Dawn had not yet broken.
Li Xuan leaned against a massive boulder at the edge of the rift valley, his eyes closed, though he was not sleeping.
The Red Sun Qi within his body circulated slowly through three greater celestial circuits, recovering seventy percent of the power he had consumed in the battle of the Black Abyss.
The wound on his arm where the wolf soul had clawed him had already scabbed over. The recovery speed of the Blood Fiend Diamond Body was much faster than that of ordinary martial artists, but deep within the wound a trace of chilling malice still lingered like a fine needle pricking the gaps between his bones, aching faintly.
Shi Yong was snoring nearby.
His injuries were heavier than Li Xuan's. Although most of the Yin Fiend Qi had been forced out of the claw mark on his back by the Red Sun Qi, the flesh had not yet healed, and pale yellow pus seeped through the bound cloth strips.
Li Xuan opened his eyes and glanced at the sky.
There was an extremely pale greyish-white on the eastern horizon, like the final struggle before dawn.
Night in the Northern Territory was very long, and it would be at least another hour before dawn.
Shadow fished the beast-skin map from his embrace and looked it over by the dim moonlight.
"Returning the way we came will take five days; we won't make it in time," he said. "However, if we detour a bit to the east, passing through the contested borderland of 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 sheer cliffs that are difficult to traverse."
"Can we walk it?"
"We can." Shadow glanced at the wound on Shi Yong's back. "But with Shi Yong's current state, climbing the cliffs might tear open his wounds."
Li Xuan thought for a moment. "We'll talk about it when we reach the cliffs."
Shadow nodded and put away the map.
In the distance, another wolf howl drifted over.
"They are tracking us," Shadow said. "Even though the mark in your body has been refined, residual qi still remains on you. Gurqin's wolf soul can smell it."
Li Xuan gripped his saber hilt tightly, feeling the two forces within his body that were still slowly conflicting.
Ever since they emerged from the Black Abyss, they had been somewhat restless, like two snakes locked in a cage, occasionally biting at each other.
He faintly sensed that something was brewing within his body.
Yet the time had not yet come.
Dawn finally arrived.
Daylight in the Northern Territory was even more desolate than the night.
The grey-yellow earth stretched all the way to the horizon without a single tree in sight, and even stones were scarce.
Shi Yong woke up and struggled to his feet. The wound on his back made him bare his teeth and grimace. Su Ying handed over her water skin, and Shi Yong took it, gulped down a large mouthful, and wiped his mouth.
"Let's go," he said. "Stop dawdling. This old man isn't going to die yet."
Li Xuan walked at the very front, Shadow followed behind to point the way, and Su Ying supported Shi Yong at the rear.
The pace of the four was much slower than when they had arrived.
After walking for two hours, Shadow suddenly halted, raising a hand to signal everyone to stop.
"There's something ahead," he lowered his voice.
Li Xuan stepped forward and looked in the direction Shadow pointed.
Ahead lay a stretch of stone rubble beach, grey stones scattered all over the ground in varying sizes, like a pack of beasts crouching on the earth.
In the center of the stone rubble beach lay a particularly large rock, at least twice the height of a man, shaped like a crouching wolf.
No, it was not merely like one.
That was a wolf.
The color of the stone was identical to the surrounding rocks, but as Li Xuan looked closer, he noticed faint patterns on the surface of the "stone"—resembling tree bark, yet also like scales.
It lay there motionless, without even breathing, but Li Xuan could sense that the thing was alive.
"Stone wolf," Shadow's voice dropped extremely low. "Another thing raised by Gurqin. Not a soul body, but a physical entity. It hides its body within the rock, usually disguising itself as a stone, and suddenly bursts forth when prey draws near."
"What cultivation realm?" Li Xuan asked.
"Unknown. The Shadow Division's records mentioned it only once, stating that its speed is extremely fast and its claws carry potent poison." 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 his surroundings.
Across the stone rubble beach, at least seven or eight rocks were abnormal in size and shape.
