


    ¡°Hey kid, are you lost? Need some help?¡±


    Tristan looked forward and saw a young boy around his own age. The thin boy wore old, torn clothes, his face had a few pimples, and some of his teeth were missing.


    With a look of surprise and confusion, Tristan glanced around. ¡°Um, where am I? I was taking my morning walk around the arts district when I got a bit distracted; this place looks strange.¡±


    He scratched his head and asked, ¡°I think I got lost. Do you know which way to go to the arts district or Jade Park?¡±


    The boy in front of him looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know any place here with those names. Are you from the city center?¡±


    Tristan nodded.


    ¡°Well, then you¡¯re really far from home. We¡¯re outside the walls.¡±


    Tristan¡¯s mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened slightly.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! How will I get back home?¡± Tristan put his hands on his face, pretending to panic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± the boy said. ¡°People call me Diji. I know this place well; I can help you get back home.¡±


    ¡°Really? You seem like a kind person. Thank the spirits; I¡¯m very lucky. I promise I¡¯ll reward you for your help.¡± Tristan spoke, trying to seem like an innocent child, but his tone remained cold and monotonous.


    ¡°Here, follow me; it won¡¯t take long. I know a shortcut that¡¯ll take us to the walls quickly.¡± Diji pointed toward an alley.


    Seeing the grimy, dark place, Tristan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°This place looks strange. Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± he asked Diji.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I pass through here every day. There¡¯s no problem here.¡± Diji replied.


    As he walked toward the alley, Tristan caught a glimpse of the other two boys approaching behind him.

 Chapter 62: Criminal Sects

    He entered the alley and kept walking at his usual pace. Diji was saying something but he wasn''t paying attention. He looked at the ground, seeing creatures resembling cockroaches and rats; others were so different that he had no Earthly reference to compare them to.


    Those were animals he didn¡¯t recognize, and they caught his attention. However, after a moment, he felt something sharp press against his back. As he had already been circulating his vital energy throughout his body from the moment he entered the alley, he simply moved his arm backward as swiftly as a snake''s strike, grabbing his attacker¡¯s arm before he could cut his clothes.


    He yanked the boy behind him with force, tossing him like a doll toward Diji.


    Tristan looked back and saw a third boy turn and try to run away, but with just three swift steps, he closed the distance, appearing in front of him like an apparition.


    Clicking his tongue, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not cool to abandon your friends when they¡¯re in trouble.¡± Tristan kicked the boy in the chest, sending him flying toward the others. He used essence but restrained his strength to avoid breaking his ribs.


    ¡°Hey, kid, you better not mess with us! Do you know who you''re dealing with? We¡¯re members of the Bandits Sect; you''ve heard what happens to those who mess with us, right?¡± Diji shouted his threat.


    ¡®Bandits Sect? Could he be telling the truth? Hmm, if so, this might be my lucky day,¡¯ he thought. It was a possible scenario. The Bandits Sect, like the Beggars Sect, was well known for using children as the base of its operations.


    ¡°Really? I think I¡¯ve heard of you: trafficking illicit substances, murders, thefts, and demolishing the homes of common people who refuse to pay your ridiculous fees. That¡¯s the sort of thing you guys usually do, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Tristan stepped forward, grabbed Diji, and threw him to the ground. Then he stomped on his left hand, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the air.


    The boy let out a scream of pain.


    ¡°You bastard, didn¡¯t you hear who we are? Aren¡¯t you afraid of us?¡± Diji said, tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I heard you just fine, and I don¡¯t care. Do you think any martial artist would fear this pathetic sect of yours?¡± Tristan¡¯s lips curved into a sneer. ¡°Actually, that only made me angry. I was going to offer you a great deal, but now that I know you¡¯re part of a criminal organization, maybe I should break a few of your bones first.¡±


    Tristan pressed his foot down on Diji¡¯s right arm. ¡°I don¡¯t usually do good deeds, but stopping you from making some parents cry in the future might not be a bad idea.¡± The Bandits Sect was infamous for kidnapping young people and forcing them into terrible tasks.


    ¡°Wait, wait, I lied! We¡¯re not from the Bandits Sect, I swear. I just wanted to scare you.¡± Tristan pressed down harder on his arm.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Please, I beg you, we¡¯re low-ranking members of the Beggars Sect. Have mercy on us; we¡¯ll do whatever you want,¡± Diji said, panicking.


    The other two boys knelt and pressed their foreheads to the ground.


    ¡°Please, forgive us! We¡¯re just kids,¡± one of them pleaded.


    A small smile appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯m also just a kid, and you tried to stab me in the back a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°But we had no choice. This is the only way we can survive here!¡± the third boy said.


    ¡°Please! Spare my arm; I won¡¯t survive without it!¡± Diji pleaded once more.


    After pressing them further, Tristan was satisfied to discover that the boys were members of the Beggars Sect. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Bandits Sect, although it was one of the most infamous criminal organizations on the continent. Only its headquarters had considerable power; its branches generally didn¡¯t have enough strength to rival local sects.


    The Beggars Sect also had a terrible reputation, though it was nowhere near as bad as the Bandits Sect. They were weaker, so the risk of this causing trouble for Tristan in the future wasn¡¯t too high.


    ¡°Whatever, at least the Beggars Sect isn¡¯t as disgusting as the Bandits Sect. Like I said earlier, I have a mission for you. You¡¯ll make a lot more money from this than robbing those poor people on the streets.¡±


    Tristan took ten copper coins and tossed them on the ground.


    The children¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight.


    ¡°I can give you more of these if you help me.¡±


    ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± Diji asked.


    ¡°Gather the other youths living on the streets for me. Look for those who seem healthier. Tell them I¡¯ll reward everyone.¡±


    The boys exchanged glances and said, ¡°Got it, boss!¡±


    ¡®No questions? No curiosity or attempts to refuse?¡¯ He looked into the boys¡¯ eyes and saw no sign of hesitation. ¡®They must be used to strange requests because of the life they live,¡¯ he thought, feeling something close to pity.


    ¡°All right, don¡¯t make me wait too long,¡± he said to the boys before they ran out of the alley.


    ¡®Well, now I just have to wait.¡¯


    He sat in the alley, wondering if he¡¯d done enough to secure their obedience. About ten minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching. He saw the three boys he¡¯d spoken with earlier, but who accompanied them wasn¡¯t what he had asked for.


    Tristan rolled his eyes, but he wasn¡¯t too disappointed because he¡¯d already expected something like this to happen.


    An adult man dressed in old, dirty clothes entered the alley. He had a thick black beard, and his yellow teeth were visible in his wide smile. He walked with firm, confident steps.


    His eyes lit up as he saw Tristan, as if in front of a pot of gold¡ªat least for a few seconds. After that, all his right eye saw was darkness.


    Without him realizing it, an object had struck his face, deeply piercing his eye. It all happened so fast that the pain only came after his surprise faded and he understood what had happened.


    Crimson blood gushed from his right eye, and he let out a screaming of pain.


    Tristan found some amusement in seeing the panic-stricken expressions on the three boys'' faces.


    The boys were wide-eyed, staring at their senior¡¯s face. A small piece of bronze-colored metal, oddly shaped like a dart, was embedded in his eye.


    ¡°My eye, my eye, what did you do to my eye?¡± The old beggar raised his hand to his face; instead of his eye, his fingers felt a smooth, pointed, cold surface.


    He tried to pull it out, but his fingers were too thick for the task.


    The boys were trembling, cold sweat dripping down their faces. ¡°A coin. He threw a coin into his eye!¡± one of the boys said.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Diji said in shock.


    Tristan turned to the boys and asked with his usual expressionless face while his right fingers toyed with another bronze coin, ¡°Hey, about that mission I gave you¡ªI¡¯m in a hurry, you know?¡±


    The three boys paled at his words and said in unison, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re on it, boss!¡± They turned and ran off in fright.


    Watching the backs of the young bandits as they left the alley, Tristan turned to the old beggar writhing in pain on the ground. ¡°Return my coin when you¡¯re done whining.¡±

 Chapter 63: Test after test

    Tristan waited for Diji and the others to return. He was sitting on the edge of an old house¡¯s roof near the alley he was in earlier, his feet swinging back and forth as he cleaned the bloodstains off a bronze coin with a cloth.


    The light was fading as night approached, which in most places in that world signaled bedtime. The street activity was no longer as intense as in the afternoon, which was convenient for him.


    He turned his head to the side when he noticed someone approaching. It was Diji and his two companions. Again, they were not alone, but this time it wasn¡¯t an old, bearded beggar accompanying them. Tristan observed five other youths entering the alley, some of whom looked slightly younger than him, while others were older.


    All of them were dirty and wearing filthy clothes. ''Looks like they obeyed me this time,'' he thought. Judging by their appearance, he assumed they were all beggars, which indicated that his orders had been followed correctly. For a moment, he thought Diji and the others might kidnap children from nearby homes to save time¡ªnot that he¡¯d have had a problem with it.


    As Diji and the other children entered the alley, they looked around, searching for Tristan.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here! This better not be one of your tricks,¡± one of the older boys said, casting an irritated look at Diji and his companions.


    Tristan grabbed a wooden box nearby with one hand and jumped down toward the alley, surprising them with his sudden appearance.


    Seeing their worried expressions, Tristan spoke, ¡°As they may have told you, I need your help with something. I will reward you regardless of the outcome.¡±


    One of the boys hesitantly asked Tristan, ¡°What do you need us to do?¡±


    ¡°First, I want you to answer a few things,¡± Tristan said, then asked a series of awkward and embarrassing questions about their personal lives and health over the past few days, looking for any signs of serious illness.


    Due to his lack of knowledge, he wouldn¡¯t be able to detect dangerous viruses or bacteria, so this method was the only option he had at the moment. He considered testing noble children from the city center, who would be much healthier and present a much lower risk of contamination, but given the number of tests he would need to conduct, he decided it wasn¡¯t worth drawing that much attention.


    They blushed at his questions, and some tried to refuse to answer, but a bronze coin for each of them was enough to get them talking. One boy and two girls were dismissed based on their answers, leaving Tristan with only two left to test.


    He performed a visual exam using his diagnostic ability and found nothing too concerning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the real test now,¡± Tristan said.


    One of the boys gathered his courage and asked, ¡°What do you need us to do?¡±


    ¡°I want your blood,¡± Tristan replied so directly that they seemed petrified.


    ¡°What!¡± they exclaimed in unison.


    ¡°Calm down. I only need a drop of blood,¡± he said while thinking, ''For now.''


    ¡°You won¡¯t die from this.¡±


    Tristan took a small sewing needle and pricked the fingers of the youths, letting a drop from each fall onto a piece of glass.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Then he reached inside his clothes and took out two small cups used for drinking alcohol, which he had acquired from the sect¡¯s kitchen. A bit of crimson liquid was in the cups¡ªYue¡¯s and Jaeng¡¯s blood. Occasionally, Tristan transferred a little Light essence to preserve their blood.


    With the sterilized needle, he took a drop of Yue¡¯s blood and mixed it with the others. Then he used his Tyrannical Eye ability to examine the reactions at a microscopic level.


    Blood type could be analyzed through a DNA test or by observing the reaction to the addition of an antigen. Analyzing DNA was entirely out of Tristan¡¯s reach, so he had only one option.


    In a normal blood-typing test, blood would be separated using a centrifuge and an antigen, i.e., a reagent, would be added to the red blood cells to see if they react with antibodies, indicating the presence of a specific blood type. With magic, Tristan could simplify the process by directly observing the reactions with his diagnostic spell.


    After analyzing the reaction with Yue¡¯s blood, he repeated the process with Jaeng¡¯s blood.


    ''Neither of them is compatible.'' He was disappointed, though not surprised.


    He ordered Diji and his friends to find more people.


    Test after test, Tristan ended up analyzing twenty-three youths throughout the night until he found four who were compatible with Yue¡¯s and Jaeng¡¯s blood.


    ''Apparently, neither of them had a rare blood type. Good to have a bit of luck once in a while.''


    He wanted to fill four jars with blood. He considered killing those young people to get all their blood at once but decided it was unnecessary to go to that extreme with innocent people in this situation.


    Therefore, he chose to wait until he found four compatible people.


    ¡°Well, now only the final step remains.¡± Tristan took four medium-sized jars from his bag. ¡°I need to fill these containers with your blood.¡±


    The youths before him turned pale at his words and took a step back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± one asked in fear.


    He shook his head. ¡°Not at all. You have almost ten jars¡¯ worth of blood in your body. One or two won¡¯t make a difference. You can trust me. I swear on my honor as a martial artist.¡± Tristan lied shamelessly¡ªhe had no idea how much blood he could safely take from people so young.


    ¡°Why do you need so much blood?¡± another youth dared to ask.


    ¡°This? Nothing serious; I¡¯m just performing a forbidden ritual.¡± Their expressions of horror at this made Tristan smile inwardly. ¡°Summoning Baloph, sacrificing this blood to him, and breaking my limiter so I can advance my cultivation and ascend to the heavens.¡± Judging by their horrified looks, his words were quite convincing, although anyone knowledgeable would think he was either stupid or suicidal.


    He said something so absurd as a diversion in case his actions reached problematic ears.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also give each of you four bronze ships if you help me.¡±


    The youths hesitated, the fear of the unknown filling their minds. However, seeing the coins made it difficult to ignore the call of necessity. They looked at each other as if waiting for someone else to decide first.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we anger the Spirits by helping you?¡± A girl murmured.


    ¡°You angered the Celestial Spirits before you were even born. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be living this kind of life. If you¡¯re so worried about the Spirits¡¯ opinion, donate the money to a temple and ask forgiveness for whatever you did in your past lives.¡± Tristan repeated phrases he had learned from local religions in recent months. Knowing the afterlife better than anyone, he didn¡¯t believe any of it.


    Tristan shook a sack of coins in front of them. ¡°You¡¯re free to decide. If you¡¯d rather spend this week hungry, I can look for others.¡±


    Finally, his words convinced them.


    With their permission, Tristan began the procedure.


    After leaving the craftsman¡¯s shop, he went to Jade Park and sterilized all the utensils with boiling water and fire.


    He took several sewing needles he¡¯d obtained from the sect; each had a hole in them created with dark magic.


    After filling all the jars with the extracted blood, the youths seemed relatively well. They were a bit slower, but he was satisfied that no one fainted in the process.


    As promised, he gave each of them four more bronze coins, enough to buy bread daily for about three weeks.


    He gave a few extra coins to Diji and his group¡ªall that spending made his heart ache.


    However, when he thought about what might happen if he didn¡¯t do this, he felt he¡¯d feel a bit worse letting someone like Yue die this way. As for Jaeng, he could collect on that later.


    Now that he had everything he needed, he was finally ready to return to the Flying Sword Sect. In the middle of the night, he ran back to the mountain at full speed.

 Chapter 64: Sleep salts and Farewells

    When Tristan arrived at the Flying Sword Sect, he didn¡¯t start the process immediately; he waited until midnight. At that hour, only the guards would be on watch, and the rest of the sect would be in a deep sleep.


    The disciples of the First Flying Dao rarely faced extreme risks; their training was less intense, and they didn¡¯t receive very dangerous missions. Meanwhile, those of the Second Dao were absent, so there would be minimal activity in the medical facilities.


    Tristan believed he could carry out his plans unnoticed; he didn¡¯t want to explain his knowledge to the people of the sect, as the risk of someone suspecting it was related to dark arts was not insignificant.


    His first concern was assessing Yue and Jaeng''s condition. Upon inspecting their bodies, he noticed that their wounds were healing at an impressive speed. The scars that marked their skin had become subtler, almost imperceptible.


    ''This must be a result of the healers'' Light magic,'' he thought as he observed their recovery. ''The effect of continuous healing seems to be more efficient than the immediate effect I saw previously.''


    He touched their skin, noting it was a bit cold.


    ''The downside,'' he reflected, ''is that this process must have taken a toll on their bodies, which are already very weakened.''


    Tristan took one of the blood jars made by old Moeh. The jar had a spout with a small hole at the top, and he carefully attached tubes to it, securing them with string to control the flow. The needle was firmly connected with wax, and, with great precision, he inserted it into their veins in an instant.


    The jars were then hung upside down on the wall of the room. Tristan would stay there until dawn to ensure the process continued without interruption. In the end, he would store and hide everything to avoid any suspicion.


    Before dawn, Tristan had already left the medical room. There was still plenty of blood remaining, so he would return at midnight again.


    He opened his bag and looked at the blue flowers inside; it was time to work on a new project.


    Tristan descended the mountain and found a place a bit away from the sect to have privacy. He lit a fire and then threw some stones on top of it to heat them. Then he put out the fire, leaving only the embers. He placed the sleep flowers in a pot and set them on top of the stones to slowly dehydrate them.


    He left it there for a few hours while he did other things.


    When he returned, he took the dried flowers and crushed them in a mortar until they turned into a powder.


    He placed the powder in a sturdy glass container and added some of the purest alcohol he had found in the sect. He stirred the mixture vigorously; if the plant''s biology was at all similar to plants from Earth, the alcohol would help dissolve the main substance responsible for the sedative and pain-relieving effects.


    Tristan took the container back to the sect. He would let the solution rest until the next day, occasionally stirring it to maximize the extraction.


    The second day began. Tristan checked on Yue, noticing that the color had partially returned to her face though she was still in a deep sleep, which dampened his hopes.


    Later that day, he took his container and poured its contents onto a linen cloth to separate the liquid from the plant residues. Next, he added vinegar to the mixture; as an acidic solution, the vinegar would help convert the flower¡¯s substance into water-soluble salts. He poured enough vinegar to cover the alcoholic extract and stirred the solution thoroughly.


    After some time, he poured the solution into a steel pot and placed it over a gentle fire to heat it slowly.


    After all the alcohol had evaporated, Tristan poured the blue liquid into a small glass container and let it rest for a while. Slowly, he saw the blue substance crystallize into small salts at the bottom of the jar.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    At the end of the process, he carefully removed the vinegar, leaving only the blue salts at the bottom. After collecting and drying them, he divided the salts into three small glass vials, each about the size of a thumb, and sealed them.


    That night, besides blood, Tristan also injected a bit of saline solution into their veins to keep them hydrated.


    On the morning of the third day, to his surprise, Yue and Jaeng finally woke up.


    As soon as they were examined by the healers, Tristan visited them immediately.


    He was currently sitting on Yue''s bed.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I feel a bit sluggish and tired, but I think I''m okay.¡± She sighed, ¡°The healers said we¡¯ll need to rest for the next few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Well, be grateful you¡¯re alive.¡± He recalled how the wave of monsters had engulfed her body; she was very lucky to have survived this time.


    ¡°Do you have any other symptoms? Like fever, diarrhea, nausea, or itching in strange places?¡±


    ¡°No? Why would I feel something like that?¡± She asked, confused.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Enjoy your time recovering. I¡¯ll see you again next month, probably.¡± Tristan said as he got up from the bed and headed toward the door.


    ¡°What? What do you mean by that? Where are you going?¡± Yue asked.


    ¡°To gather some magical herbs,¡± Tristan replied briefly.


    He felt a bit amused seeing the shocked expressions on their faces.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to that place alone? Are you crazy?¡± Jaeng exclaimed, finding Tristan¡¯s words absurd. ¡°Even if you reach the peaks alone, that place will likely turn into a battlefield between disciples from various sects; even you couldn¡¯t handle all that on your own.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right; it¡¯s too risky. Why don¡¯t you wait until I recover so I can help you on the trip?¡± Yue suggested.


    ¡°Did you forget what Master Sheng said? The magical herbs from the misty peaks reach their peak growth in the autumn and wither at the end of the season. Besides, if I take too long, the other disciples might take all the herbs.¡±


    Tristan decided to be considerate and gave her this answer, though he didn¡¯t like justifying his actions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry; it¡¯s not like I¡¯m planning a suicide mission for a few stupid herbs. I choose my battles carefully and know my limits.¡±


    He continued walking out.


    ¡°If the situation looks too difficult, I won¡¯t hesitate to leave. It¡¯s a journey of a few weeks, but if these herbs are as good as I¡¯ve heard, my cultivation level will advance in months or more.¡± He thought about his seemingly impossible goals. ¡°It¡¯s a risk worth taking for me.¡±


    Seeing the conviction in his eyes, Yue fell silent, giving up on trying to stop him; she simply looked at him with concern.


    ¡°Hey, Dusk, could you do me a favor?¡± Jaeng said, ¡°If you could tell my family that I¡¯ve woken up, I¡¯d be very grateful.¡±


    Tristan nodded and walked out the door.


    He went to the sect¡¯s library and took several maps with different routes. Drawing a straight line between Zaguhan and the region of the misty peaks, someone with the speed of a martial artist could get there in about three weeks.


    Of course, traveling this way wasn¡¯t possible outside the major countries. Monsters capable of destroying cities with a single breath roamed that world, and it only took a bit of bad luck to encounter one of them.


    Underestimating the danger of the monsters was akin to suicide.


    ''If it weren¡¯t for the mountain range surrounding it, a city as weak as Zaguhan would have probably been destroyed long ago.''


    He and Yue had already decided on a direction, but now that he was alone and the other disciples were already far ahead of him, he thought it best to look for another path.


    ''If I decide to take the safer routes, I might only arrive by late autumn.''


    Tristan wondered why the sect masters hadn¡¯t informed them earlier to increase their chances of finding the herbs, so he decided to investigate this matter.


    Almost all the students of the Second Dao from the other sects left at the same time. ''Unlike me, who had no idea this kind of thing existed because I only arrived recently, the children of noble families definitely knew about this annual event. Even so, they waited until the beginning of autumn.''


    ''This means that accepting the need to take risks to achieve a goal is part of these crazy people¡¯s ritual.''


    For a moment, he reflected on the discrepancy between the customs of that place and the county where he lived.


    ''Whatever, I should be grateful for this strange culture. If it were in the west, east, or south, I wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to touch these herbs.'' He remembered that in the western, eastern, and southern regions, rulers held a monopoly on all natural resources.


    ''I hope they never learn of this place; they¡¯d cross the central region in a second if they heard about a place like the misty peaks.''


    Tristan began reading about the riskier routes in the books and also researched the histories of those places in his Divine Fragment.


    After comparing all the options, he felt confident in a specific route. Most of the possible problems on that path seemed to have a reasonable risk. ''Except for this danger zone,'' there hadn¡¯t been sightings of monsters with calamity-level powers there, but the environment itself could be just as bad.


    However, Tristan was confident that with his skills, he could have a better chance of survival in that place.


    With a route decided, he made all the preparations for the journey, taking everything he thought would be necessary.


    Before leaving Zaguhan, he walked toward where Jaeng¡¯s family lived to inform them he had awakened.

 Chapter 65: Cursed Forest

    "What''s this?" Tristan asked.


    He went looking for Jaeng''s uncle and his family; after all, they were the only members of his family he knew where to find.


    They were greatly relieved to hear he was safe and showered Tristan with thanks, which only served to delay him and ruin his mood.


    As he was leaving, Jaeng''s cousin approached him, holding out her hands and handing him a paper bag with something inside, smiling as she did so.


