The Journey Home

It was not yet dawn.

Li Xuan leaned against a giant boulder at the edge of the Rift Valley, eyes closed, though he was not asleep.

The Red Sun Qi within his body circulated through three major cycles, replenishing seventy percent of the strength he had expended in the battle at the Black Abyss.

The claw wounds on his arm from the Wolf Soul had already scabbed over; the recovery speed of his Blood Fiend Diamond Body was far faster than that of an ordinary martial artist, yet a trace of cold, sinister energy remained deep within the wounds, stinging like a fine needle wedged between his bones.

Shi Yong was snoring nearby.

His injuries were more severe than Li Xuan's. Although the Red Sun Qi had purged most of the Yin Fiend Qi from the claw marks on his back, the flesh had not yet healed, and yellowish pus seeped through the bandages.

Li Xuan opened his eyes and glanced at the sky.

A faint, grayish-white line appeared on the eastern horizon, like the final struggle before dawn.

The nights in the Northern Territory were long; it would be at least another hour before daybreak.

Shadow reached into his tunic and pulled out the animal-hide map, examining it by the dim moonlight.

"Returning the way we came takes five days; we don't have the time," he said. "But if we detour to the east, passing through the border between the Blood Wolf Tribe and the White Wolf Tribe, there is an ancient path. That route is thirty percent shorter, but it has two sections of cliffs that are difficult to traverse."

"Can we make it?"

"We can." Shadow glanced at the wound on Shi Yong's back. "But in Shi Yong's current state, climbing cliffs might tear his wounds open."

Li Xuan thought for a moment. "We'll decide when we reach the cliffs."

Shadow nodded and tucked the map away.

In the distance, another wolf howl echoed.

"They are tracking us," Shadow said. "Even though you refined the mark within you, there is still residual aura on your body. Gurqin's Wolf Soul can smell it."

Li Xuan gripped the hilt of his blade, feeling the two forces within him that were still slowly clashing.

Ever since they left the Black Abyss, they had been restless, like two snakes trapped in a cage, biting at each other from time to time.

He felt a vague sensation that something was brewing inside him.

But it was not yet time.

The sky finally brightened.

The daytime in the Northern Territory was even more desolate than the night.

The grayish-yellow land stretched to the horizon; not a single tree was in sight, and even rocks were rare.

Shi Yong woke up and struggled to his feet, his face contorting as the movement pulled at the wounds on his back. Su Ying handed him her waterskin, and Shi Yong took it, gulped down a large mouthful, and wiped his mouth.

"Let's go," he said. "Stop dawdling, I'm not dead yet."

Li Xuan took the lead, Shadow followed behind to point the way, and Su Ying supported Shi Yong at the rear.

The four of them moved much slower than they had on their way in.

After walking for two hours, Shadow suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal everyone to halt.

"There is something ahead," he whispered.

Li Xuan walked forward and looked in the direction Shadow was pointing.

Before them lay a Stone Rubble Beach, where gray stones of varying sizes were scattered across the ground like a pack of beasts crouching in the dirt.

In the center of the Stone Rubble Beach sat an exceptionally large rock, at least two people tall, shaped like a crouching wolf.

No, it was not just shaped like one.

It was a wolf.

The color of the stone was identical to the surrounding rocks, but as Li Xuan looked closely, he noticed fine Patterns on the surface, resembling tree bark or perhaps scales.

It lay there motionless, not even breathing, yet Li Xuan could sense that the thing was alive.

"Stone Wolf," Shadow's voice was extremely low. "Another thing raised by Gurqin. It is not a soul entity, but a physical one. It hides its body within the rock, camouflaging itself as stone, and then strikes suddenly when prey draws near."

"What is its cultivation level?" Li Xuan asked.

"I don't know. The Shadow Division's records only mentioned it once, stating that it is incredibly fast and its claws are highly toxic." Shadow paused. "And there isn't just one. Stone Wolves are pack animals; where there is one, there are at least three."

Li Xuan scanned the surroundings.