"Seven," Li Xuan said softly.
Shi Yong heard from behind, his face turning pale. "Seven? We can't beat that, can we?"
"Not necessarily fight," Li Xuan said. "We go around."
Shadow shook his head. "We can't go around. The stone rubble beach is the only path through; both sides are sheer cliffs unless we walk back twenty li and make a wide detour."
Li Xuan was silent for a breath, then made a decision.
"Wait here," he said. "I'll go first and draw them out. If I can lure them away, you can seize the chance to cross the stone rubble beach."
Shi Yong grew anxious. "You alone? Are you insane?"
"I have the Red Sun Qi, which naturally restrains evil and darkness," Li Xuan said. "Even though 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."
Shadow thought for a moment and nodded. "He's right. If we go, we'll only distract him."
Shi Yong wanted to say more, but Su Ying pulled him back. The young girl bit her lip, looked at Li Xuan, and softly whispered, "Senior Brother Li, be careful."
Li Xuan drew the Blood Wolf Saber, infusing Red Sun Qi into the blade as crimson gold flames danced along the edge.
Then he took a deep breath and strode toward the stone rubble beach.
After walking twenty paces, the largest "stone" moved.
It abruptly stood up, 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 grey stony scales, its eyes not green but a turbid yellow like two rotting pearls.
It opened its mouth to bare a full set of jagged teeth, letting out a low growl.
The surrounding "stones" also stood up one after another.
Seven stone wolves, the smallest being a zhang long and the largest nearly two and a half zhang.
They formed a semi-circle, blocking Li Xuan's path.
Li Xuan stopped in his tracks and stared at the largest stone wolf.
"Make way," he said.
The stone wolf tilted its head, sizing him up. Its gaze fell upon the crimson gold flames on the Blood Wolf Saber, and a trace of wariness flickered in its turbid yellow eyes.
It let out a low roar as all seven stone wolves leaped forward simultaneously!
Li Xuan advanced instead of retreating.
With a single step, his footwork erupted, his 15.2 agility transforming him into a blur as he slipped right through the gap between the pouncing pincer attack of two stone wolves.
The Blood Wolf Saber slashed horizontally, the crimson gold flame dragging an arc through the air to strike the flank of a third stone wolf.
The blade crashed against the stony scales with a harsh, grating screech.
The scales shattered, and the flames burrowed through the cracks. The stone wolf let out a shrill howl, its body convulsing violently before it crashed to the ground.
Black smoke billowed from the wound as the fire scorched its body from within.
[Slain Stone Wolf (Yin Fiend Entity), Potential Points +4]
The remaining six had already lunged.
Li Xuan had no time to check the panel.
He sidestepped a stone wolf's pounce and slammed his left fist into its head. The Blood Fiend Gang Qi condensed at his fist-peak, combined with the scorching effect of the Red Sun Qi, caved in a section of the stone wolf's skull as the flames spread outward from the indentation.
[Slain Stone Wolf, Potential Points +4]
The remaining five halted simultaneously.
They did not retreat, but neither did they continue their attack.
The largest stone wolf stood the furthest away, its yellow eyes fixed on Li Xuan while its throat emitted a low rumbling growl.
Li Xuan stood holding his saber, the crimson gold flames dancing along the blade to cast flickering light and shadow across his face.
Yet he sensed that the two previously restless forces within his body had vibrated violently at this very moment. It was not a conflict, but... a resonance?
The Yin Fiend Qi emitted by the stone wolves, along with the residual energy that dissipated after being scorched by the Red Sun Qi, was being drawn bit by bit into his body.
Like a magnet pulling iron filings, it surged over automatically.
Gurqin's power.
In the heat of battle, it was "harvested" back by his body.
Li Xuan suppressed the internal anomaly and stared at the largest stone wolf.
"Again," he said.
The stone wolf studied Li Xuan for three breaths, then turned and bolted deep into the stone rubble beach.