    "These are bean cakes; they¡¯re my favorite treat. I created the recipe myself; I hope you like them," she said.


    Tristan nodded in thanks and bid them farewell.


    Walking through the streets, he popped the round treat into his mouth.


    The outer layer was soft, and the inner filling was very sweet with a light citrusy touch¡ªa combination he found quite appealing.


    There were twenty cakes in the bag, and he devoured them all in less than a minute.


    ¡®Finally, I found a decent treat in this place.¡¯ The people of Zaguhan generally preferred mildly flavored, low-sugar sweets. ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve found a treat as good as the ones Margaret used to make.¡¯ Tristan planned to look for Jaeng¡¯s cousin to get more bean cakes if he survived.


    He felt in good spirits to face the horrors of his next journey.


    Tristan spent the next few days traversing the woods around Zaguhan.


    As he traveled, he noticed a drastic change in the nature around him.


    The thin, vibrantly red-trunked trees were no longer there; the landscape around him was now filled with thick, brown, aged-looking trees. The tall green grass was gone, and the ground was as dry as a desert and slightly yellowed.


    The sky was dim and somber, and though the trees had almost no leaves, their branches were twisted and entangled, like a crowd of people embracing each other.


    Thick, gnarled roots sprawled everywhere, and Tristan¡¯s knee hit some of them. It was an easy place to trip if one didn¡¯t pay close attention.


    He opened his leather backpack and took out a map he had taken from the sect¡¯s library. Tristan looked at a place marked K¨± M¨´ L¨ªn. It was a region large enough to contain several human provinces, categorized as highly dangerous and uninhabitable for humans; the notes on the map warned of monsters in the area.


    He also saw that it was one of the fastest routes to reach the misty peaks.


    Tristan walked slowly through that place, planning to wait for the sun to disappear to proceed more freely.


    The place was silent; he heard no birds or other animals around. Looking around, all he could find were small insects.


    From the stories he had read in his Divine Fragment, he knew that many creatures in that region specialized in stealth.


    Tristan recalled a passage from a tale titled *Journey to the Cursed Prison of the West VI,* ¡®In K¨± M¨´ L¨ªn, no species is dominant; all are prey to each other. In that place cursed by drought, only the forest prevails, drinking the blood of the dead.¡¯


    He looked left and right, increasingly finding the silence strange and unnatural.


    ¡®Could it be that all the beings in this forest adapted to develop stealth and camouflage skills?¡¯


    His heart tightened with a feeling of apprehension; his instincts told him this place would be challenging and that he needed to be careful.


    He walked among trees and bushes, always trying to move through spots that blocked the view of potential enemies. He also used his diagnostic ability now and then, trying to locate tracks and estimate the size of the creatures living there.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After spending some time scanning the area around him, he decided it was best to rest; it would be much safer for him to travel at night. He couldn¡¯t see the exact position of the sun, but he felt a strange connection with the shadows around him, and his intuition told him it was mid-afternoon now with no doubt.


    He used his concealment ability and walked until he found the huge trunk of a fallen tree. After placing some bushes around him in a circle to cover his figure, he laid a cloth in the center and lay down.


    However, he didn¡¯t let his guard down. For the next twenty minutes, he focused his senses on the surroundings. Only after nothing happened did he decide to close his eyes and rest.


    ¡®What will haunt my dreams this time?¡¯


    The sound of glass breaking reached Tristan¡¯s ears, and he looked down to see the food on his plate spilled across the carpet.


    Valerie was standing before him with a piercing gaze and a look of disgust on her face.


    Tristan clenched his fists in anger. He didn¡¯t want to turn to the chair at the head of the table; seeking any help from that bastard would be utterly useless. Besides, he¡¯d rather eat glass shards than do that. However, he could still hear the sound of cutlery slicing through a piece of meat as if nothing was wrong, which deeply irritated him.


    He saw Vivian¡¯s young face looking at the scene with amusement, while Victor pretended to be distracted by something else.


    Even the mansion¡¯s servants around seemed uncomfortable with the scene.


    Only one person in that room could completely ignore Valerie¡¯s outbursts.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Do you think you¡¯re too good to eat off the floor?" Valerie took her wine glass and struck him on the head, shattering it and letting glass shards pierce his skin; purple wine dripped from his forehead along with red blood.


    Unexpectedly, the pain stopped, but not only that¡ªall his senses vanished. He couldn¡¯t hear, feel the warmth of the room, or smell anything; even his sense of taste was gone.


    Something had changed; he was no longer human.


    He was confused by his new body. Before, he had a soft body made of flesh, bones, and blood, but now he had a body as rigid as stone; rubbing his fingers, he felt small fragments of himself crumble from his body and fall to the ground like sand.


    A feeling of terror clouded his mind, only stopping when a wave of pain coursed through him, forcing him to face a new reality. Without realizing it, he had changed again; when his body hit the ground, glass shards entered his thin skin without effort, and a slimy liquid oozed from his wounds.


    Regaining some of his senses brought a bit of relief to his mind, but it didn¡¯t last long. When he tried to stand up, he realized his limbs had disappeared; his new body was much simpler than the previous one.


    "This worm-like appearance suits you well!" Valerie laughed at his suffering.


    She kicked him, sending him flying to the other side of the room and crashing into a wall.


    He squirmed on the floor in pain; his body felt like a useless prison.


    Then something strange happened.


    His attention was drawn to an odd sound, like someone beating a drum.


    The beats grew louder and faster.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice where the sound came from¡ªit was inside his chest; it was his heart, beating abnormally.


    The dream world crumbled, and Tristan felt as if he had been pulled back to reality. When he woke up, to his surprise, the strange feeling didn¡¯t disappear.


    Tristan opened his eyes, feeling his wet hair sticking to his forehead and his clothes damp; he was drenched in sweat.


    His eyes caught movement.


    Looking up, he saw dozens of small black dots in the night sky, flying.


    He only needed a few seconds to notice the characteristics of those beings.


    Bodies divided into three main parts covered by a black exoskeleton, six legs, nearly transparent wings, and a stinger at the back.


    ¡®Wasps?¡¯ he thought.


    The creatures before him reminded him of the wasps he had seen on Earth, but these were much larger, each about the size of an adult man¡¯s finger.


    Realizing the wasps were coming his way, he tried to step back, but then he noticed his left leg wasn¡¯t responding as quickly as it should. Looking down, he saw a large, round bump on his thigh that stood out even under his loose clothes¡ªthere was swelling nearly as big as his fist, with a wasp identical to the ones flying above piercing his flesh.


    ¡®How did I not feel that?¡¯ Quickly, he moved his right hand toward the wasp and used his Dark Blade ability, slicing through the creature''s stinger.


    ¡®I need to get out of here!¡¯ Tristan pulled the stinger out.


    His left leg was slightly numb, and his heart was still pounding like a racing horse.


    Gathering his essence in his right leg, he grabbed his backpack and jumped onto the tree trunk.


    With his dark blade, Tristan cut down the approaching wasps ruthlessly; with just one swing of his arm, more than five wasps were sliced in half.


    He clicked his tongue, seeing the other dozens of wasps flying his way. This stirred his heart; his leg was still numb, and it seemed his regenerative abilities would need some time to counter this effect.


    Expanding his focus and sharpening his mind, he began calculating his chances of defeating the group of enemies before him without ending up incapacitated.


    Suddenly, he noticed movement in the tree leaves above his head.


    His eyes widened, and a chill ran down his spine.


    ¡®Why don¡¯t they ever end?¡¯


    Approaching like a cloud, Tristan saw an uncountable number of wasps in the sky.


    He didn¡¯t panic; although cold sweat ran down his back, his mind was clear and undoubted; he knew what he had to do.


    With a backward leap, his body spun through the air before he hit the ground. Turning his back to the wasps, he ran as fast as he could with his injured leg.


    He didn¡¯t know where he was going, but he thought anywhere was better than staying there.

 Chapter 66: The Hunter-Part I

    ''Won''t they give up?''


    Tristan ran as far as he could, yet the wasps still pursued him relentlessly.


    To make matters worse, running faster than creatures that could fly, especially with an injured leg, was no easy task.


    He tried to lose them by weaving through trees and bushes, but the swarm of insects wasn¡¯t easily fooled. Their senses were unusually sharp, able to detect his attempts at concealment.


    Tristan knew he couldn¡¯t keep going much longer. Fatigue weighed on his muscles, and he started feeling the strain in every movement. He jumped through some bushes, but as he stepped on a pile of dry leaves, something strange happened¡ªhe couldn¡¯t move his foot. It felt like something was pulling him down.


    In a hurry, he reached down and brushed away the leaves, revealing the cause of his problem: fine, sticky white threads spread out like a web, anchoring him in place.


    The threads were elastic and clung to him like glue.


    Tristan pulled, but he couldn¡¯t break free. Seeing the wasps closing in, he wasted no time and created a black blade to cut through the threads. But what happened next left him speechless: a white light burst from the web, causing the cut threads to reconnect, returning to their original form.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he muttered, frustrated.


    He continued trying to cut the web until, suddenly, a creature landed on his shoulder.


    It was a small black spider, its body covered in a strange white liquid that looked like glue.


    Before Tristan realized it, a giant web had formed, covering a large area around him. Before his eyes, an army of spiders was now fighting the swarm of wasps that had been chasing him.


    More spiders began landing on him; they were fragile, and Tristan had no trouble crushing them.


    Unfortunately, there were too many. For each one he killed, five more appeared.


    Hundreds of spiders spun webs around him.


    The creatures moved with terrifying intelligence, as if they knew exactly how to trap him. They swarmed around his legs, crawled up to his head, and began binding him with meticulous precision.


    Desperately, Tristan searched through his backpack.


    He grabbed a glass bottle containing a transparent liquid and a blue crystal. Removing the lid, Tristan tossed the bottle into the center of the web above his head.


    By now, his body was almost completely covered in webs, and the spiders were on the verge of encasing him in a cocoon. Anxiously, he began rubbing the crystal between his hands, drawing out its core essence. Focusing, Tristan concentrated on altering the properties of his natural essence.


    Electrons could be easily removed through friction, creating an electrical potential difference. If the generated electric charge exceeded the air''s resistance, an electric discharge would occur in the form of lightning.


    Small sparks began flickering around his hands. He moved with difficulty, feeling like he was being wrapped up like a mummy.


    He held the crystal tightly in his right hand, gathering his strength. He struggled against the spider web, aiming toward where he¡¯d thrown the bottle, and a tiny, hair-thin bolt of lightning shot from his hand.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    As the lightning touched the damp web, yellow and orange flames spread quickly.


    Dozens of charred spider bodies fell to the ground.


    Soon, the flame spread to where Tristan was, burning the web around him along with some of his skin. When the web weakened enough, Tristan gathered his strength and circulated essence through his body.


    Propelling himself forward, he managed to escape the terrible trap.


    He looked up, watching the flames spread to the tree leaves as the wasps and spiders continued their deadly clash.


    While he was focused on the battle above, he was caught off guard¡ªsomething struck him from behind, sending him flying through the air.


    Whatever hit him had considerable force. He hit the ground a few meters from where he had been.


    An intense pain coursed through his body, but he just gritted his teeth. After all, pain was an old acquaintance of his.


    He stood up, a bit dizzy, and turned to face his unknown attacker.


    What he saw was an enormous toad, about half his height.


    The toad opened its wide mouth, and its tongue shot out, covering the distance between them in an instant.


    Tristan managed to dodge the attack by leaping to the side.


    He had to touch the ground with his weakened left leg, causing him to briefly lose his balance and stumble.


    The toad¡¯s tongue struck the wasps flying behind him, and as it retracted, the toad swallowed the wasps in one gulp.


    The toad flexed its legs and leaped toward him again, its head tilted down, revealing the bony plating on its head.


    Just as his enemy was about to reach Tristan, something strange happened. A projectile dropped from the tree branches above, piercing the toad''s back.


    Tristan stared in surprise. He saw a kind of bone spear impaling the toad. Still in the air, the toad was lifted by a vine attached to the spear.


    He blinked a few times in confusion.


    ''What kind of place is this?''


    In that ancient, cursed forest, Tristan¡¯s last few days had been a constant test of endurance and caution. A week had passed since he arrived in the forest of tall, winding trees, where he had to be wary of potential dangers lurking in every corner.


    At that moment, his breathing was fast but controlled. He was running at full speed, occasionally glancing back to see a group of seven boar-like beasts chasing him relentlessly.


    They had dark orange fur and two long, white tusks, so sharp they looked capable of piercing large rocks. Each was barely half the size of an adult man''s leg.


    He¡¯d observed these boars manipulating the ground with vital essence emanating from their bodies, so he knew they were magical beasts. Individually, they weren¡¯t a significant threat to him or most creatures in the forest, but together, their numbers and combined abilities were enough to intimidate even the forest¡¯s fiercest inhabitants.


    In Tristan''s memory, the sight of a three-headed bear¡ªusually one of the most feared predators in the area¡ªfleeing like a frightened kitten before the wrath of this group was still vivid. He was grateful to have witnessed it before accidentally provoking them himself.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize how dangerous it was to challenge the creatures of this place without knowing their abilities and characteristics.


    The sound of a grunt grew close, and Tristan ducked just in time to see a boar charge through the spot he¡¯d occupied a moment before.


    The beast collided with a tree trunk, creating a large hole and sending wood splinters flying.


    Two other boars lowered their snouts to the ground, and the earth shifted, forming spheres that the boars launched at Tristan.


    With a swift movement, he dodged and used a tree as a shield.


    ''Damn it, where is that bastard?''


    Suddenly, the surroundings changed. A wave of gray smoke spread through the trees and bushes, quickly covering the area and radiating a powerful, wild aura. Seeing the atmosphere become denser and hazier, Tristan¡¯s lips curled into a small smile.


    ''It seems the guest of honor has arrived at this party.''


    Of course, Tristan hadn¡¯t been running without a destination. His target wasn¡¯t the boars but the owner of this territory.


    The smoke spread over the ground and climbed to the treetops, plunging the normally dim forest into total darkness.


    Yet he could clearly see a black deer emerging through the trees. The creature was larger than an adult human, with skin covered in small holes that opened and closed, releasing dense smoke.


    Tristan smiled.


    He thought about how terrible boar meat tasted; the last time he ate it, his teeth almost broke, and he had to use dark magic to cut it into pieces he could swallow.


    Tristan wondered what the meat of a smoked deer would taste like, hoping it would be much better.

 Chapter 67: The Hunter-Part II

    Gray smoke completely covered the area around Tristan and the boars. There seemed to be some kind of aura in that thing, exuding a sense of dominance.


    Tristan held his breath. He had spent a long time watching the black stag from a distance, which allowed him to discover some of its abilities. This was precisely why he had the confidence to create a plan.


    His natural vision was completely blocked; it was as if he were in a world of smoke.


    Looking at the agitated boars, he noticed they seemed confused by the change in environment, moving in a disordered manner.


    The magical smoke irritated Tristan''s eyes, making them water; the burning sensation was so intense it felt as if someone had thrown pepper into his eyes. But he endured it without much trouble¡ªcompared to all the pain he had felt in all his previous lives, this was nothing.


    The biggest problem was that the smoke was toxic. A martial artist like Tristan could hold his breath longer than ordinary people, and the fact that he cultivated the element of Light was very effective in such situations. But he was still only a mortal and had his limits.


    He couldn''t let this fight drag on too long.


    Tristan drew his sword from the sheath at his waist.


    The stag furiously charged toward those who dared to invade its territory, its hooves pounding hard against the ground, leaving holes where it passed.


    Tristan put his entire body on high alert. He knew that being hit by that beast would be no different from being struck by a high-speed car.


    Moving first, Tristan managed to avoid the creature¡¯s rush, while the boars, on the other hand, struggled to adapt their senses.


    The stag lowered its large, twisted antlers, hitting a boar and sending it flying toward a tree. When it collided, the boar¡¯s body exploded from the impact, with flesh, bones, and blood flying through the air. Smelling the blood, the other boars went into a frenzy. Two of them approached their fallen companion''s remains and began to devour them greedily.


    In seconds, every piece of their former ally was inside their stomachs, leaving the ground completely clean.


    Tristan knew what would come next.


    This was one of the reasons boars were so feared in this forest. The fur of the two boars bristled, their eyes gleamed with a savage light, and the muscles in their bodies expanded. With a loud grunt, they charged in fury toward the stag.


    The other boars also didn¡¯t seem as dazed as before; it seemed they had gotten used to the effects of the smoke. Two of them ran toward Tristan.


    ''Finally, the first part of my plan worked. Boars are one of the few beast species that can keep up with the speed of a stag. And their sense of smell is so sharp that even with this toxic smoke, they can navigate. They¡¯re the perfect allies for this fight.¡¯


    Seeing the two boars lowering their heads, Tristan thought, ¡®Now, I just need to avoid being killed by them.¡¯


    He ran toward the stag, using the creature¡¯s body to block the stones. ¡®I need to stay on the opposite side of the boars so we can attack the stag from both sides; that¡¯s our only chance of victory.¡¯ The attack struck the stag¡¯s body, but it showed no discomfort. The stone sank into the creature¡¯s body, then ricocheted off.


    However, when one of the strengthened boars leaped and struck its back, the stag took a step to the side.


    The stag stomped its hooves on the ground in anger, releasing an even darker smoke from every pore of its body.


    The boars around it staggered.


    But before the stag could attack them again, Tristan acted. He moved his sword, making a cross-slash toward the right side of the beast. That creature was so large that hitting it wasn¡¯t too difficult if one could keep up with its speed.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    With its incredible agility, the creature dodged Tristan¡¯s sword. But then he spun, delivering a horizontal kick, and a black blade appeared on his leg, slicing part of the stag''s belly.


    Before he could continue his attack, Tristan noticed that one of the strengthened boars was targeting him, charging in his direction. To dodge, Tristan jumped backward, twisting his body in the air.


    Having missed Tristan, the speeding boar had to adjust to change direction.


    However, the black stag didn¡¯t waste this opportunity. It raised the upper part of its body and came down with its hooves on the boar, crushing it like an insect.


    More stones flew through the air, hitting the stag¡¯s head this time.


    The stag turned in the boar''s direction and rushed toward it, as fast as the wind. When the two collided, the boar was thrown far, landing with its four legs broken.


    Seizing the stag''s distraction, Tristan stealthily approached using his concealment skill.


    [Shadow Aura]


    With a piercing attack, he plunged his sword into the stag¡¯s thigh.


    One of the regular boars began feeding on the corpse of the mutant boar, while the other two went toward the one with broken legs, still alive and screaming.


    For a moment, its screams grew much louder until they faded away.


    Now, the three remaining boars were strengthened. One of them ran at full speed, striking the stag¡¯s left hind leg, almost causing it to fall. Meanwhile, the other two leaped onto the stag¡¯s right and left sides, crushing it.


    However, their condition didn¡¯t look good. Their legs trembled, and they could barely stay on their feet.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s it; it seems their end has arrived.¡¯


    The stag approached one of the boars and pinned its body with its hoof.


    ¡®Even injured and outnumbered, the stag is on a higher evolutionary level. Such a difference doesn¡¯t disappear easily.¡¯


    Then it swiftly turned and ran toward the other two.


    The boars still tried to fight; from the outside, their bodies were full of strength, but inside, it was a different story.


    With its enormous antlers, the stag impaled both boars at once, lifting its head with the two carcasses of its enemies still stuck on its antlers, then turned to Tristan.


    Until now, everything was going according to Tristan¡¯s plans. Although the characteristics of the boars allowed them to last a long time in a confrontation with the leader of this territory, as far as he knew, they had no way to deal with the toxic effects of the smoke, so their defeat was only a matter of time.


    What would determine the success of his plan was how they would be defeated, and to his surprise, the boars exceeded his expectations.


    Tristan felt his chest burning; he was nearing his limit. Storing his sword, he extended his right arm, and a black blade appeared in his hand.


    [Dark Blade]


    It was no time to save vital energy; he needed to end this now.


    Tristan faced the creature, almost four times his size, without feeling intimidated.


    He ran toward the beast.


    Although limping, the stag approached almost as fast as he did, swinging its head at Tristan and throwing the two carcasses in his direction.


    Circulating essence throughout his body, Tristan dodged the carcasses with agility. He leaped toward the stag¡¯s head, gathering a large amount of essence for his blade.


    The creature aimed its antlers at Tristan''s abdomen; taking advantage of the fact that the beast was slower, he grabbed the antlers with his left hand and used them to push himself even higher.


    With a spin, he plunged his black blade into the creature¡¯s spine, making it fall to the ground.


    Without wasting time, Tristan moved to the stag¡¯s neck and slashed it in one motion.


    The head of the now-former leader of that territory fell to the ground.


    The smoke dispersed.


    He took a deep breath, his heart filled with relief.


    Tristan saw that cursed forest again.


    With the fight over, it was time to collect his rewards.


    [You acquired 2 Red Fragments]


    ¡­


    [You acquired 2 Red Fragments]


    [You acquired 1 Orange Fragment]


    Tristan activated his runes.


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 11


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Mist Orange


    Talents:


    Abilities: [Tyrannical Eye II ] [Dark Blade II ] [Fallen Grace I] [Shadow Aura II]


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the Book The Tales of the Creation of Heaven and Earth]


    Red Fragments: 20


    Orange Fragments: 2


    ¡®Not bad,¡¯ the lack of more artifacts made him sad, but if he accumulated enough wealth, he could solve this one day.


    After collecting the cores, Tristan cut some parts of the stag¡¯s body and stored its meat. Leaving that place before any mishaps occurred, he began to return to his camp. As he walked, he passed by the tree that had been partially destroyed by one of the boars.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed before due to the situation he was in, but now something seemed unusual. Approaching, he noticed an opening in the trunk¡ªa hollow cavity. Intrigued, he reached his hand into the darkness, and soon his fingers touched a pile of strange objects.


    Silver coins, an ancient compass, rings of various sizes, a rusty dagger¡­ and seeds. Many seeds.


    ¡®Someone¡¯s secret stash?¡¯ Tristan thought.


    Looking at the coins, he concluded, ¡®Whoever it was probably doesn¡¯t need this money anymore,¡¯ so he took the coins and ignored the rest since it had no use for him.


    Satisfied with an unexpected reward, Tristan left calmly.

 Chapter 68: The Hunter-Part III

    Tristan was returning to his resting spot, a small space surrounded by dense trees.


    He placed his backpack on the ground, dug a hole, and built a small fire inside. He took out generous pieces of deer meat and set them to roast. Tristan covered part of the hole with leaves and branches, leaving only a small opening.


    He used the time to study his map. Although he didn¡¯t know his exact location, he estimated he was about halfway through this cursed forest.


    Sigh.


    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t spent so much time investigating this place and searching for a safe route, I could have crossed this forest in just three days.¡¯ However, he had no choice but to take a cautious approach. He knew that wandering carelessly in this place could mean the end of his life.