On the Stone Rubble Beach, at least seven or eight rocks were of suspicious size and shape.

"Seven," Li Xuan said in a low voice.

Shi Yong heard him from behind, his face turning pale. "Seven? We can't win against that, can we?"

"We don't necessarily have to fight," Li Xuan said. "We'll go around."

Shadow shook his head. "We can't. The Stone Rubble Beach is the only way through; there are cliffs on both sides unless we go back twenty miles and take a massive detour."

Li Xuan was silent for a moment, then made a decision.

"You wait here," he said. "I will go first and lure them out. If I can draw them away, you take the opportunity to cross the Stone Rubble Beach."

Shi Yong grew anxious. "You alone? Are you crazy?"

"I have the Red Sun Qi, which is the bane of all things sinister," Li Xuan said. "Although the Stone Wolves are physical entities, they contain Gurqin's Yin Fiend Qi, and my fire can harm them. If you come along, you'll only get in the way."

Ying thought for a moment and nodded: "He is right. If we go, we will only distract him."

Shi Yong wanted to say something else, but was held back by Su Ying. The young girl bit her lip, looked at Li Xuan, and whispered: "Senior Brother Li, be careful."

Li Xuan drew the Blood Wolf Saber, channeled his Red Sun Qi into the blade, and Crimson Gold Flame danced along the edge.

Then he took a deep breath and strode toward the Stone Rubble Beach.

After walking twenty steps, the largest "stone" moved.

It stood up abruptly, shaking off the gravel and dust from its body to reveal its true form.

A giant wolf two zhang long, its entire body covered in gray stone-like scales, its eyes not green, but a murky yellow, like two rotting beads.

It opened its mouth, revealing a mouthful of jagged teeth, and let out a low growl.

The surrounding "stones" also stood up one after another.

Seven Stone Wolves, the smallest of which was one zhang long, and the largest nearly two and a half zhang.

They formed a semicircle, blocking Li Xuan's path.

Li Xuan stopped and looked at the largest Stone Wolf.

"Move aside," he said.

The Stone Wolf tilted its head, sizing him up, its gaze landing on the Crimson Gold Flame on the Blood Wolf Saber, a hint of wariness flashing in its murky yellow eyes.

It let out a low roar, and all seven Stone Wolves lunged at once!

Li Xuan did not retreat but advanced instead.

He took a step forward, his speed exploding; his 15.2 agility turned him into a blur, allowing him to slip through the gap between two Stone Wolves.

The Blood Wolf Saber slashed horizontally, the Crimson Gold Flame dragging an arc through the air, striking the third Stone Wolf in the flank.

The blade hit the stone scales, producing a harsh, grating sound.

The scales shattered, and the flames burrowed into the cracks; the Stone Wolf let out a shrill howl, its body twitching violently before it collapsed to the ground.

Black smoke rose from the wound as the flames burned its body from the inside out.

[Killed Stone Wolf (Yin Fiend Entity), Potential Points +4]

The other six had already lunged.

Li Xuan had no time to look at the panel.

He sidestepped the pounce of one Stone Wolf, his left hand slamming a punch into its head; Blood Fiend Gang Qi condensed at his knuckles, combined with the burning effect of the Red Sun Qi, caused the Stone Wolf's head to cave in, and flames spread from the indentation.

[Killed Stone Wolf, Potential Points +4]

The remaining five stopped simultaneously.

They did not retreat, but they did not continue to attack either.

The largest Stone Wolf stood at the furthest distance, its yellow eyes fixed on Li Xuan, a low rumbling sound emanating from its throat.

Li Xuan stood with his saber, the Crimson Gold Flame dancing on the blade, casting flickering light and shadow across his face.

But he felt the two forces within his body, which had always been rather restless, vibrate violently at this moment. It wasn't a conflict, but rather... a resonance?

The Yin Fiend Qi radiating from the Stone Wolves, along with the residual energy released after being burned by the Red Sun Qi, was being absorbed into his body bit by bit.