The four remaining followed behind it, quickly vanishing among the stone thickets.
Li Xuan stood in place, waiting for a moment to confirm they would not return before turning back to wave at Shadow and the others.
"Come over."
Shadow supported Shi Yong while Su Ying followed behind, the three of them quickly crossing the stone rubble beach.
As Shi Yong passed the two stone wolf corpses, he lowered his head to glance at them.
The bodies had already been burned by the flames until only a pile of greyish-white ashes remained, and a scorched stench permeated the air.
"You killed two of them by yourself?" Disbelief filled Shi Yong's voice.
Li Xuan nodded, saying nothing more.
His focus remained within his body, where the absorbed residual Yin Fiend Qi was being torn back and forth by the Red Sun Qi and Blood Fiend Gang Qi, much like a piece of meat being contested by two hounds.
Shadow squatted beside a stone wolf corpse, brushed the ashes aside with a short sword, and picked up two black crystals the size of fingernails.
The crystals emitted a faint green luster under the sunlight.
"Yin Fiend Crystals," Shadow said. "Things condensed within the bodies of stone wolves, which can be used to refine pills." He put the crystals away. "Turning them in to the Shadow Division upon return will earn contribution points."
That night, they made camp beside a dry riverbed.
Li Xuan sat at the very outer edge, his back to the group as he faced north.
Within his body, the two forces were still battling.
Most of the Yin Fiend Qi absorbed during the day had already been refined by the Red Sun Qi, but the refined residue had not vanished—instead, it had been absorbed by the Blood Fiend Gang Qi.
The Blood Fiend Gang Qi grew a fraction stronger as a result, shattering the fragile balance it had previously maintained with the Red Sun Qi.
Now, the Blood Fiend Gang Qi was a shade stronger than the Red Sun Qi.
This slight discrepancy caused the two forces in his dantian to lose equilibrium.
Unwilling to be suppressed, the Red Sun Qi counterattacked fiercely, the two forces crashing back and forth through his meridians like a pair of beasts trapped in a cage.
Li Xuan gritted his teeth and endured. He had experienced this level of conflict many times before, each time managing to suppress it with the heavy, massive qi of the Mountain Suppressing Art.
Yet tonight, it could not be suppressed.
Just past midnight, the internal conflict 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, bursting into a violent cluster of energy.
Li Xuan groaned softly, blood spilling from the corners 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 devoured one another.
The Red Sun Qi sought to consume the Blood Fiend Gang Qi, while the Blood Fiend Gang Qi sought to devour the Red Sun Qi in return.
They coiled around each other like venomous serpents, biting and tearing, neither willing to yield.
Li Xuan's meridians were tearing, his bones cracking, and patterns intertwining crimson gold and blood red surfaced across his skin like cracked porcelain.
Excruciating pain surged like a tidal wave, wave after wave, threatening to submerge his consciousness.
He recalled the words in Qin Lie's letter: Killing intent is a saber; you are not the hilt, you are the hand that grips the saber. The sharper the saber, the steadier the hand must be.
He took a deep breath, sinking his consciousness into his dantian. Instead of suppressing the two forces, he guided 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 Blood Fiend Gang Qi stood in confrontation within his dantian, resembling two entrenched giant dragons, each occupying half the space.
Yet between them, there was no longer fierce collision; instead, a delicate boundary had formed.
The moment the boundary formed, both forces vibrated in unison.
Crimson gold and blood red intertwined to form a dual-colored vortex, spinning slowly within his dantian.
With every rotation, the two energies fused a fraction further.
Li Xuan opened his eyes.
Deep within his pupils, crimson gold and blood red flashed simultaneously.
Inside him, inner qi surged like a flood through every meridian, repairing the previously fractured sections one by one and widening the constricted pathways.
The bottleneck of the Inner Qi Realm acted like paper-mache before the fused power, breaking through the first layer, the second layer, the third layer—until it finally came to a halt right at the sixth layer of the Inner Qi Realm.