    ¡®I need to finish this quickly. I must take advantage of the deer¡¯s territory being empty.¡¯ Obtaining tender meat and an orange core weren¡¯t the only reasons Tristan had risked his life battling such a powerful foe. These factors heavily influenced his decision, but there was another, far more important reason.


    He simply had no other option. Sometimes, a beast or a group of creatures would take control of a small area of the forest, becoming the leader of that territory until they were replaced by another. This happened often. In recent days, he had scouted the area and discovered that to proceed, he needed to eliminate one of these leaders. After much observation, he judged the Smoke Deer to be the easiest for him to defeat.


    ¡®And even then, I couldn¡¯t have done it without the boars¡¯ help.''


    With the deer¡¯s death, its territory would soon be claimed by another beast.


    Tristan¡¯s stomach growled. He rubbed it, trying to calm his hunger until his next meal.


    ¡®If I weren¡¯t so hungry, I¡¯d have run straight out of here.''


    Earlier, he had considered whether it would be better to leave the territory first. However, he had gone too long without eating, and the risk of fainting from hunger if unexpected danger arose was all too real.


    Another concern on his mind was the most dangerous thing in this place: the lack of water.


    The complete absence of rain didn¡¯t surprise him, as he had read about this strange phenomenon in his Divine Fragment.


    Still, he hadn¡¯t found water anywhere.


    Before entering the forest, he had hoped there might be a hidden water source he could locate by following the animals. Unfortunately, that hope proved futile. He had followed various creatures but never saw them drink anything other than blood. He suspected the beasts in this place had evolved to survive solely by consuming one another.


    The plants in the forest had membrane-like sacs on their roots containing a dark, sticky liquid. When Tristan tasted it, the flavor was rancid and metallic, making it impossible for him to swallow.


    Despite gathering all the water he could carry and rationing it since entering the forest, he was beginning to think it wouldn¡¯t be enough to get him out.


    His metabolism, sped up by cultivating light, only made things worse. All the water he had was in his backpack, and he prayed it would suffice.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a delicious aroma. He glanced at the fire in the hole and noticed the meat now looked appetizing. Grabbing it, he bit in without waiting for it to cool, his dry lips moistened by the meat¡¯s juices.


    He had decided not to use salt or other seasonings to avoid increasing his thirst, yet he believed this was one of the tastiest meals he had ever had. The smoked flavor was intense.


    ¡®This texture is so tender! Completely different from the horrible meat of those cursed boars.''


    Tristan devoured his meal greedily.


    Within seconds, he had finished the first piece. His stomach felt calmer, but he still wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    As he was about to grab another piece, his eyes caught something.


    Something was moving toward his camp!


    Tristan turned around. He saw a long, red appendage stretching through the air, giving him a familiar feeling.


    Soon, he realized it wasn¡¯t aiming at him but at his backpack.


    ''No!''


    His heart froze.


    He moved as fast as he could, leaping toward his backpack with his arm outstretched.


    But the red appendage was quicker. With just one touch, his backpack seemed to stick to it.


    He watched helplessly as his backpack flew away.


    Tristan was stunned. His only source of survival had just been stolen in an instant.


    Turning his gaze toward the direction his backpack was taken, he saw the culprit: a small creature with white and pink skin, blue eyes, large ears, a pointed tail, and long legs.


    The strange figure resembled a mix between a rabbit and a salamander.


    ''Bastard!''


    The rabbit-salamander, with his backpack stuck to its tongue, shot him a mocking look before turning and leaping away.


    Tristan clicked his tongue. ¡®No matter where you go, I won¡¯t let you escape!''


    He gave chase.


    Tristan had been chasing the beast for a while. He had no idea where he was and feared entering the territory of a dangerous creature, but he couldn¡¯t stop. He had to recover his backpack at all costs.


    The small creature was fast, covering great distances with its leaps.


    Thanks to his sharp vision, he never lost sight of it, noticing even the smallest disturbances it caused in the environment.


    Pushing through some bushes, Tristan saw something he thought impossible in this place. For a moment, he almost believed he was dreaming.


    ¡®A lake?''


    No matter how much he looked, all he saw was a small lake. Its water seemed incredibly pure¡ªhe¡¯d never seen water so crystal-clear before.


    ¡®How the hell is there a lake here?''


    His mouth filled with saliva, and he felt an almost irresistible urge to dive in.


    Tristan narrowed his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t see the rabbit anywhere but noticed his backpack lying near the lake.


    A sense of distrust grew in his heart. Resisting the temptation, he began analyzing how strange everything was. Tristan focused on the details of the area.


    There was a circular platform of land in the center of the water, and the ground around the lake was covered in green roots.


    ¡®This place is completely exposed, yet there¡¯s no sign of any beasts. That bastard clearly lured me here on purpose.''


    ¡®This is too suspicious,¡¯ a mocking smile crossed his face. ¡®Does it really think I¡¯d fall for such an obvious trap? That lake must be poisoned or cursed.¡¯ Tristan decided to ignore the lake and simply retrieve his backpack.


    He found the creature¡¯s ability to lure him into a trap intriguing.


    Cautiously stepping on the roots, Tristan approached the backpack. Nonetheless, before he could reach it, something in the ground moved. A tiny fragment of earth, smaller than a grain of rice, stirred¡ªan almost imperceptible movement. Although, to Tristan, with his vision enhanced by cultivating darkness, it was clear.


    Looking around, he noticed more tiny shifts in the soil.


    ¡®Damn¡­¡¯ he thought, his body tensing in preparation.


    He decided to leave, wary of an unknown threat.


    Stomping the ground firmly, he prepared to leap away.


    But at that moment, the roots around the lake began moving as if alive. In an instant, they rose, ready to attack. One wrapped around his foot, while others lashed out at him like whips.


    [Dark Blade]


    Before the roots could tear him apart, he sliced through them with his black blade.


    Then, as if in retaliation, all the roots around the lake surged, forming a forest of giant, twisting arms. A massive cocoon of leaves emerged from the lake¡¯s center, unfolding like a monstrous red orchid.

 Chapter 69: Hybrid creature

    The air was saturated with the sickly sweet scent of the flower, contrasting with the earthy dampness of the twisted roots.


    Tristan stared at the monstrous orchid. The thick roots at the base of its body moved like tentacles, and each of its petals was larger than an adult human. Its shape was odd, subtly resembling a gaping mouth with exposed teeth.


    The ground beneath his feet seemed alive, pulsating in response to the roots spreading through it.


    He clenched his fists in apprehension, channeling more essence through every part of his body. The roots around him rose into the sky, reaching several meters high, then bent and plunged toward Tristan.


    With a swift motion, he slashed at the roots binding his foot with his black blade. Leaping to the left, he narrowly avoided being impaled. The roots pierced the soil as though it were sand.


    There was no time to feel relieved to escape death. He was completely surrounded. There were more roots coming for him than he could count, all ready to tear him apart.


    His survival instincts were sharper than ever.


    Running and leaping, Tristan moved like a professional acrobat, dodging every attack from the plant monster.


    ¡°I need to grab my backpack and get out of here,¡± he thought, turning his gaze toward where his backpack was. His vision was hindered by the orchid¡¯s roots sprawled across the area, but after focusing, he spotted it, though it wasn¡¯t in the same place as before.


    Tristan¡¯s face twisted in disdain.


    Rummaging through his belongings, he noticed a familiar small figure.


    The smooth, white-skinned creature with pink undertones¡ªthe same one that had lured him into this deadly trap¡ªwas now playing with his blue crystal, a memento from one of his most dangerous battles.


    Noticing Tristan¡¯s glare, the rabbit-salamander turned its head toward him. The beast¡¯s lips curved in a peculiar way, reminding Tristan of a smile.


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Tristan thought.


    Watching the scene, he found it odd that the rabbit wasn¡¯t being attacked. ¡°Is the plant monster ignoring it because it¡¯s too small? Or is this creature intelligent and working with the rabbit?¡± Whatever the answer, it would have to wait; for now, he needed to figure out how to stay alive.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    He looked at the monstrous flower, wondering if he could get close to the creature¡ªand if so, whether there was a way to kill it. ''Damn, what¡¯s the biology of plant monsters?''


    Searching his memories, he found no relevant information. He had only been educated about the societies and cultures of other races.


    ''Is cutting the stem enough? Do I need to destroy all the roots? Or do I have to eliminate the entire body?''


    Tristan forced those thoughts out of his mind. Against an unknown threat, the best course of action was to retreat and gather more information later.


    The sound of something slicing through the air reached his ears. Abruptly, he turned his body. A root was swinging horizontally toward his legs like a whip, trying to knock him down.


    With his body on high alert, Tristan jumped into the air, twisting to evade the attack. But then, a thinner, more subtle root swiftly wrapped around his hand. The red orchid hurled Tristan¡¯s body against the ground as though he were a toy.


    The impact was so severe he almost felt his bones break. Tristan coughed, spitting out a bit of blood.


    Another root quickly approached, wrapping around his neck like a snake.


    He struggled to breathe, but no air reached his lungs. Furious, he gathered his Dark Essence at his fingertips. The creature¡¯s body was abnormally tough, surprising Tristan, but it inevitably began to disintegrate under the Dark Essence. With a strong tug, he tore the root from his neck.


    Tristan gasped for air, feeling the relief of oxygen filling his lungs.


    His eyes blazing with fury, Tristan grabbed a nearby stone and hurled it with all his strength toward the damned rabbit. If he could kill it, he might grab his backpack and escape this mess.


    Enhanced by vital essence, the stone crossed the distance to the small beast in an instant.


    Suddenly, just as the stone was about to strike, roots in the area moved, forming a wall around the rabbit.


    His attack was effortlessly repelled. The rabbit only noticed what had happened a few seconds after the collision. When the wall dissipated, the creature gestured angrily at him.


    ¡°The orchid protected that bastard. They¡¯re definitely connected. But why would a Verda¡­¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Tristan noticed something approaching, cutting his thoughts short. Quickly, he bent backward. Passing just in front of his eyes were thin, pointed structures resembling thorns.


    Turning his face toward the source of the thorns, he saw someone¡ªor something¡ªemerging from the trees.


    ¡°It seems the thief is putting up a fight this time,¡± said an inhuman voice. It sounded like a hiss, but a careful listener could detect a subtle feminine tone.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Tristan thought, his eyes landing on one of the strangest beings he had ever seen. At first glance, it looked like a bipedal weasel beast covered in roots, but on closer inspection, he realized the roots were part of its skin.


    Its ears were also missing, replaced by two lilac flowers.


    He noticed the strange creature carrying the carcass of a large bird on its back.


    The creature raised its arm toward Tristan. Among its brown fur, thorns grew until they reached the size of fingers.


    ¡°How dare you attack my home and my pet?! Normally, I let Bob handle everything, but this time I¡¯ll deal with you myself!¡± It adjusted its posture, readying to throw something at Tristan.


    ''Home? Pet?'' So many new and absurd details left Tristan¡¯s mind reeling, but at that moment, only one thought came to him.


    ¡°You really talk!¡± he said.


    The creature¡¯s mouth opened, its eyes widening as if frozen in time. After a few seconds, its mouth moved again. ¡°You¡­ you can talk?¡±

 Chapter 70: Alternative Path

    For a brief moment, both stared at each other silently. Somehow, even with its face covered in fur, the creature¡¯s emotions were more visible than Tristan¡¯s.


    "Wait, wait, you spoke! How can you talk?" the creature said. Despite its inhuman tone, Tristan could sense the surprise in its words.


    Even in this unusual situation, Tristan never let his guard down. After all, there was a monster behind him that could tear him apart. He decided to keep the conversation going only because the sound of the roots moving had stopped when he spoke to the creature.


    With a quick glance back, he confirmed that the orchid monster had indeed ceased moving.


    Turning to the strange hybrid, he shrugged and said, "I''m human. Humans talk."


    Judging by the creature¡¯s expression, this seemed like fascinating news.


    "I''ve never met anyone in this forest who could talk."


    ¡®Great, I¡¯m a novelty for an intelligent, unknown hybrid.¡¯


    Tristan found the conversation strange but decided to see if he could resolve the situation differently than usual. He was also wary of the creature¡¯s power level. Its supposed home was already a formidable foe; its owner was likely far from ordinary.


    ¡®Even if it¡¯s not that powerful, my situation was already bad before. If it helps the monster, I¡¯m done for.¡¯


    "Can all humans talk?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.


    "Most of us, I think," Tristan replied.


    "Then... do you really live in that thing?" Tristan pointed at the giant flower.


    "Bob is not a thing! He¡¯s a powerful Verdakyn my mother gave me. And yes, I live in him. He protects me and deals with thieves like you!" she said, irritation creeping into her voice.


    ¡®So, this is my first encounter with a sentient plant-being race. What a great way to meet a new species.¡¯


    "What? I''m not a thief," he said, trying to make his lie sound convincing.


    "Liar! Everyone in this forest tries to steal my lake."


    "Look, I didn¡¯t even try to go near it. I only came here because that cursed rabbit stole my bag." He quickly shot an angry glance at the rabbit-salamander, which was now moving toward the creature, still holding his bag.


    "Don¡¯t call Buk that!"


    "Ah, right, sorry about that. Anyway, you must hate it when someone tries to steal your lake water, right? I hate it when someone steals from me too. You must understand how I feel."


    The creature pursed her lips for a moment before looking thoughtful.


    "Buk, did you really steal his stuff?"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The little beast took a step back, feigning offense.


    It quickly gestured toward Tristan, making some sounds.


    The humanoid weasel, with plant-like features, turned to Tristan angrily. "He says you stole his things first! You liar! I knew you were a thief."


    Tristan clicked his tongue. "You can understand that?"


    He heard the roots behind him moving again.


    "I don¡¯t remember stealing anything from him. This must be a misunderstanding."


    The rabbit-salamander rummaged through Tristan¡¯s bag and pulled out several old silver coins.


    "Are you going to tell me this is yours?"


    ¡®So, that burrow belonged to this cursed thing.¡¯


    "What? What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t see anyone near that stuff¡ªhow could I know it had an owner?" He tried to justify himself.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. You took something that wasn¡¯t yours."


    "Uhm, your pet did the same thing. I think we¡¯re even now."


    Trying to convince her, Tristan said, "Look, how about you give me back my bag? The rabbit keeps his coins; I leave, and everything¡¯s resolved?"


    She considered this hesitantly and then said, "You can¡¯t leave. My mother told me anyone who tries to steal from the lake must become food for Bob. I can¡¯t disobey my mother; that would make me a bad daughter."


    "Well, your mother said not to let people who tried to steal from the lake leave. I didn¡¯t try to steal from the lake, did I? I just took something from your rabbit. Did your mother say anything about that?" He hoped not.


    "That¡¯s true. I hadn¡¯t met Buk back then, so there¡¯s no way my mother could¡¯ve mentioned that."


    With an excited expression, she said, "Alright, apologize to Buk, and I¡¯ll let you go!"


    "Apologize to that basta¡ªBuk?"


    She nodded enthusiastically.


    "So, if I do that, you¡¯ll let me take my bag and leave?"


    "Of course."


    Tristan took a deep breath, hiding his irritation deep inside. He looked at the small creature and somehow saw a smug, self-satisfied expression on its face.


    "Sorry," he muttered.


    "I didn¡¯t hear you."


    Rolling his eyes, Tristan said, "I¡¯m sorry, Buk, for accidentally taking your things."


    "It¡¯s Buk!"


    "Whatever," he whispered.


    She approached the rabbit and extended her hands toward Tristan¡¯s bag. Reluctantly, the rabbit handed it to her. With his bag in hand, she walked toward him.


    "Here you go. See? It wasn¡¯t that hard to apologize, was it?"


    Now just a few meters away, Tristan got a better look at her body. Her arms and legs were shorter compared to her elongated torso.


    She was about the height of a human teenager, making her more than twice his size.


    Her fingers and toes were strangely human-like, as were other features of her body, which made looking at her bizarrely unsettling.


    The fur on her front was white, while the fur on her back was brown. She also had a long, bushy tail.


    Obviously, the most striking features were the plant-like parts on her body, such as roots and thorns fused with her skin.


    Tristan grabbed his bag. "Goodbye," he said curtly as he turned to leave.


    ¡®I hope I never see them again,¡¯ he thought.


    But her voice stopped him.


    "Ah, hey, wait!"


    Narrowing his eyes in irritation, he stopped and looked back. "What do you want?"


    A bit awkwardly, the creature said, "Here, I caught this burrowing bragaio. Don¡¯t you want some?" She asked, pointing to the massive bird carcass on her back.


    "Ah?" He was confused.


    "Its meat is very tender, and it¡¯s my favorite animal in this forest. I think you¡¯ll like it," she said shyly, her anxious gaze fixed on him.


    After staring at her momentarily, he finally said, "Sorry, but I don¡¯t have time for a meal. I need to get out of this forest as soon as possible."


    "What? Why?" she asked, disappointed.


    "I come from outside this forest. I need to cross it quickly, so I can¡¯t waste any more time here."


    Her eyes widened at his words. Speaking with excitement, she said, "If you need to leave this forest quickly, I can help! I know a shortcut that can get you out in a few days."


    Tristan looked at her with suspicion. "Really? Why would you want to help me?"


    Lowering her head, she said, "I¡¯d like you to tell me a bit about what life is like out there. I was born here and have never left this place. You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever talked to besides my mother."


    Considering this, Tristan asked, "What is this alternate path?"


    "Through the underground tunnels that lead to the Mushroom Village," she said, making his heart skip a beat.

 Chapter 71: Zahira

    ¡°MUSHROOMS?¡± Tristan almost took a step back in surprise. ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡±


    From what Tristan remembered from his history lessons, the Mushrooms were members of the Fungelite race, and many of these beings were responsible for great tragedies in the past.


    Decades ago, a mysterious species of fungus spread like a plague across the west. In less than five years, half of that region was lost. The fungus was capable of infecting various beings. To fight it, a Great Alliance was formed, with humans, elves, dwarves, and other species uniting to prevent the balance between the races of the continent from breaking.


    ¡®If I remember correctly, the battle was tough. The Great Alliance won, but the consequences of that war lingered.¡¯


    He had heard that many areas in the west were still uninhabitable today because of those fungi.


    With furrowed brows, Tristan spoke, ¡°Tsk, you want me to enter the territory of those beings?¡±


    She waved her hands in a gesture for him to relax. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know a safe method to prevent them from consuming us. They gave me a sort of invitation that will make them recognize us as allies. I¡¯ve been to their village many times.¡±


    Still suspicious, he asked, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to reach this village?¡±


    ¡°About a day. After that, you¡¯ll access one of their tunnels and have a clear path until the end of this forest.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Tristan said casually, although he kept his guard up. ¡®I¡¯ll pretend to cooperate while keeping an eye on her. If this is a trap, I can catch her off guard.¡¯


    He thought the chances of it being a trap were low. After all, her situation was far more advantageous right now.


    ¡®With the orchid monster by her side, she could kill me at any moment. Maybe she wants to take me to the village and sell me to the Mushrooms? Or maybe the flower can¡¯t move and she wants my good will to take me there alive? Hmm, or maybe she¡¯s sincere, and everything she said is true...¡¯


    ¡°Hey, do you have a name?¡± Her voice interrupted his thoughts.


    Tilting her head, she said, ¡°Wait, do you know what a name is?¡±


    Tristan nodded and said, ¡°Dusk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dusk the Human. Sounds like a good name. Nice to meet you; I¡¯m Zahira,¡± she said with vibrant excitement in her animalistic voice.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He looked at her and decided to ask about something that had been intriguing him. ¡°Are you a hybrid? I mean, a hybrid of two different races?¡± Tristan had heard of hybrids between humans, elves, and dwarves, as well as hybrids with dragons and other incredible beings in legends, but he didn¡¯t know if reproduction between different races was possible.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she confirmed enthusiastically. ¡°My father was a beast, and my mother was a Dryad.¡±


    ¡°A DRYAD?¡± Tristan almost stumbled over those words. Dryads were mystical members of the Verdakyn race. They were one of the few natural beings from the Mortal Realm that could rival the power levels of beings from the Superior Realms, at least that¡¯s what he had heard from the stories his mother told him.


    According to legends, Dryads were the evolution of magical plants that absorbed the essence of the world for thousands of years. Their stories were well known because their bodies could serve as high-quality ingredients.


    ¡®The petals of a Dryad are an invaluable treasure,¡¯ thinking about this, Tristan looked at the two lilac flowers on Zahira¡¯s head. A temptation bloomed in his heart.


    However, he suppressed his greed. ¡®A legendary natural treasure is useless if I die here. I also wouldn¡¯t know how to use something like that.¡¯


    Suddenly, Tristan thought of another much more important question. Swallowing nervously, he asked with fear, ¡°Your mother? Is she around?¡±


    Zahira shook her head. ¡°No, my mother left soon after I was born. I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡±


    Tristan sighed in relief. The idea of having a creature from the legends nearby wasn¡¯t pleasant.


    She picked up the large bird on her back and shook it in front of her. ¡°So, do you want to have lunch with me?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± his eyes moved toward the small beast that had stolen his backpack, interrupting his meal.


    She walked toward the giant orchid at the center of the lake.


    ¡°You want to eat inside that... inside Bob?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s more comfortable inside.¡±


    Tristan looked at the monstrous flower with repulsion, although he was a little curious to know if she really lived inside a monster.


    He followed her slowly from behind.


    Watching Zahira place her hand on the creature, its petals opened until they touched the ground, and a circular stone staircase appeared at its center.


    ¡°Here, follow me.¡±


    Tristan saw her descend the stairs.


    Not sensing anything unusual, he decided to follow her.


    Everything was made of stone. The place¡¯s interior architecture resembled an ancient mausoleum. The ceiling was supported by giant intertwined leaves.


    ¡°I was curious about something. How old are you?¡± Zahira asked him as she descended the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be twelve in a few months.¡±


    Zahira looked shocked by this. ¡°I thought you were a human pup, but you¡¯re actually an elder!¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother correcting her perception of humans.


    Due to her reaction, he decided to ask, ¡°And you? How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m two years old.¡±


    ¡®Only two years?¡¯ he reflected on the information he just received. ¡®Interesting, I¡¯ve heard that beasts grow quickly. As for the Verdakyns, I wasn¡¯t sure, but I assumed most of them took a long time to age. It seems Zahira¡¯s beast side is the strongest.¡¯


    Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Tristan looked around.


    There wasn¡¯t much to observe. The place was large and mostly empty. He found some old books and stone slabs with strange letters carved on them, scattered carelessly across the floor.


    Walking around, he saw dozens of small clay jars on shelves with different types of plants in them. There was a root coming from the ceiling that occasionally dripped water into each jar.


    When Tristan brought his finger close to one, it moved toward him, small vines wrapping around his finger.


    ¡°What is this? Some kind of baby Verdakyn?¡±


    Zahira looked at them with a sad expression, approaching slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think... they¡¯re probably my defective siblings.¡±

 Chapter 72: Lonely hybrid

    Her words brought confusion to his mind. He turned his face towards her, looking at Zahira from head to toe, and then he glanced back at the small plants. The idea of a connection between the massive bestial figure that was Zahira and those tiny plants in the jars that barely fit in the palm of his hand was hard to believe.