Like a magnet attracting iron filings, it flowed in automatically.

The power of Gurqin.

In the midst of battle, his body was "reclaiming" it.

Li Xuan suppressed the internal disturbance and stared at the largest Stone Wolf.

"Come again," he said.

The Stone Wolf watched Li Xuan for three breaths, then turned and ran toward the depths of the Stone Rubble Beach.

The remaining four followed behind it and soon disappeared into the cluster of rocks.

Li Xuan stood where he was, waiting for a while to confirm they would not return, before turning back to wave at Ying and the others.

"Come over."

Ying supported Shi Yong, with Su Ying following behind, and the three of them quickly crossed the Stone Rubble Beach.

As Shi Yong passed the two Stone Wolf carcasses, he glanced down.

The bodies had been burned by the flames until only a pile of grayish-white ash remained, and a charred, foul smell permeated the air.

"You killed two of them by yourself?" Shi Yong's voice was filled with disbelief.

Li Xuan nodded, not saying much.

His focus was on his body, where the absorbed residual Yin Fiend Qi was being torn back and forth by the Red Sun Qi and the Blood Fiend Gang Qi, like a piece of meat being fought over by two dogs.

Ying squatted beside one of the Stone Wolf carcasses, used his Short Sword to push aside the ashes, and picked up two black crystals the size of fingernails.

The crystals shimmered with a dark green luster in the sunlight.

"Yin Fiend Crystal," Ying said. "Something condensed within the Stone Wolf's body, which can be used to refine medicinal pills." He put the crystals away. "If we hand these over to the Shadow Division when we return, we can exchange them for Contribution Points."

That night, they set up camp beside a dried-up riverbed.

Li Xuan sat on the outermost edge, his back to the others, facing north.

Inside his body, those two forces were still locked in a struggle.

The Yin Fiend Qi absorbed during the day had been mostly refined by his Red Sun Qi, but the remnants of that refinement had not vanished; instead, they had been absorbed by his Blood Fiend Gang Qi.

The Blood Fiend Gang Qi had grown stronger as a result, shattering the fragile balance it previously held with the Red Sun Qi.

Now, the Blood Fiend Gang Qi was a hair stronger than the Red Sun Qi.

This slight difference caused the two forces in his dantian to fall out of equilibrium.

The Red Sun Qi refused to be suppressed and fought back desperately; the two forces collided repeatedly within his meridians, like two wild beasts trapped in a cage.

Li Xuan gritted his teeth and endured. He had experienced this level of conflict many times before, and each time he had been able to suppress it with the heavy, grounding pressure of the Mountain Suppressing Art.

But tonight, he could not suppress it.

Just past midnight, the conflict within his body suddenly intensified.

The Red Sun Qi surged violently, breaking through the barrier of the Mountain Suppressing Art and slamming into the Blood Fiend Gang Qi.

The two forces collided in his dantian, exploding into a ball of wild energy.

Li Xuan let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Li Xuan?" Shadow's voice came from the darkness.

"Don't move," Li Xuan gritted out. "Don't touch me."

Inside his dantian, the two forces were devouring one another.

The Red Sun Qi wanted to consume the Blood Fiend Gang Qi, and the Blood Fiend Gang Qi wanted to retaliate and consume the Red Sun Qi.

They were like two venomous snakes, coiling and biting each other, neither willing to yield.

Li Xuan's meridians were tearing, his bones were popping, and patterns of interwoven Crimson Gold and blood-red emerged on the surface of his skin, making him look like cracked porcelain.

The excruciating pain surged like a tide, wave after wave, nearly drowning his consciousness.

He remembered the words in Qin Lie's letter: "Fiend Qi is a blade. You are not the hilt; you are the hand that grips the blade. The sharper the blade, the steadier the hand must be."

He took a deep breath and sank his consciousness into his dantian, no longer suppressing the two forces, but guiding them—guiding them to find a point of balance amidst the collision.

One breath.

Ten breaths.

