The Nomad Lands

The wolf howls echoed in the darkness, one after another, coming from all directions simultaneously.

Shadow flipped into the entrance between the rocks, his short sword already drawn, its blade gleaming with a cold white light under the moonlight.

His movements were light, almost silent, but his grip on the sword was tighter than usual.

"How many?" Li Xuan asked in a low voice.

"At least three," Shadow replied. "Their direction is uncertain; they're hunting."

Shi Yong was startled awake, his hand already reaching for the hilt of his heavy saber.

His vigilance was not poor even when sleeping; it was a habit honed on the Northern Territory battlefield.

Li Xuan listened intently.

The wolf howls grew closer.

There was an unnatural sharpness to the sound, like metal grinding, or like wind whistling through hollow bones.

He had heard this sound before, in Iron Wall City, the night the barbarian shaman summoned the Wolf Souls.

"They're not living creatures," he said softly.

Shadow nodded. "They're the Wolf Souls scattered by Gurqin."

Shi Yong's expression changed slightly. "Didn't his clone get destroyed? How are there still some?"

"The clone is gone, but the scattered power remains," Li Xuan said. "The Shadow Division said Gurqin spent thirty years extending his reach everywhere. Those Wolf Souls and dark shadows were his eyes scattered across the land. When the clone was destroyed, they didn't disappear with it... they continued to carry out their final orders."

"What orders?"

Li Xuan didn't answer, but he could guess.

Gurqin's clone had said before dying, "The real me is still..."

Still where? Deep in the Northern Territory, in the Black Abyss.

The final order for those scattered Wolf Souls and dark shadows must have been to guard the path to the Black Abyss, or to kill anyone who tried to approach.

"They've found us," Shadow said. "Should we retreat?"

Li Xuan shook his head. "We can't retreat anymore. They're surrounding us, which means they've locked onto our position. Running back will just mean being chased and attacked. It's better to wait for them here."

He looked at Shi Yong and Su Ying.

"Shi Yong, you guard the entrance between the rocks. Su Ying, stay behind me, don't come out."

Shi Yong nodded, holding his heavy saber horizontally in front of him, squatting at the entrance between the rocks.

His sturdy build almost completely blocked the entrance.

Li Xuan drew the Blood Wolf Saber, its blade reflecting a dark red luster under the moonlight.

He circulated the Red Sun Scripture, and a faint layer of Crimson Gold Flame appeared on his palm. The flames spread along the saber's hilt to the blade, engulfing the entire saber.

The Blood Wolf Saber was originally a barbarian artifact, belonging to the Yin element. However, after being enveloped by the Red Sun Qi, the Yin energy on the saber was suppressed, replaced by a scorching aura.

Shadow glanced at him but said nothing, merely shifting half a step to the side to give him space to act.

The wolf howls suddenly stopped.

An deathly silence fell upon the surroundings.

The wind also stopped.

Even the sand ceased to flow.

The silence was abnormal, as if an invisible hand had muffled all sound.

Li Xuan held his breath, his divine sense expanding to its maximum.

Twenty zhang to the front left, something was there.

Fifteen zhang to the front right, something was there.

Ten zhang directly ahead--

Here it comes.

An Ethereal Green Shadow lunged out of the darkness, moving as fast as lightning!

Li Xuan was prepared.

He took half a step forward, and the Blood Wolf Saber slashed upward diagonally from below. The Crimson Gold Flame on the saber traced an arc through the air, striking the side of the shadow.

"Hiss--!"

A sharp shriek erupted.

The shadow was struck by the blade, its Ethereal Green Light flickering violently, like a dying lamp.

It fell to the ground, rolled twice, and then got back up.

It was a wolf.

No, it wasn't a wolf. Its size was a circle larger than an ordinary wolf, and it was shrouded in an ethereal green mist, with two green fires burning in its eye sockets.

Its body was not flesh and blood, but semi-transparent, as if condensed from Smoke and Light.