    ¡°Sorry, but siblings? You mean these things...¡± Before saying something potentially rude, he corrected himself, ¡°...you mean they are part of your family?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s likely. They absorb an abnormal amount of world energy, much faster than Bob, for example. Only I can absorb essence at a similar pace.¡±


    He noticed a thoughtful expression appear on her furry face, as if she was recalling something distant. Murmuring, Zahira said, ¡°Cultivation was all that mattered to her.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, well, I better prepare lunch soon.¡± She hurried toward a room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Tristan offered his assistance, and Zahira nodded in approval.


    She removed the feathers from the large bird¡¯s carcass, and Tristan took out its entrails and other things he wouldn¡¯t be able to digest.


    Zahira lit the firewood inside a circular wall, with a huge metal spit placed over the flames.


    Looking up, Tristan noticed that the smoke disappeared through the leaves in the ceiling, as if it had been absorbed.


    Zahira took the now clean carcass and skewered it on the metal spit, but before she could place it over the fire, Tristan interrupted her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you season the meat before cooking it?¡±


    ¡°Season? What¡¯s that?¡± She tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a process that needs to be done to make the food tastier.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zahira said, excited. ¡°It¡¯s really possible to improve the taste of the food?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tristan took his backpack off and began searching for something.


    He pulled out several small glass jars, approaching the spit. He started sprinkling salt, ground pepper, and some dried herbs. Then, he took a small jar and poured a yellowish liquid over the meat. His stock of olive oil was very limited, but he decided to spend it trying to win Zahira¡¯s favor.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± she asked, disappointed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this works?¡± The doubt in her voice was noticeable. ¡°How can these things change the taste of the meat? Are you just lying to me?¡±


    ¡°Have a little more faith.¡±


    After about twenty minutes, he cut a piece of meat and served it on a skewer for Zahira. ¡°Here, try this.¡±


    She looked at it suspiciously, bringing the skewer to her mouth and biting slowly. Her eyes widened. Her next bite was much larger than the previous one.


    ¡°How is this possible? How can those tiny things change the taste so much?¡±


    Buk looked at her with his large blue eyes as if begging for a little food.


    She tore off one of the bird¡¯s wings and handed it to her pet. That piece was bigger than his entire body. Watching the creature eat voraciously, Tristan was astonished to see that the little bastard didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble with it.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Zahira grabbed a large jar of water and filled Tristan¡¯s cup, which he drank immediately. She placed the jar beside him in case he wanted more.


    ¡°Are you telling me there are places where thousands of humans live together?¡±


    Tristan nodded, filling another cup of water.


    ¡°Humans are one of the physically weakest species. We need to live in large walled cities to use the strength of numbers to resist the monsters.¡± While finishing his meal, he spent the last few minutes telling Zahira about the life of humans and other beings outside the forest.


    ¡°It must be so nice to have so many members of your species around you. You must never feel lonely, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, sure.¡± Tristan laughed inwardly; most of the people from his species he had been around had only brought him pain and suffering.


    ¡°Do you practice any cultivation techniques?¡± He tried to learn more about her.


    ¡°Yes, my mother taught me how to cultivate Green.¡±


    ¡°Cool, what stage are you at?¡± He asked the question that really interested him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a Mid Orange.¡± She answered, a bit embarrassed about it.


    Tristan was surprised by that answer.


    ¡®Impressive, she¡¯s only two years old, but her cultivation has already surpassed mine. The legends about the power of the Dr¨ªades may not be as exaggerated as I thought.¡¯


    ¡°Then, could you tell me a little about how human families work?¡±


    Tristan thought about it for a moment before saying, ¡°We humans take a long time to grow compared to other races, so human parents have to take care of their children for several years until the kids become adults and can survive on their own.¡±


    ¡°Years! That¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°And what about your parents? Do they still take care of you?¡± She asked him.


    Tristan fell silent before answering. ¡°Hey, I was curious about something. Where does the water in the lake come from? Do you know if it was made with magic or if your mother dug a giant underground well or something like that?¡±


    Zahira smiled. ¡°None of that.¡± She pointed up proudly and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Bob. He drains the thieves who come to us and creates water from them.¡±


    Hearing that, Tristan couldn¡¯t help but look at the jar of water in front of him.


    After that, they went outside. Zahira gave an odd farewell hug to the giant flower in the center of the lake.


    Leaving the powerful Verdakyn behind, Tristan, Zahira, and Buk set off toward the Mushroom Village.


    Tristan and Zahira walked through the forest for a few hours. Her strength made traveling through the place faster than when he was alone, but there were also many challenges that even she wouldn¡¯t dare face, which made them have to look for other routes.


    He relied on his vision and diagnostic ability to locate the traces of the creatures that inhabited the area. Zahira, on the other hand, used her sense of smell and unique senses from her Verdakyn side. Since the leadership changes in the forest territories were constant, not even someone born here like her could know for sure what they would find on their path.


    Suddenly, Tristan stopped walking. He crouched down and placed his fingers on the ground as if measuring something.


    Anxious, Zahira slowly approached him and whispered, ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    ¡°I found some footprints here, human footprints,¡± he said, answering her.


    ¡°Really? Where did they go?¡± The interest was clear in her voice.


    Tristan pointed southeast from where they were.


    ¡°Cool, let¡¯s try talking to them!¡± she said excitedly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking forward to meeting more of your kind?¡±


    ¡°Dying of excitement.¡± he said, his face as expressionless as always.


    They walked for a few minutes, with Tristan leading the way, looking for more signs of humans.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re not alone,¡± Zahira said. There were several tracks on the ground so obvious that even someone who wasn¡¯t a skilled tracker would know something big had passed through there.


    Tristan began examining the marks. From the depth in the soil, he knew the creature was heavy. The tracks were continuous and uniform, winding like a serpentine movement. He looked at the trees around, noticing recent cuts and broken branches about three meters high.


    ¡°Looks like it was a snake-type monster, and one of the big ones.¡±


    ¡°Those humans might need help,¡± she said, taking the lead.


    Tristan didn¡¯t try to stop her; in fact, given her personality, he doubted he could. He just decided to follow her slowly from behind.


    After a while, sounds of an intense fight could be heard. Tristan recognized the sound of steel hitting something hard, as well as the noise of something large hitting the ground, causing the earth to shake. In addition, there was also a strange cracking sound. As they got closer, the noise grew louder.


    Peering from behind a tree, his attention was immediately grabbed by a frightening figure. He saw a red snake, almost four adult humans long, with flames shooting from its mouth toward two smaller targets that were desperately retreating. They were two men who appeared to be in early adulthood. One wielded a whip, and the other wore gauntlets with long sharp blades on his fingers.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened as he saw lightning swirling around them, following their movements.

 Chapter 73: Lightning Brothers

    Tristan saw the shadow of the fire serpent loom over the two humans as they desperately tried to move away from it.


    The taller one swung his whip toward the massive beast''s body, and the sound of the collision was accompanied by the loud crackle of lightning. Though powerful, the human''s attack left only a superficial mark on the creature, failing to slow its furious advance in the slightest.


    The other human moved so fast that normal people might have thought he had disappeared, but even with difficulty, Tristan managed to track his movements. He had never seen anyone so fast before.


    The man dashed to the serpent''s rear, attempting to execute a cross-slash with his metallic claws.


    But the beast did not stay still. Its tail struck the ground with devastating force, creating a crater and throwing the advancing man off balance, causing him to slip. The serpent inhaled deeply through its nostrils and opened its enormous mouth, unleashing a torrent of flames that rained down on the man.


    The fiery shower scorched his clothes and charred parts of his skin. Although he used his speed to dodge, it was impossible to avoid everything.


    As Tristan watched the battle for survival unfold between the unknown individuals and the beast, he thought,


    ¡°Those guys¡¯ attacks are incredibly strong; their cultivation levels must be higher than mine. But even so, it seems they won¡¯t last much longer against an enemy of this caliber.¡±


    He observed the fight with interest, studying how the humans and the beast utilized their magic, until Zahira¡¯s voice broke his concentration.


    ¡°That beast is far too strong for them. They won¡¯t survive it on their own!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°What a shame,¡± Tristan replied indifferently. Turning to her, he added, ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed, then handed Buk to Tristan. ¡°Take care of him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tristan and Buk exchanged confused looks.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help them. Wait for me here.¡±


    Buk let out a mournful cry as she dashed away.


    Leaving the cover of the tree, Zahira ran straight into the center of the battle without any subtlety.


    Not wanting to be noticed by the serpent, Tristan quickly abandoned his position, retreating several meters to hide among the bushes.


    Zahira, circulating her Green essence through her body, crossed the battlefield in an instant.


    The serpent turned its head toward her, its eyes scanning her from head to toe, lingering on the flowers atop her head before glowing with a fiery light. Zahira had completely stolen the creature¡¯s attention.


    Clicking his tongue, the younger of the two men muttered, ¡°Another monster? As if one wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± the older one said. ¡°Look at that. It¡¯s heading for the serpent¡ªit could be a territorial fight! This might be our chance.¡±


    ¡°Great! If they kill each other, we can make a fortune off their bodies.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop thinking about money for one second?¡± the older man scolded. ¡°We¡¯ll be lucky to escape this alive.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Long thorns grew from Zahira¡¯s arm. Swinging her arm, the thorns shot forward, piercing the serpent and embedding deeply into its flesh.


    Watching from afar, Tristan was surprised.


    ¡°She can actually hurt it?¡±


    He began to realize that he might have underestimated her true power. Observing the serpent¡¯s body, it was clear that with just one strike, she had caused more damage than the two Lightning cultivators, whom he had assumed were far superior to him.


    ¡°I always thought the stories about a baby dragon¡¯s Red Core claw slicing through a Yellow Core Metal cultivator like paper were just myths.¡± Tristan resolved to reassess the significance of bloodlines from that day forward.


    The serpent opened its mouth once more, releasing a blazing fireball from deep within its body. The projectile exploded near Zahira, and fragments of flame rained down on her. Surprisingly, she showed no sign of pain, calmly patting out the fire burning her brown fur.


    Gathering her Vital essence in her legs, she leapt high into the air, above the serpent¡¯s head. Zahira spun her entire body, landing a powerful kick to the serpent¡¯s right eye.


    The serpent lunged at her, jaws wide open, to snap at her in midair.


    In response, Zahira¡¯s right arm dissolved into a tangle of vibrant green vines that clamped the creature¡¯s mouth shut.


    The serpent slammed its head into the ground, causing Zahira to crash onto the dirt with enough force to make her grit her teeth in pain.


    With a flick of its head, the beast flung Zahira away, tearing free from the vines that bound its jaws.


    Flames spiraled around the fire serpent as it lashed its tail furiously, shaking the ground. It turned its gaze toward the two Lightning cultivators, studying them intently before shifting its focus back to Zahira.


    Unexpectedly, its eyes drifted toward Tristan¡¯s hiding spot. A chill ran down his spine. There was no time to be shocked; his mind raced to decide whether to fight or flee. Fortunately, as he debated, the serpent lost interest in him.


    With a hiss and a flick of its tongue, the serpent cast a final glance at Zahira before retreating into the forest. Utilizing the boost from its Fire magic, it quickly vanished from sight.


    As the threat disappeared, Zahira let out a sigh of relief. She turned to check on the humans who had fought the creature.


    She approached them and asked with concern in her voice, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Hearing the strange-looking creature speak, the two men instinctively stepped back in fear.


    ¡°Big brother, did you hear that too?¡±


    His brother, pale-faced, nodded. ¡°Stay calm. It must be some kind of trick. Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡±


    ¡°Trick? I don¡¯t know how to do tricks.¡±


    The men assumed defensive stances, lightning sparking along the older brother¡¯s whip and the younger brother¡¯s metallic claws.


    Zahira was taken aback by their hostility. She had assumed all humans would be as easy to talk to as Tristan.


    ¡°Wait, I won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯m not an enemy of humans. I even have a human friend.¡±


    She glanced toward the tree where Tristan was hiding and called out, ¡°Dusk, tell them I¡¯m friendly.¡±


    Still gripping their weapons tightly, the brothers shifted their gaze to the spot she indicated.


    The three waited to see what would happen.


    Seconds passed, but nothing changed.


    The younger brother clicked his tongue. ¡°Damn it, I knew something was wrong.¡± He prepared to attack Zahira.


    But then, a childlike voice interrupted, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Tristan stepped out from the bushes where he had been hiding.


    ¡°Calm down. What she said is true.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s absurd!¡± the younger brother shouted.


    The elder added, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a talking monster. Are you saying it¡¯s not dangerous?¡±


    Tristan shrugged. ¡°I spent the last few hours with her, and I¡¯m still alive. We even had lunch together.¡±


    Their faces showed visible shock.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just some trick?¡± the younger brother asked.


    The older one added, ¡°If you¡¯re being coerced by this creature, you can tell us.¡±


    Tristan nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡± He tried to offer a reassuring smile, though his sharp gaze studied the two men like a hawk, attempting to discern their intentions.


    Encountering others usually turned into a hassle.


    ¡°She¡¯s not malicious, so don¡¯t worry. Besides, she saved your lives.¡±


    The brothers looked at Tristan, then at Zahira, their gazes lingering on her.


    They exchanged silent glances.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I guess we owe you an apology,¡± the elder said.


    ¡°Yes, without your help, we might have died to that monster¡¯s fangs.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine. My name is Zahira. Do you two have names as well?¡±


    Before the brothers could respond, Tristan cut in.


    After casting a quick glance toward the forest, Tristan said, ¡°Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I think we should save the introductions for later and get out of here before something worse than that serpent shows up because of all the commotion.¡±

 Chapter 74: Feng Brothers - Part I

    Tristan, Zahira, and the two unknown men moved away from the battlefield to a spot they deemed safe enough to avoid any attention the previous confrontation might have drawn.


    Tristan glanced at the two cultivators behind him. They had a rough appearance and wore leather and strange animal pelts¡ªfar from the common attire of martial artists. Because of this, he couldn¡¯t determine whether they belonged to any sect.


    He wondered if these people had entered the forest to reach the misty peaks and collect the magical herbs there or if they had some other reason for being here.


    Tristan sighed internally in annoyance. He was already wary of Zahira and now had to deal with two new variables. He hoped their encounter with these two men would be brief.


    ¡°This place seems quiet enough to me. I think we¡¯re safe here,¡± he said to the three people walking ahead of him.


    The others nodded with small gestures and watchful eyes, though none of them lowered their guard.


    ¡°So, who are you?¡±


    The taller of the two men spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m Feng Haotian, and this is my younger brother, Feng Lieyan.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure,¡± Tristan replied in a neutral tone, keeping his eyes fixed on them.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like this brat is interrogating us?¡± Lieyan said, but his brother gestured for him to calm down.


    ¡°We¡¯re... just simple adventurers. We came here seeking a bit of excitement. We heard this place offers plenty of challenges to test ourselves,¡± Haotian explained.


    Tristan sensed they were wary of something.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dusk. I¡¯m a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect in Zaguhan. I need to cross this forest to complete my trial.¡±


    ¡°Zaguhan? I¡¯ve heard of that city. It¡¯s near the border, right?¡± Haotian asked.


    Tristan nodded.


    Haotian looked at Tristan with a surprised expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the sects in that city were so welcoming to outsiders.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not.¡±


    Tristan pointed to Zahira and then to the rabbit-salamander. ¡°As you know, this is Zahira, my traveling companion in this place, and this is Buk, her pet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how she can talk,¡± Haotian said. ¡°I thought all monsters were just mindless creatures.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. I¡¯m half-drya¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a hybrid beast and a Verdakyn,¡± Tristan interrupted.


    ¡°Verda-what?¡± the brothers asked, confused.


    Tristan rolled his eyes. It wasn¡¯t surprising that people in this region were completely ignorant of the great races of this world. Most didn¡¯t know that the more magical power a being possessed, the more evolved and intelligent they became, and that these traits could be passed down to the next generation of a species.


    As far as he knew, almost all races had individuals intelligent enough to learn some form of communication. He was only uncertain about two races: the Fungelites, whose hostile and dangerous existence had isolated them from others, making information about them scarce, and, of course, the dreaded People of the North. ''If they even exist'', Tristan thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read legends that say some beings are blessed by the Spirits, making them more evolved.¡± He thought linking Zahira to the Spirit Kings might give her a sacred aura that could influence the brothers and reduce the chance of potential conflict.


    ¡°The plants that received this blessing were called Verdakyn. Now that I¡¯ve met Zahira, I think those stories might be true.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Zahira exclaimed. ¡°What are Spirits?¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Tristan said, cutting her off.


    Turning to the brothers, he added, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve been seriously injured, so I think we can part ways now. I hope you have good luck on your adventure.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s a shame. I wanted to talk more with them,¡± Zahira said.


    ¡°Actually, this place might be a bit too dangerous for us. You said you were leaving this forest, right? Could we come with you? Traveling together would help us move faster,¡± Haotian suggested.


    Zahira agreed enthusiastically.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tristan weighed the potential benefits and risks of their presence and decided to remain silent.


    Thus, the Feng brothers joined the journey.


    Suddenly, as Tristan and the brothers followed Zahira, he looked up, noticing movement in the treetops. ¡°There¡¯s a strange noise in the trees.¡±


    Everyone stopped, alert.


    Hundreds of eyeless, strange birds burst from the sky, diving toward them.


    Tristan gripped his sword tightly with both hands. Using essence to enhance his speed, he spun his entire body, slashing three creatures in quick, precise movements.


    He fought using only the speed and agility his cultivation granted him.


    Casting a quick glance at the others, he assessed how they were handling the situation.


    [Shattering Thunder Strike]


    Haotian swung his arm with impressive speed, his whip striking multiple targets simultaneously. In an instant, the birds near him fell lifeless to the ground, a powerful lightning crack accompanying each impact.


    With a single attack, he killed over thirteen creatures.


    Next, Tristan turned his gaze to the younger brother.


    [Stormy Dash]


    Lieyan dashed across the battlefield, his body shrouded in lightning. As he passed the beasts, he tore through them with his claws, reducing them to chunks of flesh.


    He killed seven birds in mere seconds.


    ''It seems like there is a power gap between them'', Tristan noted.


    Zahira¡¯s performance was equally fearsome. Her thorny projectiles pierced the creatures even from a distance.


    As he observed his companions, analyzing their abilities and weaknesses, a monstrous bird nearly slashed his cheek with its eight sharp talons.


    He narrowly avoided it.


    ¡°I thought Wind cultivators were faster,¡± Lieyan teased.


    ¡°But I guess not everyone can be called kings of speed.¡±


    Tristan ignored his provocation, focusing on finishing the enemies.


    Four martial artists fighting together proved a formidable force. They handled the challenge with minimal difficulty, but time had passed, and night was approaching.


    With the sun¡¯s departure, they decided to find a place to rest for the night. Tristan was fine, but the others weren¡¯t as nocturnal as he was.


    They lit a small campfire and roasted some of the birds that had attacked them earlier.


    ¡°Where did you learn Lightning magic?¡± Zahira asked the Feng brothers.


    ¡°From our parents,¡± Haotian replied. ¡°The Feng family is an ancient lineage of cultivators of this element. Some even say my grandfather, Feng Mu, is the strongest Lightning cultivator in the central region.¡±


    They began sharing stories about their hometown, Kamagula, and their parents, recounting family adventures and dangers.


    The brothers exchanged glances, and Haotian gave a subtle nod. He pulled a rustic leather flask from his bag.


    ¡°Where we come from, sharing drinks is an ancient tradition,¡± Haotian explained, pouring a translucent liquid into small wooden cups. ¡°A toast seals friendship and companionship forever.¡±


    Though seemingly casual, Tristan observed their every move with sharp focus.


    He sifted through his memories, recalling a similar custom common in the eastern regions. Though he couldn¡¯t remember every detail, he assumed it could be genuine and not something the brothers had just fabricated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just met, but I hope our paths cross again in the future and that we¡¯ll be allies once more,¡± Haotian said.


    ¡°You humans have interesting customs.¡± Zahira seemed genuinely curious.


    Tristan¡¯s and the brothers¡¯ cups were filled to the brim, while Zahira¡¯s was barely half full.


    Noticing this, Tristan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hey, why do I get less?¡± Zahira complained.


    ¡°This drink is too strong for girls,¡± Lieyan said, downing his drink in one gulp.


    ¡°But I¡¯m stronger than all of you!¡± she protested.


    Tristan watched carefully to confirm that Lieyan had truly swallowed the liquid.


    Haotian drank next.


    Tristan eyed his cup suspiciously. Bringing it to his nose, the scent burned his nostrils. He also detected a floral aroma.


    Without hesitation, he poured the liquid into his mouth.


    Lowering his head, his shoulders trembled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t taste anything,¡± Tristan said, pulling a face.


    ¡°Trying to act tough?¡± Lieyan mocked with a grin.


    Zahira took a sip of the drink. ¡°What a strange thing. It¡¯s bitter and tickles my tongue.¡±


    ¡°Here, Buk, try some.¡±


    She held the cup toward her pet on the ground, but Tristan grabbed him before he could drink.


    Buk bit his hand.


    ¡°I think this drink might be too strong for him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Sorry, Buk,¡± she said, finishing her drink. ¡°So, does this mean we¡¯ll be friends forever?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Haotian said cheerfully.


    Tristan covered his mouth, hiding a fake yawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit sleepy. I think I¡¯ll turn in now.¡±


    The Feng brothers also claimed to be tired, and soon everyone went to sleep.


    Several minutes passed, and an eerie silence filled the air.


    Suddenly, the Feng brothers rose to their feet.


    Haotian nodded toward Tristan.


    Lieyan approached where Tristan lay, finding no reaction from the boy. He placed his fingers around Tristan¡¯s neck.


    His skin was cold and rigid, with no pulse. There was no sign of life in his body.


    Lieyan signaled to his older brother, and the two moved toward Zahira.

 Chapter 75: Feng Brothers – Part II

    The night enveloped the makeshift camp in darkness, interrupted only by the faint glow of embers from the fire. The twisted branches and leaves of ancient trees covered the sky above the Feng brothers'' heads.


    After confirming the child was dead and ensuring no one would interfere with their plans, they approached their target slowly and silently.


    Lieyan and Haotian gazed at Zahira as she slept.


    Haotian leaned closer to the hybrid girl''s head. A small trail of blood trickled from her nose. Raising his hand, he checked her breathing¡ªit was shallow, as if it could stop at any moment. Satisfied, he signaled to his younger brother, who, without hesitation, began rummaging through her bag.


    Lieyan grabbed a small axe and stepped toward her legs.


    He raised the axe, preparing to strike. Lieyan smiled at the thought of the pride their parents would feel when he and his brother brought home a prize as valuable as this one. His arm descended, and the blade sliced through the air at an impressive speed, enhanced by the Lightning essence amplifying his body.


    But before the axe could strike Zahira''s short legs and dismember her body, something unexpected happened¡ªa red, viscous thing grabbed the blade mid-air, deflecting it with a swift motion.