A hundred breaths.

In his dantian, the two forces finally came to a halt.

The Red Sun Qi and the Blood Fiend Gang Qi stood in opposition within the dantian, like two coiled dragons, each occupying half the space.

But between them, there was no longer a violent collision; instead, a subtle boundary had formed.

The moment the boundary formed, both forces vibrated in unison.

The Crimson Gold and blood-red colors intertwined, rotating slowly in the dantian like a dual-colored vortex.

With every rotation, the two forces fused a little more.

Li Xuan opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, Crimson Gold and blood-red flashed simultaneously.

Inside his body, his inner qi surged through every meridian like a tide, repairing the previously ruptured areas one by one and widening the narrow ones.

The bottleneck of the Inner Qi Realm was like paper before the fused power, breaking through one layer, two layers, three layers—only coming to a halt at the sixth layer of the Inner Qi Realm.

[Realm: Inner Qi Realm 3rd Layer → Inner Qi Realm 6th Layer]

[Strength: 32.1 → 45.0]

[Physique: 90.0 → 110.0]

[Agility: 15.2 → 20.0]

[Spirit: 15.0 → 25.0]

[Potential Points: 37 → 5 (32 points consumed)]

[Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique 3rd Layer: Limit Break 3 → Limit Break 4]

[Red Sun Scripture: Minor Achievement → Major Achievement]

[New Ability: Crimson Blood True Gang Qi (Initial Achievement) — Fuses Red Sun Qi and Blood Fiend Gang Qi; can manifest outside the body as Gang Qi chains or a temporary clone, +800% damage against yin-evil entities]

He raised his right hand, and a ball of Crimson Gold Flame appeared in his palm, with a thread of blood-red patterns pulsing like a heartbeat at its center.

With a gentle squeeze, the flame extinguished.

Shadow watched his back, remained silent for a moment, and said only one word: "Good."

Shi Yong was woken up by the noise. He opened his eyes groggily to see Li Xuan sitting in the moonlight, his body still flickering with residual crimson-gold and blood-red halos.

He froze for a moment, then cursed, "What the hell... it's the middle of the night, why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing?"

"I broke through," he said.

Shi Yong opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He wanted to ask, "When did you break through?" but looking at Li Xuan's back, he suddenly felt that the question was stupid.

In the distance, the sound of wolf howls drifted over again.

It wasn't just one. There were many, coming from different directions, closing in on them.

Those Wolf Souls had been tracking them all day, waiting for an opportunity.

They sensed that Li Xuan's aura had been depleted during the battle and assumed he had grown weaker.

Li Xuan stood up. He faced north, raised his right hand, and turned his palm outward.

The power of intertwined crimson-gold and blood-red condensed in his palm into a beam of light that shot straight into the sky.

The beam exploded in the night sky, turning into a visible ripple that spread in all directions.

The wolf howls stopped abruptly.

Those Wolf Souls that had tracked them for three days and three nights all halted in their tracks the moment Li Xuan released his aura.

They felt fear.

They turned and ran.

Shi Yong watched this scene, and it took him a long time to choke out a sentence: "What the hell... what exactly did you do last night?"

Li Xuan withdrew his hand. "Let's go," he said, "back to the sect."

For the next two days, they traveled day and night.

On the evening of the third day, they finally saw the silhouette of Crimson Firmament Mountain.

The mountain was still the same, its crimson rocks glowing like blood under the setting sun.

"We're here," Su Ying whispered, her eyes suddenly turning red.

Shi Yong also breathed a sigh of relief; the wound on his back had scabbed over and was no longer bleeding.

He patted Li Xuan on the shoulder. "Let's go, back to turn in the mission."

The four of them quickened their pace toward the mountain gate.

At the North Mountain Gate stood a person.

Yun Qingxuan.

She wore the cyan sect uniform with a Crimson Sword hanging at her waist, standing on the stone steps. The setting sun shone on her face, making her expression unreadable. But as Li Xuan approached, her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You're back," Yun Qingxuan said.