Wolf Soul.

It was from the same source as the giant wolf from Iron Wall City that night, but much smaller and weaker.

At the wound Li Xuan had inflicted, Crimson Gold Flames were burning, consuming the faint green mist bit by bit.

The wolf soul let out a pained howl, desperately clawing at the wound to extinguish the flames, but they only grew larger.

Li Xuan gave it no chance.

He took a step forward, Blood Wolf Saber slashing again, its edge aimed at the wolf soul's head.

The wolf soul tried to dodge, but its body was already scorched by the Red Sun Qi, its speed greatly reduced.

The blade struck its nape, and the Crimson Gold Flames exploded. The wolf soul let out a shrill cry, its entire body shattering with a boom, turning into countless faint green light spots that dissipated into the night wind.

[Killed Wolf Soul (Remnant Soul), Potential Points +2]

The other two had arrived.

The one on the left lunged at Shi Yong from the side, while the one on the right circled above a rock crevice, intending to attack from overhead.

Shi Yong grunted, sweeping his Heavy Saber horizontally. The blade struck the front leg of the wolf soul on the left, but the wolf soul's body was semi-transparent. The Heavy Saber cut into it like sinking into cotton, only opening a shallow gash. The wolf soul's claws were already reaching Shi Yong's face—

Shadow moved.

His Short Sword pierced the wolf soul's neck from the side. There was no Qi on the sword, but the blade was coated with a dark substance.

The moment the blade pierced, the wolf soul's body froze abruptly, its green light flashing wildly as if it had been immobilized by something.

"Cut off its head!" Shadow hissed.

Li Xuan was already moving. Blood Wolf Saber slashed horizontally, Crimson Gold Flames tracing across the wolf soul's neck. Its head flew off, and its body shattered.

Second one, dead.

[Killed Wolf Soul (Remnant Soul), Potential Points +2]

The last one pounced from above.

Su Ying shrieked, swinging her War Hammer upwards.

The hammerhead struck the wolf soul's abdomen. The immense force sent the wolf soul flying, crashing into a nearby boulder. The boulder shattered, and several cracks appeared on the wolf soul's body.

Li Xuan caught up and ran his saber through its chest.

Third one, dead.

[Killed Wolf Soul (Remnant Soul), Potential Points +2]

The night wind began to blow again.

The rustling sound returned to their ears.

Everything returned to normal, as if the battle had never happened.

Shi Yong panted heavily, looking down at the shallow mark on his Heavy Saber's blade and cursing.

Li Xuan sheathed his saber, scanning their surroundings.

In the darkness, there were no more green lights.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

"They were scouting," he said. "Three wolf souls, not here to kill us, but to confirm our position."

Shadow nodded. "There will be more later."

Shi Yong's face turned grim. "What do we do? Go back?"

"Going back is the same," Li Xuan said. "We've entered their territory. Fifty miles back, and we're still within range. Might as well keep heading north."

He looked at Shadow. "How far to Black Abyss?"

Shadow thought for a moment. "At our current speed, five more days."

"Five days," Li Xuan repeated, gripping his saber hilt. "Enough for many waves."

"Can we take a detour?" Su Ying asked softly.

Shadow shook his head. "No. North is the nomadic territory of the barbarians. East is salt flats, no water or food; three days there and you'd collapse. West is mountains, cliffs and precipices; impossible with you two in the Body Tempering Realm."

He paused. "There's only one path. Through the nomadic lands, between the barbarian tribes."

Shi Yong cursed. "Barbarian tribes? Isn't that suicide?"

"Not necessarily a fight," Li Xuan said. "The barbarians aren't united. Blood Wolf Tribe, Blood Eagle Tribe, White Wolf Tribe, Black Bear Tribe... they have their own grudges. As long as we avoid the major tribes and move through the gaps between the smaller ones, we might not be discovered."

Cannot find the book title, try searching for the author, maybe the name has changed!

He looked at Shadow. "Do you have a map?"