    Lieyan stepped back, startled.


    Buk, Zahira¡¯s small pet, had awakened.


    The animal''s sticky tongue latched onto the axe, ripping it from the attacker¡¯s grasp before hurling it far away.


    Haotian clenched his teeth at the sight of the unfortunate creature disrupting their plans. He grabbed his whip and, with a fluid motion, swung it horizontally toward Zahira¡¯s pet''s head.


    Buk tried to dodge by leaping, but Haotian was much faster. Abruptly adjusting his arm movement, he shifted to a vertical strike, hitting Buk''s right shoulder and slamming him brutally to the ground.


    The attack ripped the skin off Buk''s shoulder, leaving a bloody red streak. The impact nearly shattered his bones.


    Haotian didn¡¯t stop there. His arm moved like a serpent, and the whip¡¯s tip struck Buk¡¯s body violently. Haotian was surprised at how resilient the creature was¡ªhe couldn¡¯t understand why Buk hadn¡¯t died from the first blow.


    Buk''s body was covered in deep wounds, yet the small beast''s determination remained undiminished. With trembling legs, he rose, showing no fear, and charged at the aggressors threatening his owner.


    Leaping into the air, he struck Haotian¡¯s face with his tongue, blinding him.


    Haotian pulled at it with all his strength, but Buk¡¯s tongue clung to his skin as if glued to his flesh.


    His younger brother rushed to help. Quickly donning clawed gauntlets, Lieyan swung his arm, slicing Buk¡¯s tongue effortlessly in an attempt to aid his brother.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    But at that moment, Haotian¡¯s scream echoed through the air.


    Lieyan saw a thin blade had pierced his elder brother¡¯s chest.


    "HAOTIAN!" he shouted uncontrollably.


    Shock and disbelief clouded his mind.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be,¡± he murmured, unwilling to accept what had happened.


    Lieyan stumbled toward his brother, his legs trembling. When he reached him, he saw blood gushing from Haotian¡¯s chest, staining his clothes. The severed piece of Buk¡¯s tongue remained glued to Haotian¡¯s face, preventing him from witnessing the moment life left his brother¡¯s eyes.


    He glanced at the tip of the sword that had taken Haotian¡¯s life. It felt familiar, and then clarity struck him.


    The blade retracted, and Haotian''s lifeless body fell to the ground. Behind him, a small figure emerged.


    That figure darted toward him. Still reeling from his brother¡¯s death, Lieyan reacted with fury in his heart.


    Without a second thought, he swung his clawed gauntlets aimlessly at his opponent¡¯s neck.


    His adversary redirected the bloodstained sword toward the right side of Lieyan¡¯s abdomen.


    In a battle between cultivators, the first to channel their essence could determine the fight¡¯s outcome.


    But the Lightning essence obeyed its cultivator''s will faster than others. With his body charged with essence, Lieyan gained the initiative over his opponent. Closing the distance in an instant, he attempted to decapitate his enemy.


    His opponent had no choice but to sacrifice his left arm to block the claws. A sense of triumph filled Lieyan¡¯s heart as he saw his blades deeply embedded in his rival¡¯s flesh. However, to his surprise, his enemy¡¯s mutilated arm elicited no reaction.


    The opponent¡¯s advance continued without pause. Holding the sword with only his right hand, he redirected the attack, stabbing Lieyan¡¯s left leg.


    Reacting swiftly, Lieyan leapt back, retreating several meters away from his foe. He looked at his bleeding leg, then cast an irritated glance at the child who had done this. Tristan¡¯s perfectly white teeth contrasted with his appearance as his lips curled into a broad grin.


    "Wasn¡¯t that a bit slow for a king of speed?" Tristan taunted.


    [Fallen Grace]


    A white light traveled down Tristan¡¯s arm, halting the bleeding from his wounds.


    Unfortunately, Tristan''s smile was only a provocation¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure if the advantage he had managed to secure would be enough to close the gap between them.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Lieyan¡¯s face twisted in hatred. ¡°How are you still alive? I checked¡ªyou were dead! I¡¯m certain of it!¡± He roared, trembling with indignation.


    Tristan answered his question by lunging forward, aiming to stab his abdomen.


    [Storm Rush]


    Sparks enveloped Lieyan''s body. Despite his limp, he retreated quickly. In an instant, he circled around Tristan, appearing to his right.


    Seeing this, Tristan was taken aback. ¡®These movements are different from the ones he used before.¡¯ Initially, he had thought injuring his opponent¡¯s leg would hinder his movement techniques. However, he now realized Lieyan possessed a versatile technique. This concerned him slightly, but he didn¡¯t despair¡ªafter all, he always prepared for the worst-case scenario before a battle.


    Tristan halted his advance, forced to block Lieyan¡¯s attack with his sword. The impact dragged his body backward. He barely managed to stay on his feet, preventing himself from falling. Lieyan had far more mass and vitality than he did. Tristan pondered how he could bridge this gap.


    [Electric Claw]


    Sparks covered Lieyan¡¯s claws as his arm descended toward Tristan¡¯s head like a lightning strike in a storm.

 Chapter 76: Feng Brothers – Part III

    Tristan saw the intense and fierce glow of Lieyan¡¯s claw approaching; the light was so strong it impaired his vision. He leaped backward to dodge, and even mustering all his strength, he barely managed. The black strands of hair on his forehead were cut and floated in the air.


    Lieyan spun his entire body and kicked Tristan''s abdomen with his left leg, sending his small body flying and crashing to the ground, rolling.


    [Storm Rush]


    He didn¡¯t have a second to breathe or recover from the damage. In an instant, Lieyan closed the distance between them.


    ¡®Damn, even though he¡¯s limping, the difference between us is still too big.¡¯


    [Electric Claw]


    Once again, he saw Lieyan¡¯s claws heading toward him, ready to tear his body apart while he lay on the ground. Tristan rolled to the side, and Lieyan¡¯s claw struck the ground, creating a small crater and sending stones flying.


    Gripping his sword tightly, Tristan attempted to slash Lieyan¡¯s neck with a vertical strike. But his opponent reacted too quickly, and his blade cut nothing but air.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll live after killing my brother?¡± His words carried a mix of sorrow and hatred.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll make you regret ever being born!¡± With tears in his eyes, Lieyan gathered all the essence he could muster in his body and charged at Tristan to eliminate this nuisance from existence once and for all.


    [Storm Rush]


    Everywhere he passed, the ground was torn apart.


    Seeing that Lieyan had put everything into this attack, Tristan decided it was the perfect moment to reveal his true cards. After observing his opponent use this technique twice, he learned how quickly Lieyan could react while maintaining such high speed.


    He waited until Lieyan was close enough that retreat would be impossible. Tristan thrust his right leg forward, planting it exactly where Lieyan would step. As his foot landed, a white light emanated from Tristan¡¯s body, spreading over a small area around his foot like a thin sheet of fabric covering the ground.


    As soon as Lieyan stepped onto the Light layer, his foot slipped slightly due to the lack of traction.


    Tristan dropped his sword and lunged forward with his right hand, aiming for Lieyan¡¯s gauntlet.


    [Dark Blade]


    When the black blade and the spark-enveloped claw collided, part of Lieyan¡¯s essence pierced through the Darkness, cutting into Tristan¡¯s hand. However, Tristan fared far better¡ªhis Dark energy slashed through the metal claws, severing Lieyan¡¯s fingers.


    Lieyan tried to retreat, but it was too late.


    Tristan grabbed the leather shirt Lieyan wore and pulled himself forward, driving his blade into Lieyan¡¯s stomach. Tristan¡¯s entire forearm pierced through his enemy¡¯s body.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Lieyan looked at the scene in disbelief. The pain was so intense that his brain couldn¡¯t fully process it.


    When Tristan pulled back, a gaping hole was left in Lieyan¡¯s stomach. He staggered backward a few steps before vomiting blood.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be,¡± he muttered in shock.


    Lieyan fell to his knees, clutching his remaining hand over the useless hole in his abdomen.


    ¡°You little monster¡­ do you think you¡¯ll escape? Our parents¡­ they¡¯ll find you¡­ no matter¡­ where¡­ you hide¡­ my brother¡­ and I¡­ will¡­¡±


    Lieyan couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. His words stopped as Tristan drove his black blade into his left eye, piercing his brain.


    ¡°Tsk, what a bothersome guy. Just die already.¡±


    After taking the life of the last Feng brother, Tristan ran to Zahira to check on her. He opened her eyes and noticed they were static and vacant, but her heart was still beating, albeit faintly.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    Using his diagnostic ability, he saw she had damage to her stomach and brain. He sighed in frustration at his lack of healing abilities. There wasn¡¯t much he could do. Tristan infused her with a small amount of Light essence, hoping it would have some effect.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to wait for her to wake up. I hope Dryad blood is as potent as they say.¡¯


    Buk, the small mascot, approached, patting Zahira¡¯s cheek in concern.


    Tristan glanced at the small creature with a mix of distrust and surprise.


    He suspected that the bunny-salamander could withstand at least one of the Feng brothers¡¯ attacks. While he had never seen the creature use magic, he was nearly certain Buk had an affinity for Light. After all, aside from sheer luck, it was the only explanation for how Buk managed to track him to his secret camp despite his concealment skills. However, the mascot¡¯s performance exceeded his expectations.


    He wondered if Buk had a developed core or if there was something special about its lineage.


    After ensuring Zahira was alive, Tristan went to collect the cores from the brothers. Opening their chests, he wasn¡¯t surprised to find two Mid Orange cores.


    As he held the cores, Buk turned toward him, narrowing its eyes.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The mascot looked at the cores in his hand.


    Tristan clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    He tossed one of the cores to Buk, who caught it mid-air with its forked tongue.


    It seemed fair enough to him. Thanks to the little beast, he had managed to take out the more dangerous brother first. Clutching the sphere tightly in his hand, he savored the sound of his wealth increasing.


    [You have acquired 2 Orange Fragments]


    ¡®I¡¯d better find another place to rest while I wait for her to wake up.¡¯ Tristan approached Zahira, grabbed her, and began dragging her body away.


    As he dragged her, he felt something strange¡ªa kind of chill in his stomach.


    He stopped moving and looked around, expecting something to happen, but timep assed, and nothing did.


    Tristan glanced at Buk and asked, ¡°Did you feel that too?¡±


    The beast tilted its head, looking at him in confusion.


    It took several hours, but Zahira finally woke up. Needless to say, she was completely furious when she saw her mascot¡¯s body covered in wounds.


    Tristan explained what had happened.


    Naturally, he told her a version that wouldn¡¯t make it seem like he had used her and her mascot as bait to kill the brothers.


    ¡°Why did they do this?¡± she asked, more confused than sad.

 Chapter 77: Vado Seed - Part I

    Hearing her question, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at the top of her head. He suspected that the Feng siblings were interested in Zahira¡¯s flowers. Initially, he wasn¡¯t sure why¡ªat least until he noticed they planned to cripple her rather than simply kill her outright like any other monster. At that moment, he remembered a popular children''s tale called The Nymph and the Hunter.


    It was one of the first fairy tales his mother had told him, which was why he didn¡¯t recall all the details. But the beginning was still clear in his memories.


    A king tasked the most skilled hunter in his kingdom with bringing back the magical flowers of a Nymph to create a healing potion for his ailing youngest daughter. The hunter was ordered to capture the Nymph alive and bring her back to the castle because if she died, her flowers would perish as well, becoming useless. The hunter succeeded in capturing the Nymph, but during their journey back, he fell in love with her. Overcome by his feelings, he freed the Nymph, abandoning the king¡¯s mission to pursue his dream of spending the rest of his life with her.


    ''What was the ending of that story?'' Tristan searched the old and forgotten corners of his mind. For some reason, he was curious about how it concluded.


    ''If I¡¯m not mistaken, I think the Nymph killed the hunter after they slept together. She dismembered his body and spread the parts across the soil. From that land, now enriched with the hunter¡¯s blood, many monsters were born. They inherited the hunter¡¯s skills and, led by their mother, attacked the kingdom, killing the king, his daughter, and the entire population.''


    A tragic ending, much like most fairy tales he remembered. Those stories weren¡¯t as childish as the ones he¡¯d heard in his first life, but they served a similar purpose.


    He raised his head and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe they were just the kind of humans who don¡¯t like other species,¡± he finally told her.


    ¡°What do you mean? Humans can dislike other beings just because of their species?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And it¡¯s not just humans. I¡¯ve heard elves are even worse.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful if you meet other intelligent beings from now on. Few are kind¡­ like me.¡±


    She picked up Buk in her arms and examined him.


    ¡°Those damned ingrates! How dare they hurt my Buk?¡± Her tail hit the ground with frustration. ¡°I would¡¯ve skinned them alive if they were still breathing!¡±


    ¡°Did they suffer? Please tell me they suffered before dying.¡± There was a fiery glint in her eyes.


    ¡°They did,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Good.¡± She fell silent for a while, her expression thoughtful. Then, she asked him, ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. You said they poisoned us, but they drank from that cup too. Why didn¡¯t anything happen to them?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Could they have dumped the drink out of their cups without us noticing?¡±


    Tristan shook his head. ¡°Impossible. I¡¯m certain they drank it.¡±


    He considered the possibility that the poison was already in the cups and not in the drink but quickly dismissed the idea. ''They poured different amounts of drink for me and for her. That only makes sense if the liquid was poisoned.''


    ¡°Maybe they underwent some sort of training that made them immune to poisons¡ªor at least to that kind,¡± Tristan suggested to Zahira.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He found this possibility quite likely since, in his opinion, they weren¡¯t ordinary bandits. ''I analyzed their expressions the whole time but could only confirm their intentions at the last second. His act of playing dead had been a mere gamble based on instincts and intuition.''


    ''That¡¯s not normal. Those people must¡¯ve received professional training to achieve that level of emotional concealment. I wonder where they came from.'' He pushed the unnecessary thoughts aside. ''I have other priorities now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll come across anything related to them again.'' He didn¡¯t take Lieyan¡¯s vow of revenge seriously at all.


    ¡°I see. Hey, wait¡ªyou drank more than I did. Why did you recover before me?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Because I¡¯m also a cultivator of Light. My body neutralized the poison¡¯s effects faster.¡± Of course, that was a lie. He had destroyed the liquid with Darkness magic inside his mouth. He would never lower his guard around strangers.


    After talking, Zahira needed a few more hours of rest before she could travel again.


    With the arrival of a new dawn, they set off once more toward the Mushroom Village. The journey lasted a few hours, and by the afternoon, Zahira led Tristan to the trunk of a tree that must have been enormous when whole.


    There was an opening at the base of the trunk, large enough for four people to walk through side by side.


    ¡°Here it is. This is one of the entrances to the Mushroom Village.¡±


    She entered the trunk, and Tristan followed behind her.


    Inside the hollow, there were no stairs to descend. They had to jump several meters down to enter the tunnels.


    After landing, Tristan looked around. There were numerous tunnels branching in all directions.


    Zahira grabbed a torch, and Tristan lit it for her with a flint from his backpack.


    ¡°Did the Mushrooms make these tunnels?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They built them to move more quickly while hunting and gathering resources from the forest,¡± she explained.


    Tristan noticed holes of various sizes on the ground. Based on their pattern, he assumed they were footprints, though they had an unconventional shape.


    ¡°Which way should we go?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Zahira pointed toward a tunnel, and Tristan followed her.


    ¡°Are you sure this place is safe?¡± he asked again. ¡°We¡¯re not going to have any issues with the Fungelites for being here, are we?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Don¡¯t worry. Besides, if anything goes wrong, I can handle them. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re as strong as the Marked.¡±


    ¡°Marked?¡± He¡¯d never heard that term before.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve never seen one before?¡± Her expression of surprise shifted to understanding. ¡°Well, that makes sense. I guess you wouldn¡¯t have survived if you¡¯d gotten near one of them.¡±


    ¡°The Marked are¡ª¡± Her words were cut off by a loud sound, something massive crashing to the ground behind them.


    The glow of Zahira¡¯s torch was overshadowed by a blinding light that banished all shadows in the tunnel. A searing heat spread through the area.


    There was no mistaking it. Tristan recognized that figure. When he turned, he saw the fire serpent that Haotian and Lieyan had been battling earlier. Its body was almost as large as the tunnel, its red scales glowing with an incandescent sheen. The creature appeared more vigorous than before.


    The moment it spotted them, the beast opened its mouth, and a fireball emerged. The flaming sphere, almost the size of a human, hurtled toward Tristan and Zahira.


    They leapt with all the strength they could muster, but caught off guard, they couldn¡¯t circulate much essence. The sphere struck the wall behind them. Luckily, they managed to move away from the center of the explosion, but the shockwave knocked them to the ground.


    Not wasting the opportunity, the serpent lunged at Zahira with its mouth open for a deadly strike.


    As the explosion subsided and Zahira noticed the beast¡¯s approach, she tried to retreat. However, her speed was nothing compared to that of the creature. Realizing she couldn¡¯t evade, she resolved to attack, hurling her spines at the serpent. The creature closed its eyes and endured the attack. Some spines embedded deeply in its face, but they didn¡¯t slow its momentum.


    Empowered by Fire essence, the serpent leapt fiercely, reaching its prey.


    Tristan saw the serpent¡¯s enormous fangs, almost as large as swords, sink into Zahira¡¯s abdomen and chest.

 Chapter 78: Vado Seed - Part II

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ There was no room for doubt; he was certain the snake had managed to bite Zahira. Many thoughts raced through his mind, from wondering if the snake would let him escape while feasting on her body to a faint pang of pity for his traveling companion, who would die without ever truly knowing this world.


    The turmoil in his thoughts didn¡¯t last long¡ªit was obvious what he should do. Alone, there was no chance of victory in this battle; it was simply impossible.


    All that remained for him was to turn and flee, relying on luck to survive.


    As he turned his back on the grotesque scene and prepared to run, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hey, Dusk... I think I¡¯m going to need... a little help here.¡±


    Surprised, he turned to the source of the voice.


    Tristan saw Zahira, blood pouring from her mouth like water from a tipped jug. Yet what truly caught his attention was her expression¡ªit wasn¡¯t what he expected from someone on the brink of a cruel death. She seemed unnervingly calm about the situation.


    Using her strength, she tried to break free, but the snake¡¯s jaw appeared locked in place.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He fought the urge to slap his own forehead.


    ¡®I completely forgot she was a Green cultivator.¡¯ Now that his emotions had settled, he remembered that users of this element possessed vitality rivaling that of Light cultivators¡ªsome even claimed it surpassed them, as noted by wise scholars of magic in the books he read at the sect. There were many accounts of them surviving even after losing limbs.


    ¡®However...¡¯ Tristan also recalled that Green cultivators didn¡¯t have the same regeneration capabilities as Light or Blood cultivators. This made him worry about how her severe injuries might affect her future. But he quickly shoved those useless thoughts aside. This wasn¡¯t the time for worry¡ªit was time to act.


    [Dark Blade]


    He summoned his shadow blade, the only weapon he believed could harm the monster. Any attempt to use his sword would likely result in it bending against the creature¡¯s scales.


    [Shadow Aura]


    Rushing toward the snake, he slashed its body with his black blade. It wasn¡¯t difficult to cut; a red gash appeared between the creature¡¯s scales, revealing its muscle. The beast turned its gaze toward Tristan while still holding Zahira in its mouth.


    ¡®I¡¯d need about a hundred more hits like that to kill this thing.¡¯


    The snake swung its tail toward him, slicing the air like a massive whip.


    Thanks to his heightened senses, Tristan managed to dodge. He closed the gap again, delivering a crosscut. Zahira took advantage of the snake¡¯s distraction, shooting more spikes at its face. Yet the creature¡¯s persistence showed¡ªit refused to let her go.


    Tristan returned to his assault. Since his attacks weren¡¯t particularly effective, he targeted whichever part of the beast was nearest.


    Soon, under mounting pressure, the snake¡¯s jaw weakened. Sensing the opportunity, Zahira summoned several branches around her, forcing the snake¡¯s mouth open by expanding her body.


    When she finally broke free, Buk appeared out of nowhere, jumping into her arms.


    The beast¡¯s eyes burned with fiery rage. It opened its mouth, unleashing a fireball toward her. Zahira dodged, but the snake spun its body, generating rings of flame.


    For a time, the battle was at a stalemate.


    Zahira chose to keep her distance, launching spikes or transforming her arms into roots to whip at the enemy. Tristan seized these moments to approach and slice the snake¡¯s body.


    While the beast relentlessly pressured Zahira with waves of fireballs and blazing infernos, Tristan faced a different treatment¡ªbites, headbutts, and tail strikes. Curiously, the snake only used physical attacks on him. The reason was clear: there was no point in wasting energy on someone at his level. It was better to reserve its essence for Zahira.


    Tristan didn¡¯t mind this fact at all. He was focused on something else. Reviewing the battle in his mind, he realized their situation was dire.


    ¡®Zahira can¡¯t defeat it alone, and my attacks don¡¯t do much damage.¡¯Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He wondered if there was anything he could do to change the tide of the fight. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Initially, he thought it was absurd, but doing something was better than doing nothing. Reaching into his leather backpack, he began searching.


    He pulled out a small blue vial.


    ¡®Sleep salts.¡¯ Tristan had tested their effectiveness on some beasts during his travels, and the results had exceeded his expectations. He assumed a full vial could cause an overdose in a creature the size of a bull. However, using it on a magical beast this large was uncharted territory.


    For his insane plan to work, he only needed a way to get the substance into the creature.


    ¡®This is so small; it¡¯ll be like a fly to that thing. It won¡¯t even notice.¡¯ He decided to stick with the conventional method.


    ¡°Zahira, I have a plan that might give us an edge. I need you to restrain the snake¡¯s mouth when I give the signal.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this will work? It¡¯s pretty risky for me to get close to that thing.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied honestly.


    Zahira glanced at the furious beast again, which still eyed her like an invaluable prize.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try your plan!¡±


    Tristan uncorked the vial and charged at the snake once more.


    What came next was incredibly risky. He needed to get close enough to ensure the snake would try to bite him. The problem was, if he delayed even slightly, he could lose a limb¡ªor worse, his life.


    Taking a deep breath, he amplified his body with essence and quickly closed the distance.


    Even as he approached, the snake kept glancing at Zahira, unwilling to lose sight of her.


    HEADBUTT.


    He stopped and leaped back.


    To his dismay, the snake greeted him with a head-first dive, creating a crater inches from where he stood. Tristan stared at the beast, now just meters away, contemplating running but ultimately deciding otherwise. He remained still, offering himself as bait.


    The height difference between them was staggering¡ªTristan looked like a mere hamster in comparison. As the snake opened its massive jaws to strike, he stood his ground, waiting until the very last second.


    When the distance was less than arm¡¯s length, Tristan released the blue vial into the air and flipped backward with all his might. The snake¡¯s jaws snapped shut where he¡¯d been, narrowly missing his feet by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Zahira transformed her arms into long roots, binding the snake¡¯s mouth shut. The beast resisted, and flames erupting from its body scorched her roots.