"Yeah."

"The people from the Shadow Division are waiting for you." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Li Xuan again. "You... broke through?"

Li Xuan nodded.

Yun Qingxuan was silent for a breath, not pressing for more.

In the Shadow Division headquarters, inside that small room.

It was still the same table, the same two chairs, the same lamp.

Zhou Qian sat opposite him, with several sheets of paper covered in writing spread out on the table before him.

He looked at Li Xuan, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You broke through," Zhou Qian said.

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Last night," Li Xuan said.

"What layer of the Inner Qi Realm?"

"The sixth layer."

Zhou Qian tapped his fingers on the tabletop, then nodded.

He took a new token from the drawer and pushed it toward Li Xuan.

"From today on, you are no longer an ordinary Inner Disciple," Zhou Qian said. "You are a 'Special Consultant' for the Shadow Division. You have the right to access the Shadow Division's intelligence network and the right to apply for additional resources. But the price is—you must be on call at all times."

"Start from the beginning," Zhou Qian said. "What happened in the Black Abyss, what did Gurqin say, what did you encounter? Don't leave out a single word."

Li Xuan recounted it from the beginning.

From entering the Black Abyss, to encountering Zhou Wen's Corpse, to the descent of a part of Gurqin's Main Body, to the injury of the shadow, to him repelling the Wolf Souls, to the retreat—and finally, his breakthrough on the journey back.

He spoke in great detail, but omitted the information from the system panel, attributing it only to "realizations during battle" and "the fusion of two powers within the body."

After listening, Zhou Qian remained silent for a long time.

"Are you saying that Gurqin's true body is at least five times stronger than the avatar in the mine?"

"At least," Li Xuan said. "And he said that even though I've refined the mark within my body, it will regrow the moment I get close to his true body."

Zhou Qian stood up, walked to the wall, and pulled open a massive map of the Northern Territory.

"The Black Abyss is here." He pointed to a blank area at the northernmost edge of the map. "Gurqin's true body is here. For thirty years, we always assumed he was sealed beneath the mine, but it turns out that was only an avatar. His true body has never left the Northern Territory."

He turned around to look at Li Xuan.

"Do you know what this means?"

Li Xuan waited.

"It means the Barbarian Royal Court likely knew where Gurqin's true body was all along," Zhou Qian said. "Every one of their southward invasions over the past thirty years wasn't to seize territory, but to provide cover. Cover for Gurqin's recovery, and cover for his avatar's activities in the Southern Territory."

He walked up to Li Xuan and stared into his eyes.

"And you, Li Xuan, you killed his avatar, refined your mark, and managed to escape his true body unscathed. You are now the biggest thorn in his side."

"So, starting today," Zhou Qian said, "the Shadow Division will support you with everything we have. Not because you are important, but because as long as you are alive, Gurqin will come looking for you. And as long as you are alive, we have a chance to capture him."

He paused.

"In three days, the Elder Council will hold a meeting. You will be summoned to tell them everything you know about Gurqin. And then—we have to decide one thing."

"What thing?"

"Whether we wait for Gurqin to come, or we go find him."

By the time he left the Shadow Division, the sky had already turned dark.

He sat on his couch and closed his eyes to look within.

[Li Xuan]

[Status: Peak]

[Realm: Inner Qi Realm Level 6 (Minor Achievement)]

[Strength: 45.0]

[Physique: 110.0]

[Agility: 20.0]

[Spirit: 25.0]

[Potential Points: 5]

[Technique: Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique Level 3 (Limit Break Tier 4)]

[Technique: Mountain Suppressing Art (Perfected)]

[Technique: Red Sun Scripture (Great Achievement)]

[New Ability: Crimson Blood True Gang Qi (Initial Achievement) -- Fuses Red Sun Qi with Blood Fiend Gang Qi, can manifest as Gang Qi chains outside the body, +800% damage against dark and evil entities]

[Special: Blood Fiend Diamond Body, Yin Yang Unity]