Shadow pulled out a piece of beast hide from his embrace and spread it on the ground. The hide depicted a crude topographical map, marking the approximate locations of several tribes.

"This was drawn by the Shadow Division three years ago," Shadow said, pointing to several markings on the map. "Blood Wolf Tribe is here, Blood Eagle Tribe here, White Wolf Tribe here. These three are major tribes, each with tens of thousands of people. There are buffer zones between them, about ten miles wide, uninhabited, but patrolled by scouts."

"Then we'll travel through the buffer zones," Li Xuan said. "Rest during the day, travel at night. If we encounter scouts, avoid them if possible; if not, finish them quickly."

Shi Yong looked at the map, silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "In whose territory is Gurqin's main body located?"

Shadow's finger moved north, past the markers of three tribes, and stopped on a blank area at the northernmost edge of the map.

"Here," he said. "It doesn't belong to any tribe. The barbarians call it the 'Forbidden Zone,' and even they don't go in."

"Why?"

"Because no one who goes in ever comes out," Shadow said. "It's been like this for three hundred years. It wasn't a coincidence that Gurqin chose it as his lair—that place was problematic from the start."

Li Xuan stared at the blank area, Red Sun Qi slowly circulating within him.

"Rest until dawn," he said. "We'll start traveling tomorrow night."

The next day, the four hid in a cave deep within the rocky terrain.

The cave wasn't large, barely able to fit four people. A large boulder blocked most of the entrance, leaving only a crack for ventilation. Shadow had sprinkled powder made from the feces of some Demonic Beast at the entrance, said to mask human scent.

Li Xuan sat cross-legged at the innermost part, eyes closed, resting.

After arriving in the Northern Territory, he found his need for sleep had decreased.

When the Red Sun Scripture circulated, Pure Yang Qi nourished his entire body, including his brain.

He could go three consecutive days without sleep and not feel tired.

In the afternoon, during the Shen hour, Shadow suddenly opened his eyes.

"Someone's here."

Li Xuan immediately stood up, his hand on his saber's hilt.

Shadow raised a finger, signaling for silence. He listened for a moment, then peered out through the crack in the cave entrance.

Outside, on the rocky terrain, several figures were approaching.

Barbarians.

Four of them, all male, wearing leather robes and carrying curved sabers and bows at their waists.

They walked slowly, likely on patrol.

One of them, holding a Bone Staff, walked at the front, bearing the markings of a Shaman.

Li Xuan held his breath.

The four barbarians passed about twenty yards from the cave, not looking this way.

The barbarian at the very back suddenly stopped, twitching his nose a few times as if smelling something.

Shadow's hand rested on his sword hilt.

Li Xuan's saber was already half drawn.

The barbarian twitched his nose a few more times, shook his head, and followed his companions.

The four figures gradually moved away, disappearing into the depths of the rocky terrain.

Shadow released his sword hilt and let out a breath.

"Patrol," he whispered. "Once a day, at irregular times. It seems the barbarians already know someone has entered their territory."

"Did our tracks get exposed?" Shi Yong asked, waking up and rubbing his eyes.

"Not necessarily," Shadow said. "It could also be routine patrol. The barbarian high command should already know about the destruction of Gurqin's clone. They'll be increasing their vigilance."

Li Xuan looked at the map. "How far is the nearest tribe?"

"Thirty miles north is a small camp of the Blood Wolf Tribe, about two hundred people," Shadow pointed to a marker on the map. "Another sixty miles north is the buffer zone between the Blood Wolf Tribe and the White Wolf Tribe. We have to cross that buffer zone to continue north."

"Does the two-hundred-person camp have scouts?"

"Yes. They patrol within a ten-mile radius."

Li Xuan thought for a moment. "We'll set out tonight and bypass that camp first. If we can bypass it, we will. If not, we'll wait for a gap in the patrols and slip through."

After dark, the four set out.