    ¡°How long do I have to hold this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Zahira summoned more roots.


    Seconds passed, and nothing seemed to happen. Then, the snake¡¯s eyes widened as if sensing something was amiss. It began convulsing as if trying to vomit, but Zahira held it in place. Gradually, its movements slowed, becoming lethargic.


    For a few more seconds, its eyes burned with rage, but then the light within them faded. The snake¡¯s body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.


    Tristan and Zahira stared, stunned.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± she asked, astonished. Her roots began to retreat, but Tristan stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t release it yet¡ªit might be a trick. I¡¯ll check.¡±


    He approached cautiously. His Darkness-enhanced eyes detected no movement from the beast.


    Reaching its head, he drove his black blade into its skull.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    Using his diagnostic ability, Tristan confirmed the monster¡¯s heart had stopped, and no life remained in its body. Satisfied, he turned to check on Zahira. Her arms were burned, and her body was riddled with puncture wounds from the snake¡¯s fangs.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No, but I will be.¡± She collapsed to the ground, exhausted. ¡°How did you bring that thing down?¡±


    Before he could answer, an intense wave of orange aura filled the tunnel. Tristan¡¯s hair fluttered as his body was covered in dust from the floor. He didn¡¯t need to turn to know the source of the disturbance.


    Moments later, a deafening explosion echoed. When Tristan looked at the snake¡¯s corpse, it was engulfed in what seemed like a red fire cyclone.


    When the cyclone dissipated, the snake¡¯s scales glowed like embers. Its eyes were gone, replaced by four streams of flames pouring from its nostrils and sockets. The once-lifeless corpse now moved awkwardly, like a newborn or a puppet controlled by an amateur puppeteer.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Zahira asked, her voice trembling. She had never seen anything like this before. To her, death had always been final. Now, she was witnessing something that challenged one of the most fundamental concepts of life¡ªand worse, she didn¡¯t know if she would live to see how it would reshape her understanding.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Attack it! We can¡¯t let this continue!¡± Tristan shouted at her.


    Zahira hurled spikes at the snake. As before, they embedded in its flesh without issue. However, this time, the snake didn¡¯t react like it felt nothing.


    The flaming zombie rose fully, its head turned toward them. Though the creature lacked eyes, Tristan felt its intense hatred and resentment directed squarely at him.


    The fiery, undead monster charged toward them, leaving a trail of flames in its wake.


    Watching this, a vein on Tristan¡¯s forehead throbbed more than usual. Grinding his teeth, he braced himself for another fight¡ªone where he¡¯d likely flirt with the void of death once again.


    ¡®Since when do the monsters in this world have a second phase?¡¯

 Chapter 79: Vado Seed – Part III

    The hot air of the cave filled Tristan''s lungs as he looked at the red flames on the serpent''s body. They had an ethereal and mysterious quality, unlike any magical fire he was accustomed to. His instincts were on high alert at the sight, sensing that something was deeply wrong, as though the nature of the world had been tampered with.


    ¡®What kind of nonsense am I thinking about?¡¯


    The massive creature lunged at them like a flaming bus. Tristan and Zahira also rushed toward it.


    Tristan reached the monster first.


    [Dark Blade]


    It wasn¡¯t hard to hit a target that didn¡¯t bother dodging. His black blade sank into the creature''s body.


    However, instead of blood, red flames gushed from the wound he created. Tristan''s eyes widened. The red fire spread up his arm, devouring his Darkness essence. His mind could barely process the absurdity¡ªDarkness was supposed to be the ultimate element of destruction. What he was witnessing made no sense.


    He quickly pulled back, retreating several steps in alarm.


    Zahira used a considerable amount of her essence to summon more vines and roots to replace the ones that had been burned. She spun her body, whipping the creature, producing a loud crack that echoed through the tunnel. A large chunk of flesh was ripped from the serpent, leaving a hole that exposed its bones.


    Unfortunately, the monster showed no reaction, and, worse, its advance remained unaffected.


    The red flames quickly reduced her roots and vines to ashes. She turned pale, though it was impossible to notice under the fur on her face.


    ¡°Hey, Tristan, do you have another plan?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Tristan?¡±


    She turned to where he was, but he was gone. Her eyes darted to the end of the tunnel, where she spotted him running away.


    ¡°TRISTAN!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET OUT OF THERE!¡± he yelled back.


    Tristan had thought through all possible options and concluded there was nothing left to do. The victory was impossible.


    Following his advice, she grabbed Buk and began running toward him. Thanks to her higher core level, it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to catch up. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before the serpent caught up with them both.


    A trail of red flames lit up the tunnel behind the flaming zombie.


    As expected, Zahira overtook him shortly after she started running.


    ¡®Strange. Why isn¡¯t that thing launching fireballs at us? Did it lose its ability to use magic? But why¡­¡¯


    A wave of heat on his back interrupted his thoughts.


    He turned to see the flaming monster just a few meters away.


    Tristan clenched his teeth. ¡®Fighting is useless. Running is impossible. Is dying my only option?¡¯


    His essence was depleting quickly¡ªhe was already pushing himself past his limits.


    ¡®Damn it, burning to death sucks. It¡¯d be better if¡ª¡¯ He collided with Zahira, who had stopped abruptly, her thorns piercing his skin. He couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± he asked angrily.


    ¡°Look!¡± She pointed behind them.


    Tristan turned and was left speechless. The supernatural being that had been relentlessly chasing them just moments ago was now writhing on the ground like a worm.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Before his eyes, parts of the serpent''s body began to melt. Its scales fell to the ground like raindrops. The once-imposing serpent was disappearing rapidly. Its head was the last part to dissolve.


    As he watched the monster¡¯s skull disintegrate, Tristan thought, for a brief moment, that he saw the serpent¡¯s piercing eyes again. But when he blinked and looked again, all he saw were empty sockets as before.


    Now, a disgusting puddle of flesh and blood lay before them, red flames still burning on its surface. At the center of the massive pool, the only remnant of the serpent was a portion of its spine¡ªits bones as white as marble.


    Tristan stared at the scene in disbelief. ¡®Is it¡­ finally over?¡¯


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    Carefully avoiding the flames, he stepped into the pool and used his diagnostic ability, confirming that everything except the piece of the spine had turned into pulp. Additionally, something else shocked him¡ªsomething was missing. The beast¡¯s core had disappeared.


    ¡®That¡¯s impossible.¡¯ He was stunned. No matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find the core.


    He knew the creature likely had an orange core, and losing something so valuable filled him with regret. Muttering in frustration, he decided to leave, but not before approaching the spine at the center of the puddle.


    ¡®This thing resisted the red flames. It might be worth taking some with me.¡¯


    When he touched the spine, it vanished.


    [You received a Vado Seed]


    ¡®What?¡¯


    ¡°What the hell! Where did the bones go?¡± Zahira exclaimed in surprise behind him.


    ¡°Nothing important. It''s just a family spell. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Tristan nodded.


    Anxiously, he activated his runes.


    Name: Tristan


    Species: Human


    Age: 11


    Realm: Mortal


    Core: Mist Orange


    Talents:


    Abilities: [Tyrannical Eye II] [Dark Blade II] [Fallen Grace I] [Shadow Aura II]


    Artifacts: [Fragment of the Book The Tales of the Creation of Heaven and Earth]


    Vado Seeds: [Pyrofang Serpentis Seed]


    Red Fragments: 20


    Orange Fragments: 4


    Tristan studied the new runes thoughtfully. ¡®Vado Seeds? How odd. The Tower accepted this even without a core. I didn¡¯t know that was possible.¡¯


    He focused on the new rune.


    [Pyrofang Serpentis Seed]


    Description:


    The Pyrofang Serpentis, a cunning and lethal species, is feared for its combination of intelligence and ferocity. As one of the heirs of Ormun¡¯s bloodline, it carries a trace of the Ancestral Fire in its veins, making it exceptional at manipulating Fire essence. Its serpentine body is enveloped in living flames, which move as an extension of its will, turning it into a living weapon of destruction.


    Due to its aggressive nature, it is a solitary creature. Once it chooses a prey, it becomes relentless, pursuing its target with impressive determination.


    Innate Enchantment: [Igneous Fangstrike]


    Rank: II


    ¡®This thing is enchanted?¡¯


    Zahira watched Tristan silently as he stared into the air with strange expressions, concerned about his sanity.


    Tristan read the enchantment details.


    Innate Enchantment Description: [Igneous Fangstrike]


    This seed¡¯s enchantment manipulates the kinetic energy of any impact, releasing a fiery explosion. The duration of the flames depends on the amount of essence used¡ªa higher charge extends the flames¡¯ duration, transforming the terrain into a relentless fire zone.


    ¡®Is this some kind of artifact?¡¯


    Before he could reflect further, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. ¡®Damn it, not again. Haven¡¯t I had enough for one day?¡¯ He glanced at Zahira, who had noticed it before him and was already looking toward the source of the sound.


    Something had entered the far end of the tunnel and was moving toward them.


    The flames in the puddle of flesh were the only light source, not enough to illuminate the distance, making it hard for Zahira to identify the anomaly.


    Of course, Tristan had no such problem. He clearly saw the shapes of the beings approaching.


    The creatures varied greatly in size, from some smaller than an average dog to others as tall as several humans, their hunched backs scraping against the narrow tunnel.


    At first, Tristan thought they were humanoid due to their shape, but he noticed their limbs seemed carved or mutilated to allow movement.


    On top of their bodies was a flattened structure that resembled a hat.


    ¡°I think those mushrooms found us,¡± he said to Zahira.


    At that moment, he noticed one of them, holding a piece of wood the size of a person, raise its limb¡ªwhich resembled an arm but lacked fingers¡ªand hurl it at them.

 Chapter 80: Mushroom Village

    It seemed that his first encounter with another race would once again have a hostile start. Tristan watched the large piece of wood, seemingly intended to take their lives, flying toward them.


    Or at least, that was how he interpreted it.


    As the object flew through the air, he didn¡¯t even need to calculate where it would land to conclude that dodging wasn¡¯t necessary. Before he could think about how bad the mushrooms¡¯ aim was, he noticed that all the others were also preparing to throw whatever they were holding. ¡®At this rate, one of them might actually hit us.¡¯


    ¡°Uh, Zahira, I think those guys aren¡¯t too happy with our presence here.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°They¡¯re always like this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a solution for that.¡± She reached into the tangle of vines on her back and pulled out a small membranous sphere. When Zahira opened it, something resembling yellow dust spread out and clung to her body. Worried, Tristan held his breath and tried to step back.


    Using her hands, Zahira rubbed the dust onto her fur and onto Buk.


    Tristan noticed a change in the strange beings'' behavior. They stopped raising their arms and began approaching more slowly.


    He used his diagnostic ability on the dust. All he could determine was that it was some kind of cluster of cells, unlike anything he had seen before. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was alive or not, but its structure was so simple that he judged it harmless.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something I received in a trade. When I use it, they don¡¯t try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Trade?¡± He frowned. ¡°Are they intelligent?¡±


    ¡°Not very. Most of them are dumber than the beasts in the forest,¡± she explained. ¡°But at the center of the village, there are some evolved ones capable of understanding a few things, like trade and alliances.¡±


    After Zahira crafted a new torch, she said, ¡°Come! Follow me! I¡¯ll show you their village.¡± She walked casually among the mushrooms.


    Tristan followed her. As he passed the mushrooms, he noticed no reaction from them. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how those beings perceived the world.


    As they walked through the tunnel, Tristan took out his backpack. After some searching, he retrieved the two remaining vials of sleep salts.


    ¡®The effects of this surprised me. I never thought it would help me so much one day.¡¯ Tristan decided to place the vials in a safer spot. He hid them within his clothes, along with the blue crystal and other small valuables, such as his money.


    After walking through the tunnels for several minutes, they reached a large cavern.


    Gray mushrooms, not very different from normal-sized ones, were scattered everywhere¡ªfrom the ground to the walls and even the ceiling. When he looked toward the center of the village, he estimated that the Fungelite population must be in the hundreds. There were no streets, and they moved around haphazardly.


    What caught his attention the most were the massive mushrooms, almost as tall as two-story buildings, with numerous holes in their bodies where other mushrooms rested.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s not much to see here. They spend most of their time cultivating and reproducing. They can¡¯t create anything as impressive as the things you told me humans have made.¡±


    Tristan saw a group of those beings carrying the carcasses of peculiar forest creatures. They dumped the bodies on the ground and began smashing them with branches and large stones. Once only small pieces remained, they spread them across the soil toward smaller mushrooms on the ground.


    White filaments emerged from the ground and moved toward those pieces.


    "Will all of them become Fungelites?" He pointed at the small mushrooms on the ground and walls. Tristan couldn¡¯t imagine how the balance between races could be maintained if every one of them could evolve.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, most of them will stay like this. The evolution rate here is very low.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    He nodded in understanding.


    ¡°But in the main cradle, it¡¯s a bit different. There, they receive higher-quality nutrients, increasing their chances of becoming true Fungelites.¡±


    ¡°Main cradle?¡± That piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°Do you want to see it?¡±


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t cause us any trouble.¡± He thought it would be good to learn more about other races.


    ¡°They don¡¯t mind as long as we don¡¯t get too close.¡±


    He watched as she leaped onto the head of a mushroom. She began hopping across them toward the village center.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s a peculiar way to avoid traffic.¡¯ Noticing their lack of reaction, he mimicked her and followed suit.


    She led him to one of the giant mushrooms, which was over 10 meters tall. Surrounding the area were dozens of Fungelites nearly 3 meters tall, their bodies much sturdier than the others.


    ¡°These are the more evolved mushrooms I mentioned earlier. They usually guard the main cradle.¡±


    She passed the guards but stopped at the entrance of the giant mushroom. Tristan stood beside her and peered inside.


    He saw numerous forest beasts that looked familiar. His gaze landed on an orange-furred boar collapsing to the ground. Mushrooms were growing from its body, inside out. The slow rise and fall of its chest indicated it was still alive.


    ¡®Good thing Yue isn¡¯t here. She¡¯d probably have nightmares about this for the rest of her life.¡¯


    Comparing this to all the things in his memories, he found it unshocking.


    ¡°When they capture a living being with a lot of essence, they bring it here. This allows the small mushrooms to access a high-quality vital energy source for longer, increasing their chances of achieving a good evolution,¡± Zahira explained.


    As he looked at the dozens of dying beasts, something immediately caught Tristan¡¯s attention. Unlike the others, this one had no tusks, claws, or fur covering its body.


    A human. Tristan had found another human here. He was young, only a few years older than Tristan. From his appearance, he hadn¡¯t been here long.


    His yellow robes and the red sash around his waist identified him as a martial artist. The emblem on his attire, a symbol of three white feathers above a cloud, was one Tristan recognized. It marked one of the major sects of Zaguhan.


    The boy¡¯s arms and legs were twisted unnaturally, clearly having been struck by something heavy. Gray mushrooms had fused with the right side of his head and part of his chest.


    Suddenly, Tristan saw the boy¡¯s left eye, the only part not consumed by mushrooms, move in his direction. Looking into the brown eye, he easily recognized someone who had cried until their tears dried up.


    Tristan wondered if the boy was truly conscious or if it was merely a natural reflex.


    ¡°Oh, you found another human?¡± Zahira said, glancing in the direction he was looking. ¡°It¡¯s a shame he¡¯s in this state. I bet he had many stories to tell.¡±


    ¡°Why is the security here so tight?¡±


    Tristan found it odd. The captured beings seemed completely incapable of fleeing or resisting. With so many mushrooms in the village, this place should already be safe for them. The level of protection seemed unnecessary to him, so he decided to ask Zahira about it.


    ¡°I doubt there are many beings capable of reaching this place and posing a threat.¡±


    She lowered her head to meet his gaze.


    ¡°There really weren¡¯t. They were more relaxed before, but recently, the number of ¡®Marked¡¯ has increased, and they have a preference for living creatures made of flesh. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve strengthened the protection here, though I don¡¯t think it makes much difference.¡±


    ¡®Marked? That word again.¡¯ He sighed, his intuition sensing trouble.


    ¡°You mentioned them before but didn¡¯t explain who they are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot you don¡¯t know about them. They¡¯re the strangest creatures I¡¯ve ever seen in this forest.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°There¡¯s no shortage of strange beings here.¡± He included her in that category.


    Zahira nodded. ¡°Their behavior is very odd. Sometimes, they seem intelligent and act with purpose. Other times, they seem completely insane, disregarding their own lives.¡±


    ¡°Are they strong?¡± Tristan asked.


    ¡°Very. Of course, their power doesn¡¯t come close to the strongest beings in the forest, but they¡¯re far more dangerous than average. They appeared in this forest a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°They,¡± Tristan murmured. ¡°Are they part of some species?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, at least I don¡¯t think so. Each one is completely different from the others. But they all have something in common¡ªaside from the madness. They all have strange markings on their bodies. That¡¯s why I call them ¡®Marked.¡¯ I think it suits them. What do you think?¡±


    He nodded absentmindedly. ¡°I hope I never encounter one of them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much about that. There aren¡¯t many of them, so the chances of you running into one are low. Besides, you won¡¯t be staying here for long.¡± She tried to reassure him.


    ¡°How about we eat something? It¡¯s best to rest well before we continue through the tunnels.¡±


    Tristan wanted to leave the forest¡¯s territory as soon as possible, but he really did need a good rest. His essence reserves were dangerously low, and his stomach had been growling for a while.


    His eyes wandered over Zahira¡¯s body, examining her. Although she seemed fine, she had endured an impressive amount of damage in the last fight. He thought that even a Green cultivator would have trouble enduring all that without going through a long period of recovery.

 Chapter 81: Peaceful Moment with Mushrooms

    Tristan nodded and said to Zahira,


    "Alright." He had decided to listen to his body. It was wise to take any opportunity to recover his vital energy before advancing through the tunnels again.


    Besides, this place seemed safe for him. Thanks to the inhabitants of this village, he could rest in a spot without being surrounded by crazed, hungry beasts.


    "Alright, time to eat! These mushrooms are delicious; it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had one." She spoke while licking her lips. "Have you ever eaten something like this before?"


    "Mushrooms?" He tilted his head to the side and looked at the small gray mushrooms on the ground. "Are they going to let you take that without any trouble?"


    She shook her head.


    "Yes, they don¡¯t mind."


    There was a gleam of excitement in her eyes as she then asked, "Can you add those things that make food taste better? Please?"


    "Alright."


    With that answer, she celebrated by jumping with joy.


    "But is it safe to eat these things?" he questioned.


    "Of course! I¡¯ve eaten plenty, and I never got a stomachache."


    He narrowed his eyes and looked at her suspiciously.


    "Isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re half-Dryad? I don¡¯t want to eat this and then see a tiny mushroom explode my intestines."


    Her face clearly revealed that she hadn¡¯t considered that fact. She remained silent for a moment, wearing a serious expression. After thinking a bit, she spoke again. "Buk has eaten plenty too, so you¡¯re probably more resilient than he is."


    Tristan looked at the small rabbit-salamander perched on her shoulder and had to admit she had a valid point.


    "Alright, collect the mushrooms. I¡¯ll light the fire."


    He looked around at the countless humanoid mushrooms walking back and forth all the time.


    "Is there any place here where we can rest peacefully?"


    Zahira pointed her finger toward the tops of the giant mushrooms. "Those are the least crowded spots."


    They picked a meeting point and then parted ways. Tristan collected dry pieces of wood scattered on the ground¡ªsince the mushrooms often used stones and branches to hit things or throw at someone, they were everywhere.


    He climbed to the top of a large Fungelite and built a campfire. Then he opened his backpack and began organizing the spices.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he heard Zahira returning.


    ¡®What the he¡ª?¡¯ What he saw left him so surprised that he couldn¡¯t avoid cursing in his mind.


    Completely against his expectations, what Zahira brought was not the small gray mushrooms but an actual Fungelite, as large as an adult human. She threw the creature to the ground, bound with the vines from her body.


    The creature writhed and struggled to free itself.


    Tristan quickly turned his gaze from side to side, scanning the village floor, as well as its walls and ceiling. His body was on high alert, expecting to see an army of mushrooms marching toward them.


    Surprisingly, the village remained as noisy and bustling as before.


    Seeing his odd behavior, Zahira asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"


    "I don¡¯t get it. Why aren¡¯t they coming to crush our heads? Don¡¯t they realize you kidnapped one of them?"


    "Oh, that? They realized it but don¡¯t care," she said as if it were the most normal thing.


    Tristan frowned. ¡®They don¡¯t care?¡¯ Suddenly, a bold idea crossed his mind.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the yellow powder? Does that let us kill them without them reacting?" he asked excitedly. The thought of having the key to destroying an entire species was very intriguing.


    Unfortunately, all he got was Zahira¡¯s beastly laughter.


    "Heavens, no! They¡¯re dumb, but not that dumb." After a few more chuckles, she continued, "It¡¯s because of our agreement."


    He remembered her mentioning something about this earlier.


    "I gave them a sack of nutrients. That will enrich their lands, allowing them to grow many more mushrooms. That¡¯s why they don¡¯t care if I kill a few of them."


    He listened carefully to her words, storing that information in a special corner of his mind.


    "Unlike us, they have no emotional attachments. All they care about is growing and expanding their species."


    "I see," Tristan said.


    With his doubts resolved, Zahira approached the Fungelite and transformed her left arm into a mass of roots.


    Realizing her intent, Tristan focused all his attention on Zahira¡¯s movements. He had no idea how to kill such a creature, so he was very curious about the method she would use.


    Zahira flipped the creature lying on the ground onto its back, and then her arm shot downward. Her roots pierced the creature¡¯s body as if it were made of gelatin.


    Watching this, Tristan was almost certain the area she targeted must be the equivalent of the solar plexus in a being with that kind of constitution.


    In just an instant, her arm withdrew again, with something spherical, roughly the size of a heart, caught in her roots.


    The Fungelite¡¯s movements ceased.


    "Can I see that?" Tristan asked, and Zahira tossed the strange thing to him.


    Running his fingers over the surface of the sphere, he felt a soft, spongy texture.


    [Tyrannical Eye]


    Using his diagnostic ability, he analyzed the strange organ and the creature¡¯s corpse. Tristan realized the sphere was more complex than the rest of the Fungelite¡¯s body combined. He studied it as if he were watching a film about aliens.


    Tristan had to admit that he couldn¡¯t understand much about the organ¡¯s function. All he could guess, with his ignorance, was that it must serve as some sort of brain.


    ¡®Now that I know this thing exists, maybe I¡¯ll find something in the Tales that will clarify it for me.¡¯ His priority was to see if this worked for other Fungelite species; this knowledge could prove vital in the future. As for other questions, he considered them non-priorities and added them to his mental list of things to investigate when he had ample time.


    "So this is their weakness?"


    "Something like that," Zahira said. "If you manage to destroy a large part of their body, they¡¯ll die, but it might take some time. On the other hand, if you damage this organ in the solar plexus area, they¡¯ll wither immediately."


    "Hmmm," Zahira made sounds of satisfaction as she ate the creature¡¯s trunk.


    "The flavor is much more intense, and the texture is firmer than regular mushrooms."


    She took large bites, stuffing her cheeks with the thing.


    "Are you sure¡­ you don¡¯t want to¡­ try it?" she asked while eating.


    "Maybe next time." Tristan preferred to eat the leftover bird beast he had fought earlier.


    After their meal, he and Zahira sat on the ground and assumed their meditation positions.


    He closed his eyes and relaxed his mind, repeating his mantras and entering a state of calm and deep concentration. Within moments, his instincts guided him toward the part of the world¡¯s energy he was synchronized with. Through his breathing, the essence of the world slowly entered his core, restoring his body¡¯s vitality.


    Very slowly.


    In his mind, Tristan dreamed once again of the day when he wouldn¡¯t have to spend hours recharging his core.


    Several minutes later, as he was deep in his trance, he heard the sound of Zahira lying down. To his surprise, she didn¡¯t return to meditation but instead lay down, holding her pet in her arms to sleep.


    "Did you already recharge your core?" he asked, surprised.


    "Yes?" she replied, a bit of confusion in her voice. "Is there something strange about that?"


    "Not really. I just thought it was quick."


    He said that, but in his mind, he grumbled, ¡®How unfair. She can recharge a more powerful core in such a short time; the blood of legendary beings really is broken.¡¯


    Tristan returned to focus on his meditation.


    More than six hours had passed. His core wasn¡¯t even halfway full, but he felt very good. In the past few days, he had no choice but to keep his senses alert at all times. However, in that village of strange creatures, he was surrounded by countless beings that practically ignored his existence.


    He found the environment very comfortable.


    Until, abruptly, his peace was torn apart by a thunderous sound.


    Tristan sprang up with the agility of a cat, directing all his attention toward the source of the chaos.


    He looked up and saw the rocks at the top of the cavern crumbling. From a newly opened hole, a colossal creature burst through¡ªa monstrous centipede. Even though the beast was far away, with his enhanced vision, he could clearly see a series of strange engravings etched into the surface of its black exoskeleton.


    Tristan found those symbols familiar.


    ¡®Runes?¡¯

 Chapter 82: Unwanted Guest

    The giant centipede plummeted from the cave ceiling, falling dozens of meters through the air before crashing to the ground in the village''s central area. Part of its impact was cushioned by the dozens of Fungelites completely destroyed by the weight of the massive creature. Tristan stared at the largest monster he had ever seen up to that point; its length was comparable to that of a bus.


    Some of its legs had broken due to the earlier collision, but that didn¡¯t stop the beast from advancing like a moving train. Worse still, it wasn¡¯t very far from him¡ªless than a hundred meters separated Tristan from the centipede.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the greatest threat to his life at the moment.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zahira¡¯s sleepy voice sounded from behind him, freshly awakened from her rest.


    Tristan responded by grabbing her hand and leaping from the giant mushroom where they had been resting. There was no time to talk. The next instant, a massive rock fell onto the spot where they had been, crushing the mushroom flat.


    He landed gracefully, a stark contrast to Zahira, who fell face-first onto the ground. Buk, the poor mascot, was squashed beneath her body.


    ¡°My nose¡­¡± she lamented, holding her face. ¡°Damn it, why did you do that?¡±


    Tristan ignored her complaint, pulling her away as more boulders began to rain down. He cast a quick glance behind him, seeing Buk, now flattened like a pancake, slowly regain his three-dimensional form and hop after them before another rock could hit him.


    He guided Zahira away from the danger of falling from above.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to this place?¡± she asked, alarmed, as the cave continued to collapse.


    ¡°An unwelcome guest has arrived,¡± Tristan replied calmly, pointing his finger at the giant beast.


    She turned and saw it. The black centipede raised its monstrous body into the air, its multiple segments writhing as it coiled around helpless Fungelites, tearing them apart with claws and blade-sharp mandibles.


    ¡°That thing has symbols carved into its body. I think it must be one of the ¡®Marked¡¯ you mentioned earlier.¡±


    Zahira hadn¡¯t seen the runes because they were small and the area was poorly lit, but when Tristan said this, a look of understanding appeared on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get out of here!¡± She said seriously.


    Tristan pondered this. Indeed, the best thing to do was leave the area as quickly as possible.


    His gaze shifted toward the monster¡¯s conflict with the village''s inhabitants. The beast was heading toward the main nursery.


    ¡®It seems this monster already has its target.¡¯


    He found himself in a dilemma. He knew it would be safer to leave, but the chance to observe such a colossal creature in action was too tempting to ignore. Judging by the centipede¡¯s size and strength, he assumed it had already reached the yellow core stage. He had rarely encountered magic above the orange level.


    And from what he¡¯d heard in his childhood, the true power of cultivation began to manifest between the yellow and green core stages.


    ¡°That thing seems pretty occupied; I think we can watch and see what happens.¡±


    Tristan noticed Zahira giving him a strange look.


    ¡°Why do you want to watch that thing massacre this village¡¯s population?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s good to take any chance to study these ¡®Marked¡¯? As you said, the only apparent similarity between them is those symbols. But what if there¡¯s something else? Anything we learn about these creatures now might be useful in the future if we¡¯re forced to face a tougher situation involving them.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Zahira fell silent at his words, perhaps agreeing with his logic or doubting his sanity.


    Either way, after convincing Zahira to stay for a while longer, he focused his attention on the conflict between two different species.


    By that point, a trail dozens of meters long with countless pieces of dead Fungelites could be seen. Noticing the centipede¡¯s dangerous approach to the main nursery, the imposing guards protecting the area moved in. Though they weren¡¯t as fast as the beast, they ran impressively fast for their size. Because of this, it didn¡¯t take long for them to collide.


    The Fungelites wielded logs shaped like clubs and rocks carved into crude blades. On the other hand, the centipede only had its natural weapons at its disposal. Even so, Tristan wouldn¡¯t have had the confidence to bet on who would win.


    The mushroom creatures surrounded the beast, and loud sounds of impact echoed with each of their strikes. The beast was equally brutal, its attacks tearing apart everything in its path. Some smaller Fungelites clung to the monster¡¯s legs, pulling together until they managed to tear them off.


    Tristan¡¯s eyes widened at the centipede¡¯s reaction¡ªor rather, its lack of reaction. Even as its limbs were torn off, nothing stopped its advance. This behavior reminded him of the fire serpent after it became an elemental zombie.


    ¡®It¡¯s as if this thing has no survival instinct.¡¯


    One of the guards struck the centipede¡¯s back with its stone blade, cracking and breaking off a piece of its chitinous armor. Without that protection, Tristan saw something that left him perplexed: inside the monster was something metallic, circular, and long.


    ¡®Why is there a cylinder inside a monster?¡¯


    It seemed the mysterious symbols weren¡¯t the only secret behind the creatures that had suddenly appeared in the forest in recent years.


    ¡®What¡¯s its function?¡¯ Perhaps that was the key question at the moment. Tristan wanted to know how important the cylinder was to the monster, and there was only one way to find out.


    He turned to Zahira and asked, ¡°Could you give me some of your spines?¡±


    She tilted her head, confused, but then shrugged and did as he asked. Three spines grew from her arm, reaching the size of arrows. She plucked them and handed them to Tristan.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tristan wouldn¡¯t dare touch a monster like that just to test something, so he decided to use Zahira¡¯s spines¡ªthe only thing he thought might pierce metal.


    Although the centipede was surprisingly agile for its size, to Tristan¡¯s eyes, it moved as if in slow motion.


    He approached a distance he considered safe and channeled his vital energy into the muscle fibers of his right arm. He threw the three spines with all the strength he could muster. The flight lasted no more than five seconds; two spines struck the cylinder, while the third lodged in the monster¡¯s exoskeleton.


    Tristan watched a thick, luminous liquid gush from the pierced cylinder. A loud hissing sound filled the air, indicating the pressure inside the cylinder was high. The giant centipede let out a guttural sound, like a muffled roar, and its entire body shuddered violently.


    The creature''s once agile and menacing movement became erratic. Its hind legs gave out, folding under its weight as it tried to move forward in desperation.


    Suddenly, the colossal body stiffened. Then, with one final shudder, the centipede collapsed. The impact reverberated through the cave, sending up dust and fragments of destroyed fungi.


    This was one of the few moments when Tristan¡¯s face showed exactly what he was feeling.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    It had never crossed his mind that destroying the tank would kill the creature. At most, he thought it might weaken the monster.


    But he had seen everything with his own eyes, and the truth couldn¡¯t be denied.


    ¡®Was that a fuel tank or what?¡¯


    A monster of that size dying in such a manner was somewhat disappointing to Tristan, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Collecting his prize was all he could think about.


    The Fungelites took a while to realize the creature was dead, continuing to strike it for several seconds.


    Once they stopped, Tristan rushed toward the centipede¡¯s body in excitement. Obtaining a yellow core this early was completely beyond his plans. In the best-case scenario, he believed it would take him nearly two years to extract such a core from a monster¡¯s corpse.


    When he reached the body, he used his Light magic to locate the core.


    [Dark Blade]


    He sliced through the exoskeleton and pierced the monster¡¯s flesh.


    Tristan had to plunge his entire arm in to touch the core. When he felt the smooth surface of the crystal with his fingers, he stretched his arm and grasped the gem, quickly pulling it out.


    The moment he extracted the core from the corpse, his face became as immobile as a statue.


    With his mystical senses, he could feel the faint yet unmistakable essence of a red core.

 Chapter 83: Strange container

    Tristan clenched the red core in his hand tightly.


    [You have acquired 2 Red Fragments]


    He felt as if the robotic voice in his mind was mocking his earlier expectations. Tristan turned his gaze to the centipede''s corpse. Now that he was so close to it, he couldn''t help but feel impressed by having taken down such a massive creature.


    ''How is this possible? How can something so big have such a weak core?''


    He sighed.


    ''I thought today was my lucky day.''


    Suddenly, the right corner of his lips curled upward slightly.


    ''Well, at least I got a red core practically for free.''


    A core was still a core. Even a red one had value in his current situation, which lifted his spirits.


    A pensive expression appeared on his face as his mind returned to the question of the creature''s existence. As far as Tristan knew, something of that size could only exist if it had a core powerful enough to sustain a body that defied the laws of nature. Reflecting on this, he remembered another possibility.


    ''Could this thing be a descendant of a Titan?''


    He shook his head shortly after the thought crossed his mind, dismissing it as ridiculous. After all, the chances of encountering a creature with the blood of those who reached the pinnacle of ascension in that place were astronomically low. Yet, he began to consider the possibility that it could be true.


    If he had indeed killed such a creature at such a young age, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to compare the feat to the beginnings of many legends in this world.


    ''The first great achievement of Lotho, the Knight of Dawn, was slaying a Wyvern at just 14 years old. I can''t recall anyone killing a creature with Titan blood at a younger age.''


    For a moment, he wondered if he could someday become someone like Lotho, but he quickly dismissed those childish thoughts.


    While Tristan was lost in these improbable musings, Zahira approached him.


    "Is that dead? Did you really kill a Marked One?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.


    "Yes," he confirmed.


    "Since when can you kill creatures that strong?"


    "Follow me. I''ll show you something."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Tristan moved to the upper part of the corpse, picked up a stone, and threw it at a metallic cylinder, producing a ringing sound.


    "I noticed this thing had some metal container inside its body. I got curious about what would happen if it were destroyed, and as you can see, the result was quite surprising."


    "Seriously? That''s all it took? You just had to hit that thing?"


    When Tristan confirmed it, she exclaimed, "Damn, and I was scared of these guys."


    Tristan wondered if all Marked Ones shared this trait.


    He decided to examine the corpse further to see if he could find any answers. Just by observing, he noticed that the runes on the creature''s body didn¡¯t seem to have been made with an ordinary blade.


    ''Or perhaps whoever carved them was extremely powerful.''


    The engravings had few imperfections, and analyzing them, Tristan deduced they had been created in a single stroke.


    ''I wouldn''t be able to carve into something this tough with my sword, even if it were much sharper. On the other hand, if I used Darkness magic, the runes would be perfect, unlike these.''


    He formed a few hypotheses about the characteristics of whoever inscribed these symbols.


    Though Tristan called them runes because of their resemblance to ones he knew, he couldn¡¯t confirm their true nature.


    ''I can¡¯t read these like the runes created by the Supremes. Perhaps they¡¯re like the magical arrays from my old home.''


    Of course, he didn¡¯t dismiss the possibility of them being just a strange language.


    He then turned his attention to the metal cylinder. Based on its simple design, Tristan assumed it was made using the world''s standard archaic techniques.


    He felt a bit apprehensive about tampering with it, but that didn¡¯t stop him. He used his Light magic on the cylinder, hoping it wasn¡¯t a cursed object.


    The container''s exterior was connected to the creature''s various organs through tubes. The interior wasn¡¯t complex, divided into just three chambers. The top contained another set of runes, the middle held a viscous liquid, and the base featured a five-pointed metallic star.


    Tristan found no physical mechanisms.


    Most of the strange liquid had leaked out through the holes he had caused. Examining what remained, he discovered blood cells, muscle fibers, bone fragments, plant material, and powder from some minerals he couldn¡¯t identify.


    All of this only made sense to him if it was part of a dynamic system. He hypothesized that the viscous liquid mixed with the creature''s "blood" and circulated through its body, causing some unknown effect.


    ''If this is an artifact capable of animating something through magic, shouldn¡¯t it have a core to serve as an energy source?''


    The more he investigated, the more anomalies he uncovered. Based on all the stories he had heard, cores were the ultimate energy source in that world. From artifacts and arrays to artificial races like the undead created by necromancers or golems crafted by mages, all required a core to function.


    Concluding that he couldn¡¯t learn more from it, Tristan turned his gaze to the Fungelites. The guards had returned to the main nursery, some tearing pieces from the beast¡¯s corpse while others collected parts from their fallen comrades. All of it would become nutrients for their lands. The rest resumed their usual tasks as if everything had returned to normal.


    Looking upward, Tristan saw the large hole at the top of the cavern. Judging by the faint light, he assumed it was late afternoon.


    For a moment, he envied those beings'' ability to forget everything that had happened and focus entirely on the present.


    "I think our time here is over," he said to Zahira.


    After preparing their belongings, Zahira guided him once more through the tunnels. With any luck, this time he would finally escape K¨± M¨´ L¨ªn.

 Chapter 84: Promise of return

    Tristan followed Zahira through the tunnels for several hours. They exited differently than they had entered, through a crack in a large rock. The first thing he saw was the green color of the plants around them.


    ¡®Finally. I¡¯m free of that cursed place.¡¯


    Tristan turned to the hybrid girl and bowed. He made a small effort to think of something nice to say.


    ¡°Thank you, Zahira. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of there so quickly without your help. You have my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. It was nothing. Have a safe trip,¡± she replied in a voice that lacked emotion.


    Tristan noticed a sad expression on her fur-covered face.


    Without him, she would return to spending her days only in the company of her pet and her house, neither of which could converse with her. Thinking about this, Tristan said:


    ¡°Do you have more of that powder that keeps the Fungelites from attacking? This is the fastest route, and I¡¯d like to pass through here when I return to the sect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming back?¡± she asked, sounding excited as she reached into the vines on her back and handed him some spheres.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°And I¡¯ll stop by your house to visit you.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. I will wait anxiously for you to tell me everything you saw outside of here. Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    With the promise of his return made, he set off on his journey, once again traveling alone.


    After saying goodbye to Zahira, Tristan spent the next few hours walking through a much less hostile environment than the one he had endured over the past week. The moisture in the air refreshed his lungs, and the sound of birds and small insects was like relaxing music compared to the silence of K¨± M¨´ L¨ªn.


    Under his feet was vibrant green grass. The trees around him were tall and conical in shape. As he walked, he came across a small bamboo grove. Approaching it, he shook the stalks and heard the sound of liquid inside. Cutting one of the stalks, he was pleased to see the transparent color of the fluid rather than a red slime.


    Tristan drank a little, confirming it was safe, and collected some bamboo pieces to store in his backpack.


    The next few hours of his journey were also peaceful until something caught his attention. He spotted a thick, white mist. His brow furrowed, and his mind grew more alert.


    Tristan recalled what he had studied about the Misty Mountains region.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He approached cautiously, feeling no desire to disobey the advice from his map and the books he had read in the library, which warned against getting close to any mist near that area.


    The fog appeared completely normal, and through his mystical senses, he found nothing unusual about it. However, he soon realized what he was seeing was not natural.


    Tristan crouched and examined the ground beneath the mist. It looked as though it was sinking into the soil. He took a deep breath and blew toward the fog, but it remained unmoved. Keeping a few meters away, he observed the trees and rocks around the fog, noticing once again that nothing seemed capable of blocking it.


    ¡®It seems I¡¯ve found the Mist of the Lost.¡¯


    He no longer had any doubts. The Misty Mountains must be close. And if everything he had heard was true, at their summit would be the magical herbs that could miraculously boost his cultivation.


    A slight smile curved his lips, and a determined glint lit his eyes. The desire to turn his former home and prison to ashes burned in his heart once more. He felt that desire within him grow as if it alone were enough to bring down those mountains.


    Shaking his head, he calmed his mind. Focus was vital to surviving any dangerous task. Those who let their emotions control them tended to have short lives.


    Yet every step he took carried the weight of his anxiety.


    He walked into an open field, and a massive mountain range appeared before his eyes.


    Tristan gripped the strap of his backpack more tightly. Dense white mist rested on one of the peaks of those colossal rock formations. However, he did not let the danger of the unknown shake his resolve. On the contrary, he faced the mysterious fog with even greater determination. At that moment, something strange happened.


    He closed his eyes tightly and looked again, but everything had returned to normal.


    Tristan ran a hand through his hair in confusion.


    ¡®Am I going crazy again?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a good time for that.


    He tried to recall the shape he had seen at the top of the mountain.


    The details of that image were too vivid in his memory to be mere imagination.


    Tristan sighed.


    ¡®Why the hell was there a hand on top of the mountain?¡¯


    On a dark night in a forest of old, gnarled trees, four beasts with snouts close to the dry ground sniffed around. They resembled Komodo dragons but were the size of tigers.


    There were many footprints, holes, and bloodstains on the ground¡ªclear evidence that a battle had taken place there.


    Two tall, humanoid figures stood near the beasts, watching as if searching for something.


    Traces of a fight¡ªthat was all that remained for them. They knew that if anyone had died there, their bodies would have long been devoured by the monsters of that region.


    Their bodies were covered in parts from various creatures¡ªscales, fangs, claws, and hides. Some hides appeared to be from animals, while others resembled human skin. A short distance from them stood someone barely the height of their legs, dressed in leather clothing that covered them from head to toe, keeping them warm in the cold night.


    One of the beasts kept its snout in one spot longer before raising its head. The tallest figure approached and crouched, using a scarred and wrinkled hand to dig into the soil. Suddenly, it paused, looking more closely.


    The figure picked something up from the ground and brought it closer for inspection.


    It was strands of hair¡ªunnaturally dark, blacker than coal.


    Seeing this, sparks of power shone in its eyes, filled with predatory intent.

 Chapter 85: The path to the prize

    Under the slightly bluish glow of the moon in the night sky, four young men arduously climbed a snow-covered mountain. Their bodies trembled like branches swaying in the wind, and with each step, their feet sank into the snow that reached their knees. None of them carried weapons, and their golden garments, far too elegant for martial artists in such a hostile environment, seemed more ornamental than practical.


    Xiang Yuze rubbed his hands against his arms, vainly trying to stave off the cold that seemed to freeze his very bones. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Why don¡¯t we hunt a beast and use its hide to keep warm?¡± he asked, his voice trembling.


    Shang Quian, the eldest of the group, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Does anyone here know how to do that?¡±


    The others exchanged glances, visibly embarrassed, before shaking their heads.


    ¡°Then forget it,¡± Quian sighed. ¡°We¡¯d waste too much time learning how to skin one without ruining it.¡±


    Disappointed by their lack of such knowledge, they continued climbing the mountain.


    The silence that followed was broken by Kai Jing, the only one whose attire remained immaculate despite the rigors of the climb. Everyone wore high-quality clothes, but his seemed a notch above the rest. He pointed ahead, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. ¡°Look! Herbs!¡±


    The others turned immediately, hope renewed. Around a snow-covered rock, small flowers grew, emanating an ethereal blue glow, similar to that of the moon. The four rushed toward the plants, their hurried steps kicking up snow along the way.


    ¡°We finally found them!¡± said Xiang Yuze, barely able to contain his excitement. He quickly advanced, extending his hand to grab the flower. But when he pulled the stem with his fingers, the plant¡¯s glow vanished. It now appeared as an ordinary white-petaled flower.


    ¡°What happened? All the essence disappeared!¡± he exclaimed angrily.


    Shang Quian examined it. ¡°These probably didn¡¯t absorb enough moonlight to become magical plants,¡± he hypothesized. ¡°I think we need to go higher. Remember what Master Heng said? The higher up the mountains, the better the quality of the herbs.¡±


    Xiang Yuze gritted his teeth, crushed the flower in frustration, and threw it to the ground.


    Kai Jing glanced at the mountain¡¯s peak and sighed. He didn¡¯t actually need the magical herbs¡ªhis father owned several mines around Zaguhan. Thanks to his family¡¯s wealth, he had been able to drink a potion to accelerate his cultivation earlier that year.


    He had only joined this expedition to increase his influence in the sect, but now he was beginning to regret taking on this challenge.


    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± Tou Hue said, a smile on his face. He was the only one who managed to stay cheerful in such circumstances.


    Shang Quian frowned and looked down at Hue. ¡°How can you stay so upbeat in this place?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Why not?¡± He looked at Quian¡¯s scowling face. ¡°We¡¯ll be the pride of our families when we return. Besides, the power we gain here could help us secure a good position in the tournament. Imagine if we take first place! Isn¡¯t it natural to feel excited about bringing such glory to the sect?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense,¡± Xiang Yuze muttered. Yuze was the only one who knew Hue before their group formed. ¡°You¡¯re not doing this for the sect!¡± he said accusingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re just dreaming big, thinking you might marry the lord¡¯s sixth daughter if you win the tournament.¡± The news that the city lord¡¯s sixth daughter would come of age to marry next year was well-known among the nobility. Yuze knew how excited Hue got whenever she was mentioned.


    Hue stepped back, glaring angrily at Yuze, but he didn¡¯t deny his colleague¡¯s accusation. Instead, he turned and continued climbing the mountain.


    Yuze laughed, satisfied with his reaction.


    The group of disciples pressed on with their arduous journey.


    Then, Hue, who was leading, abruptly stopped.


    ¡°What is it? Found more herbs?¡± Yuze asked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. There¡¯s something strange up ahead.¡± He pointed to a higher point on their path.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Inside the fog!¡± Hue stammered, fear evident in his voice.


    His words made everyone¡¯s eyes widen. The three looked upward and saw a humanoid figure within the dense white mist. The sight shocked them all¡ªsomeone was indeed inside the terrible and mysterious fog their masters had so sternly warned them to avoid.


    ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re not the first to get here!¡± Yuze exclaimed.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Hue sought a solution from his companions.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± said Jing. ¡°If that guy¡¯s coming down, it means he already found what he was looking for. We just need to make him hand over everything he¡¯s got.¡±


    Yuze nodded in agreement.


    The two headed toward the unknown figure.


    ¡°Hey, be careful not to get too close to the fog!¡± Quian warned from behind them.


    ¡°That guy¡¯s there. It must be safe,¡± Yuze replied.


    They approached the person, confirming that he was indeed within the mysterious fog. He was a young man like them. The stranger stood with his back to them, gazing at the mountain¡¯s peak. He wore blue robes, now in tatters, which they immediately recognized.


    ¡°He¡¯s from the Southern Green Turtle Tear Sect,¡± Jing said, clear apprehension in his voice.


    The confidence they had felt diminished considerably; this was a very prestigious sect in Zaguhan, and its disciples¡¯ strength was greatly feared.


    ¡°So what?¡± Yuze said, attempting to recover his composure. ¡°There are four of us, and he¡¯s alone. We can handle this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re disciples of the Indulgent Iron Sect. If you know what¡¯s good for you, I suggest you hand over everything you found up there!¡±


    The young man in the fog slowly turned toward them.


    When he finished turning, Yuze and Jing turned pale at what they saw. A chunk of the boy¡¯s neck was missing, exposing his white bones and red flesh. And yet, his skin still had a pinkish, healthy tone. If not for the hole in his neck, they might have thought he was in better condition than they were.


    Their shock didn¡¯t end there. When they blinked again, the young man in the fog was no longer alone¡ªdozens of humans and beasts stood side by side, staring at them, at least those who still had eyes to do so.


    The boy in the fog lunged at Yuze, biting his face as if to devour it. However, Yuze only felt the pain of the bite. As someone deeply connected to Metal magic, his skin was tougher than that of any cultivator of another element.


    Quian, who was already nearby, circulated Metal essence through his body. A metallic glow clung to his skin as he rushed forward, shoving the strange disciple away.


    ¡°We need to¡ª¡± Before Quian could finish, something massive fell on him, crushing his body.


    The remaining three disciples froze, as though their very souls were stunned by the event. Imperceptible and undetectable, a massive brown bear had descended from above, turning one of their companions into a mangled corpse.


    They stared at the bear in disbelief.


    The creature rose, there was nothing above its neck. Slowly, it began moving toward them.

 Chapter 86: Blood in the snow

    Tristan had reached his goal of arriving alive in the region of the misty peaks.


    With each step, his feet sank into the soft snow. Cold winds swept past him, making the hairs on his body stand on end. The higher he climbed, the more intense the cold became. Although his body reacted with discomfort to the hostile climate, his mind, on the other hand, was as calm as it had always been.


    It didn¡¯t snow in the marquisate where he was born, so this was his first time encountering snow in this world. Tristan couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since the last time he had seen snow, but his mind bore many scars from unpleasant experiences in this kind of environment. He remembered the pain of dying, feeling every part of his body freeze. A shiver ran down his spine at those memories. Tristan rubbed his hands together to recall warmth and banish those bad thoughts.


    With his focus restored, he decided to use the time walking under the sunlight to learn more about his cultivation.


    He extended his right arm and flexed his muscles. Drawing the essence of Light from his core, he guided that energy with his will to his arm. The fibers of his flesh grew and swelled, becoming as thick as a finger. With a thought, his muscles moved as if several snakes were wrestling within.


    Tristan was practicing his ability to control his body, a natural trait of Light cultivation. The greatest challenge of using this ability was that each part of his body responded differently. Because of this, his progress was slow. Not knowing its full potential, he hadn¡¯t placed much value on this power of Light. However, after needing to control his heartbeat to deceive the Feng brothers, he began to see it in a new light.


    Currently, all he could do was control small parts of his body and bend his limbs into unnatural and strange shapes.


    ¡®Who knows what I¡¯ll be able to do when I unlock its full potential?¡¯


    After a few minutes of practicing and thinking about the future, he decided to tackle another important task. Tristan remembered the strange, supposedly enchanted object he had obtained from the fire snake''s death.


    The creature¡¯s spine was the only thing that remained intact from its body, and for some reason, Pandora''s Tower had called it a seed.


    Owning a magical artifact could mean the difference between life and death. As soon as he had time, he tried to activate the enchantment in the spine. Unfortunately, all his attempts ended in failure.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Because of this, he planned to find a safe place to search for information about it in his Divine Fragment.


    ¡®I hope I don¡¯t need to fulfill absurd conditions to make this work.¡¯


    On a snowy mountain, two girls wearing yellow kimonos were surrounded by a pack of white wolves. They were short, and their childlike appearance revealed their young age.


    Four wolves, much larger than normal, bared their sharp fangs at them. They circled around the girls, preparing to attack. There was a slight, abnormal tremor in their eyes. The creatures were clearly agitated, as if under the influence of some substance.


    A strong wind made their dark brown hair sway. It was tied on each side with a cloth, one wearing red and the other black. This was the only thing that distinguished them, as they were so alike it was as if they were each other¡¯s reflection.


    With their backs turned to one another, each trusted that her partner could handle the enemies she couldn¡¯t see, while their thin swords pointed at the wolves.


    For a moment, the girls and the beasts stared at each other in deadly silence, until one of the beasts flexed its paws and lunged at the one with the black cloth.


    Seeing the creature approach, Xiao Ning tightened her grip on her sword. Her hands trembled slightly, but she gathered her courage to face the challenge.


    In the blink of an eye, she moved the energy from her core to the blade of her weapon. The air responded to her energy, and a yellow wind swirled around her sword.


    [Blade of Ethereal Wind]


    With a horizontal swing of her small arms, her blade struck the creature¡¯s shoulder. Normally, such a small cut wouldn¡¯t have caused much damage to a being of that size. However, the blade was enhanced with the essence of wind, turning a small cut into a brutal wound.


    A howl of pain echoed through the air. Blood gushed from the wound on the beast''s body, staining the white snow red.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± her sister, Xiao Mei, asked.


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said with relief. ¡°Stay strong.¡±


    With the first wolf¡¯s initiative, the other three followed suit and attacked as well.


    Two wolves tried to attack Xiao Mei together. Her hands were much steadier compared to her sister¡¯s.


    The creatures attempted to bite her, displaying excellent coordination. But they weren¡¯t fast enough to hit Mei, who was using the power of the wind to move her body swiftly across the battlefield.


    She stopped near the side of one of the beasts and propelled herself forward with her sword aimed at the monster¡¯s belly. When her blade pierced the enemy¡¯s body, multiple wounds appeared around the spot she had struck.


    [Ten Feather Slash]


    The second wolf tried to attack her from behind, but she leaped several meters into the air. When she landed, her body barely sank into the snow beneath her.


    [Feet Light as Feathers]

 Chapter 87: Knight vs Dragon

    Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning fought a hard battle against the wolves. The creatures were fierce, but thanks to their talent and teamwork, they managed to kill them without suffering serious injuries.


    The two girls celebrated their victory amidst the bloodied wolf corpses. Adrenaline still coursed through their bodies. However, the sound of rapid footsteps in the distance caught their attention.


    Xiao Mei looked toward the sound, wiping the sweat from her forehead, while Xiao Ning remained on alert. Moments later, four figures appeared, wearing the same uniforms of the Flying Sword Sect, their robes lightly swaying in the wind.


    At the front was Liang Wei, a 16-year-old boy with a refined posture and a curious gaze.


    ¡°Did you two handle this on your own?¡± Wei asked, admiration evident in his voice as he observed the wolves¡¯ corpses.


    Xiao Mei, still catching her breath, gave a small smile before responding in a casual tone:


    ¡°As you can see, Liang Wei.¡± She shrugged as if it were no big deal, though the proud glint in her eyes gave her away.


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Wei said. ¡°As expected of the Xiao sisters.¡±


    Right behind him, Mei Lian, the 14-year-old and the last girl in the group, spoke in a frustrated tone. ¡°I wish I had seen that fight!¡± Her eyes wandered over the cuts on the beasts'' hides as she imagined how the battle had unfolded.


    ¡°Well, we would¡¯ve arrived sooner if it weren¡¯t for this slowpoke,¡± complained Chen Bo, the oldest of the group at 16, pointing at the bald boy trailing behind them, struggling to catch his breath.


    Mei glanced at Jin, the boy who had been assigned cleaning tasks in the sect along with another outsider over the past few months.


    Jin was carrying six backpacks and several bags. Although he was slim, he had a sturdier build compared to his slender companions.


    Mei Lian clicked her tongue. ¡°Even now, I can¡¯t believe our sect accepted an outsider.¡±


    Chen Bo nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what the sect leader was thinking when he made that decision. Accepting one was bad enough, but letting another into our ancestors¡¯ house shortly after?¡±


    Liang Wei joined the conversation. ¡°The sect isn¡¯t what it used to be. Remember what that lunatic did to our seniors? How was he not expelled?¡± Of course, everyone knew Tristan never started any conflict and only reacted to others'' hostility, but they didn¡¯t care about that.


    ¡°If our sect weren¡¯t the most powerful in the Wind element, I¡¯d consider leaving.¡± Abandoning one¡¯s sect for another was a huge taboo in Zaguhan. Normally, such words would be unacceptable. However, instead of condemning him, his companions, equally dissatisfied with the current situation, simply remained silent.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Hearing mentions of Tristan, Mei recalled with disdain the foreign boy she had never been able to defeat in a duel.


    Thinking about him, a curious memory surfaced in her mind.


    After Master Ming finished explaining the dangers they might face on this mission, everyone gathered to form groups. But Tristan didn¡¯t even try to join one and just left on his own.


    At that moment, she wondered whether he thought it was too dangerous and gave up before even trying or if he was arrogant enough to believe he could handle it alone. She amused herself with the idea that someone could be so bold and insolent.


    Then she remembered something else.


    ¡®When I invited Yue to join us, she refused and also left without a group. Maybe they¡¯re together. They seemed close.¡¯


    If that were the case, Mei was curious about how far they could go on their own. Of course, she imagined they probably gave up early and returned to the sect.


    Tristan searched for a place to take shelter. He found a large rock big enough to block the cold wind. He sat in front of the rock and closed his eyes.


    Activating his Divine Fragment, he began searching for information about the Vados.


    He scanned title after title until one caught his attention¡ªhe found a familiar name.


    |The Day Lotho Stole the Sun XXV|


    Lotho, the Knight of Dawn, was ordered by the King of Gunbelia to deal with a terrible black dragon that plagued the northern lands, destroying villages and spreading chaos. The creature, known as Shadrak, the Winged Shadow, was feared by all, as no warrior had ever returned alive from confronting it. One day, the creature landed in the city of Kristahein, attempting to raid the city''s vaults in search of mystical metals stored there.


    The city''s mages and army united their forces and bravely withstood the terror.


    Lotho descended from the skies in a golden light.


    He and the dragon exchanged a few words.


    The dragon raised its body and spread its wings intimidatingly; the creature was ten times larger than the warrior before it.


    All the citizens of Kristahein watched as Lotho raised his sword to the sky. A dense darkness fell, blinding everyone¡ªit was as if day had turned into night. There was only one source of light: Lotho¡¯s sword. Then, in an instant, a brilliant beam of light shot through the air. The citizens regained their vision and witnessed a splendid sight.


    The mighty, colossal black dragon now lay motionless on the ground, its head severed. It had been killed with a single strike.


    The small human, clad in his golden armor, stood before it, as splendid as ever.


    Cheers of joy and happiness quickly spread, and the citizens clapped in praise of their hero.


    But then, as if the devil had grown angry at their celebration, the dragon''s headless corpse began to move. Shadows burst from its body, causing an earthquake that shook all the houses. The once-dead colossal beast rose again.


    Man and creature faced each other once more.


    This time, the fight was far more intense. The headless dragon unleashed waves of shadow that destroyed everything they touched, but Lotho, with precise movements, severed its wings and, soon after, its tail. Even so, the creature kept fighting. Lotho delivered a direct blow to the beast''s heart, destroying it in a flash of golden light, but the monster did not relent.


    Several minutes of pure chaos passed until the battle finally reached its conclusion.


    The dragon''s body turned into a sea of shadows, and its massive figure disappeared, leaving only one of its scales behind.

 Chapter 88: Vado Artifacts

    ¡®Only one part of the dragon remained.¡¯ Tristan reflected on this in his mind.


    ¡®It seems that what happened with the fire serpent wasn¡¯t an isolated event.¡¯ Tristan concluded that he was witnessing one of the peculiarities of this world.


    He searched for other tales and found similar situations. For some reason, beings of different races could undergo some kind of transformation at the moment of their deaths. And when their end came, all that remained was a part of their bodies.


    Tristan tried to uncover the truth behind this phenomenon, but all he managed to find in the few minutes of his research were different theories.


    Not completely satisfied with the information he had obtained, he decided to move on to another important topic: how he could use the enchantment of the seed.


    He searched for the whereabouts of the dragon scale Lotho had obtained. Over the next few minutes, Tristan delved into a long story about how Lotho traveled to a dwarven kingdom to find someone capable of forging an artifact with the seed. Apparently, there was no one in his own kingdom with that skill at the time.


    Tristan read about how Lotho found himself in a complicated situation when the Dwarven King tried to force him to marry one of his daughters in exchange for crafting the item. The knight had to bargain extensively to change the king''s mind. In the end, he managed to get the king to agree to a new deal. A new journey began, where Lotho had to venture into the depths of the earth in search of a legendary metal that only someone with great power could survive that trip.


    Time passed, and Tristan realized he had lost his focus. He read one tale after another without noticing. This reminded him of how he used to find Lotho¡¯s stories fascinating in the distant past.


    He refocused on what was important and recalled what had happened to the black dragon scale. The dwarves had used it to forge a black armor, which Tristan thought didn¡¯t suit Lotho at all.


    Something that caught Tristan¡¯s attention was that the artifact had two enchantments: Shadow Mantle and Calamitous Aura. This was a novelty to him; as far as he knew, artifacts could only have one ability.


    He researched for a few more moments to confirm his hypothesis.


    ¡®It seems artifacts made with a Vado Seed are an exception to this rule.¡¯ He quickly recognized the incredible advantage that type of artifact could bring.


    Unfortunately, it seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to use one now.


    After gaining a new understanding of the Vado Seed, Tristan returned to his main objective. From where he stood, he could already see the tallest mountain in the region¡ªa highly noticeable landmark. It wouldn¡¯t take long before he finally discovered what awaited him at the peak.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The location he needed to reach was northwest of his current position. He could see the white mist scattered across several spots in the region.


    Tristan decided to head north and then turn west, skirting the mountains to save time and avoiding areas where the mist was densest.


    Xiao Mei was climbing a snowy mountain alongside her companions from the Flying Sword Sect when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.


    It was Liang Wei. ¡°Hmm, I think there are people coming up behind us.¡±


    He pointed to a spot farther down the mountain.


    And indeed, there were. When Mei looked, she saw several figures moving through the snow dozens of meters below them, confirming what the boy had said.


    ¡°Enemies from another sect?¡± Wei asked.


    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Xiao Mei replied.


    Mei Lian glanced at her companions apprehensively and asked, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Liang Wei and Chen Bo remained silent, their minds racing to determine the most appropriate course of action.


    ¡°What else can we do but face them and show the strength of our sect?¡± Mei said with a determined look.


    Except for Jin and Xiao Ning, her words fired up her companions.


    They waited for their enemies to approach.


    Time passed, and soon they could better see the appearance of the rival group. It was a group of four, all with robust, broad builds. They were dressed in brown and orange clothing that stood out against the white landscape.


    Liang Wei frowned and spoke in a nervous tone. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re Earth cultivators.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen two of them before,¡± Chen Bo said, pointing at the ones walking in front. ¡°Shan Luong and Tu Zhen. Our families have done some business in the past; they¡¯re disciples of the Living Rock Sect. I know they hold significant positions in that sect.¡±


    Mei noticed her companions'' expressions growing more serious.


    ¡°So what?¡± Mei said.


    ¡°Mei, I think we should carefully consider whether we should really confront them. Elemental disadvantages shouldn¡¯t be underestimated; the masters always warn us to be cautious about this,¡± said Lian, one of the girls in the group.


    ¡°Our sect¡¯s status is superior to theirs, so we must act accordingly. We can¡¯t dishonor our home just because of an elemental disadvantage.¡± Her youthful voice was firm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s warn them to leave, and if they think they can push past us and take those herbs, we¡¯ll show them they¡¯re wrong.¡±


    Soon, the other group reached them, stopping a little way off. The disciples of both sects sized each other up before anyone spoke.


    ¡°Twins? Are you the Xiao sisters from the Flying Sword Sect? I¡¯ve heard of you.¡± A tall young man with short hair and a square jaw said. He gave a brief bow that conveyed little respect and introduced himself. ¡°My name is Shan Luong, and these are my companions from the Living Rock Sect.¡±


    The disciples behind him also gave a subtle bow.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re here for the same goal,¡± Shan Luong said.


    ¡°Indeed, which is why I advise you to turn back. After all, everything atop these mountains belongs to the Flying Sword Sect,¡± Mei said confidently.


    ¡°Really? Perhaps there are enough herbs for both groups. Couldn¡¯t we work together to overcome the challenges along the way and share the reward?¡± Luong proposed.


    Mei¡¯s companions looked at her.


    ¡°Why share when we can have it all? Leave!¡± Mei said, showing no interest in an agreement. In fact, her eyes gleamed with anticipation for conflict.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible.¡± Everyone could tell from his tone that he wasn¡¯t disappointed by the failed negotiation.


    Xiao Mei placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. ¡°If you think you¡¯re bold enough to take what¡¯s ours, then I¡¯ll gladly show you how foolish you are.¡±


    ¡°You Wind cultivators with your skinny arms will stop us from moving forward?¡± Shan Luong said, then laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s as likely as the wind toppling these mountains.¡±

 Chapter 89: Big dog

    Listening to those words, a sneer of disdain appeared on Xiao Mei¡¯s face.


    ¡°Impressive how your arrogance managed to seep out of that thick skull of yours, but I think it¡¯s time to show you where you truly belong.¡±


    Tired of being threatened, Shan Luong stomped on the ground. Earthen spikes emerged from the soil and shot toward the disciples of the Flying Sword Sect.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± Xiao Mei commanded her companions.


    The enemy''s attack fell on their location like rain, colliding with the ground with the impact of cannonballs.


    But it was far too little to affect the Wind cultivators. With their agile movements, they dodged the projectiles with ease.


    Only one member of their group almost got hit. Unlike his companions, Jin¡¯s movements were slower and clumsier. Even so, he managed to escape unharmed, even when a projectile landed near him, scattering fragments around. Parts of his clothing were torn, but there were no visible injuries on his body.


    ¡°If this is the best you can do, rockhead, I must admit I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Xiao Mei shouted mockingly.


    ¡°Advance! Show these fools what it means to challenge the Flying Sword Sect!¡±


    At her command, the disciples of the Flying Sword Sect charged toward their opponents, crossing several meters in an instant.


    Seeing the skill with which their rivals handled the attack from the strongest member of their group, the Earth cultivators manipulated the ground around them, creating stone blocks the size of bricks and hurling them at their enemies.


    Chen Bo was at the forefront of his group. He reached Luong first and brought his sword down on him in a vertical strike. Luong, who had already covered his arms in earth, used them to block Bo¡¯s attack.


    Luong launched a series of punches at Chen Bo. His movements were slow, but his fists carried enough power to threaten to break his opponent¡¯s bones with a single blow.


    Bo felt somewhat pressured by those attacks and retreated.


    Xiao Mei approached him and said, ¡°Help the others; I¡¯ll handle him.¡±


    Mei dashed toward the Earth cultivator and unleashed a series of diagonal slashes with her sword. Her blade moved so quickly that it seemed like a phantom. Thin red lines appeared superficially on Luong¡¯s skin; her strikes struggled to penetrate his body.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°No matter how fast you are, little girl, your attacks are useless,¡± he declared, his voice deep and disturbingly calm.


    ¡°So what? If that¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll strike a thousand more times. Let¡¯s see how long you can last,¡± Mei exclaimed, adjusting her stance. She prepared to use her Ten Feather Slash technique, aiming to turn Luong¡¯s abdomen into a sieve.


    However, when she stepped forward, her foot found little firmness¡ªthe ground had been softened.


    Luong smiled and took advantage of her momentary imbalance to strike her with his earth-coated fists.


    Mei felt her blood run cold. She manipulated the wind to push her body back and escape her opponent¡¯s brutal attack. Luong¡¯s fist grazed her face, leaving a small bruise on her cheek.


    Outraged, she gathered all the essence she could and directed it to her legs.


    She shot toward him, feinting an attack at his abdomen. When the rival disciple tried to block, he realized too late that it was just a diversion.


    Mei quickly redirected her essence to her arms and changed the direction of her sword. She thrust her blade into Luong¡¯s thigh. A bubble of air formed within his leg, tearing through his muscles. He gritted his teeth against the pain of the injury. His left leg could no longer support his weight fully, but he refused to let his knee buckle.


    Luong stomped on the ground, causing a two-meter-tall wall of earth to rise in front of him. He moved it toward Xiao Mei, aiming to bury her alive.


    ***


    Tristan traveled sideways along the mountain range. The path was narrow, but with his martial artist''s senses, he could balance even on the smallest stones.


    As he walked, bored by the journey, he reflected on what he had discovered about the strange item in his possession.


    ¡®I wonder where I can find a forgemaster to work on my seed. I¡¯ve seen some masters with magical artifacts in the sect, so maybe there¡¯s someone in Zaguhan who can create something like that.¡¯


    Of course, he also considered the possibility that they had bought them from someone in the eastern region.


    ¡®The problem is how I can contact them, as if it wasn¡¯t enough that the city is full of...¡¯


    Tristan didn¡¯t have time to finish his thoughts. Something wet hit his head, interrupting him abruptly. He stopped, confused, and ran a hand through his hair to identify what had hit him. His fingers found a transparent, viscous liquid¡ªsomething he didn¡¯t immediately recognize.


    Before he could react, another wet smack struck him. He frowned and murmured to himself:


    ¡°It can¡¯t be rain... not here. Did the snow melt or what?¡±


    Tristan quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked up, trying to understand the situation. Immediately, he saw something unusual. High above, a figure stood out against the terrain. What he saw made his heart race.


    A colossal head, almost the size of his entire body, was staring at him. The creature bore sharp teeth in a menacing expression. It had a canine appearance but was disturbingly unnatural. Its face was completely hairless, revealing pinkish-white skin, taut and irregular.


    The monster raised one of its massive paws and struck the rock face above Tristan. The impact was devastating: stones broke loose, rolled, and fell, destroying the path he was walking on. He lost his balance and couldn¡¯t leap to the nearest rock. Tristan felt the ground vanish beneath his feet, and before he could react, he was falling.