The Northern Territory nights were bone-chillingly cold, the wind like knives cutting at their faces. Su Ying wrapped her padded coat tightly around herself, but her lips were still tinged purple from the cold. Shi Yong, with his thick skin, didn't feel much, just kept rubbing his hands.

Shadow walked at the front, stopping every so often to observe their direction. He didn't use a fire starter, relying entirely on moonlight and starlight to guide them. Li Xuan followed five paces behind him, Blood Wolf Saber already unsheathed, Red Sun Qi circulating within his body, ready to strike at any moment.

After walking for two hours, Shadow suddenly stopped and crouched down.

Li Xuan also crouched.

Ahead, in the darkness, was a faint point of light.

Not a campfire, but a torch.

Three figures flickered in the torchlight.

Barbarian scouts.

"Three," Shadow's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "Go around?"

Li Xuan surveyed the terrain. The scouts were standing by a dry riverbed, with open ground on either side, offering no cover. If they went around, they'd have to detour at least two miles, and there might be other scouts in that direction.

"We can't go around," he said. "We fight. Quick and decisive."

Shadow didn't hesitate and nodded.

Li Xuan made a gesture—Shi Yong and Su Ying were to stay put, while he and Shadow would go.

The two flanked from either side, their footsteps as light as cats. Shadow's movement technique was faster, like a black wisp of smoke, silently drifting to within ten paces of the scout.

Li Xuan circled to the other side, his distance also about the same.

He nodded to Shadow.

Shadow moved.

A short sword pierced the first scout's nape from behind. The man collapsed without even a sound.

Li Xuan struck simultaneously, his Blood Wolf Saber slashing horizontally. The blade sliced across the second scout's throat, blood spraying out and carried away by the night wind.

The third scout reacted, opening his mouth to shout...

Shadow's short sword was already at his throat.

"Don't move," Shadow said in the barbarian tongue, his voice soft but firm.

The scout froze, his eyes filled with terror.

Li Xuan stepped forward and asked in the barbarian tongue, "Where is Gurqin?"

The scout's eyes widened, his lips trembling, but he remained silent.

Shadow pushed the short sword forward half an inch, the tip piercing the skin, and beads of blood welled up.

"In... in the Black Abyss," the scout finally spoke, his voice trembling. "Forbidden land... to the north... no one dares to go..."

"How do we get there?"

"Go north... keep going north... five days... there's a Black Mountain... below the mountain is the place..." The scout's breathing grew increasingly rapid. "Please... don't kill me..."

Li Xuan glanced at Shadow.

Shadow withdrew his sword and struck the scout's nape with a palm strike.

The man fainted.

"We're not killing him?" Shadow asked.

"Killing him is useless," Li Xuan said. "Knocking him out will buy us a few hours. By the time they discover him, we'll be long gone."

The two returned to Shi Yong and Su Ying and continued north.

For the next three days, they hid in caves or ruins during the day and traveled at night.

They encountered four scout patrols. They bypassed two and clashed with two.

Fortunately, those two encounters involved small groups of scouts, just two or three people, and didn't alert the main force.

Each time, Li Xuan wrapped his blade with Red Sun Qi to ensure no Yin cold energy remained, preventing detection by the barbarian shamans.

On the night of the third day, they finally crossed the buffer zone between the Blood Wolf Tribe and the White Wolf Tribe.

Ahead lay a completely different terrain.

No longer was it a rocky beach or saline-alkali land, but a black rock plain. The rocks were black, the sand was black, and even the stars reflected on the ground turned a dim gray.

The air was filled with the smell of sulfur, mixed with a kind of rotten, sweet, and fishy odor.

Shadow stopped and looked ahead.

"We're here," he said. "The edge of the Black Abyss."

Li Xuan stepped forward and looked north.

In the darkness, a faint black bulge could be seen on the horizon.

It was a scar on the earth, or perhaps the gaping maw of some colossal beast.

Within his body, his Red Sun Qi suddenly surged violently.