[Realm: Inner Qi Realm Level 3 → Inner Qi Realm Level 6]
[Might: 32.1 → 45.0]
[Physique: 90.0 → 110.0]
[Agility: 15.2 → 20.0]
[Spirit: 15.0 → 25.0]
[Potential Points: 37 → 5 (Consumed 32 points)]
[Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique Third Layer: Breaking Limit Tier 3 → Breaking Limit Tier 4]
[Red Sun Scripture: Minor Accomplishment → Major Accomplishment]
[New Ability: Crimson Blood True Gang Qi (Initial Accomplishment)—Fuses Red Sun Qi and Blood Fiend Gang Qi, capable of projecting outside the body to form gang qi chains or brief clones, +800% damage against evil and dark entities]
He raised his right hand, and a cluster of crimson gold flames manifested in his palm, a streak of blood-red pattern beating at the core of the flame like a heart.
With a gentle squeeze, the flame extinguished.
Shadow watched his back, remained silent for a moment, and uttered a single word: "Good."
Shi Yong was woken up, opening his eyes hazily to see Li Xuan sitting under the moonlight with a faint lingering aura of crimson-gold and blood-red on his body.
He stared for a moment, then cursed, "What the fuck... in the middle of the night, not sleeping, what are you doing?"
"I broke through," he said.
Shi Yong opened his mouth, then closed it.
He wanted to ask "When did you break through", but looking at Li Xuan's back, he suddenly felt that question was very stupid.
In the distance, the howling of wolves came again.
Not one. There were many, coming from different directions, closing in on them.
Those wolf souls had tracked them for a whole day, always waiting for an opportunity.
They sensed that Li Xuan's Qi had been consumed during the battle and thought he had grown weak.
Li Xuan stood up, facing north, raising his right hand with his palm facing outward.
The intertwined crimson-gold and blood-red power condensed into a pillar of light in his palm, shooting straight into the sky.
The pillar of light exploded in the night sky, turning into a visible ripple that expanded in all directions.
The wolf howls stopped abruptly.
Those wolf souls that had tracked them for three days and three nights all stopped in their tracks the moment Li Xuan released his aura.
They felt fear.
They turned and ran.
Shi Yong watched this scene, taking a long time to squeeze out a sentence: "What the fuck... what on earth 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 outline of Crimson Firmament Mountain.
The mountain was still that same mountain, its crimson rocks glowing with a blood-like hue under the setting sun.
"We're here," Su Ying said softly, her eye rims suddenly turning red.
Shi Yong also breathed a sigh of relief. The wound on his back had already scabbed over and no longer oozed blood.
He patted Li Xuan's shoulder. "Let's go back and turn in the mission."
The four of them quickened their pace, heading toward the mountain gate.
A person stood at the North Mountain Gate.
Yun Qingxuan.
She wore the cyan sect attire with a Crimson Sword hanging at her waist, standing upon the stone steps. The setting sun shone on her face, making her expression unreadable, but when Li Xuan approached, her gaze lingered on him for a fraction of a second, and her brows furrowed 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 once more. "You... broke through?"
Li Xuan nodded.
Yun Qingxuan was silent for a beat, not pressing further.
Inside that small room at the Shadow Division garrison.
Still the same table, the same two chairs, the same lamp.
Zhou Qian sat opposite him, several sheets of paper covered in writing spread out on the table before him.
He looked at Li Xuan with a complex emotion in his gaze.
"You broke through," Zhou Qian said.
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"Last night," Li Xuan said.
"What layer of the Inner Qi Realm?"
"The sixth layer."
Zhou Qian's fingers tapped on the tabletop, and then he nodded.
He retrieved a new token from the drawer and pushed it in front of Li Xuan.
"Starting today, you are no longer an ordinary Inner Disciple," Zhou Qian said. "You are a 'Special Advisor' of the Shadow Division, with the right to utilize the Shadow Division's intelligence network and apply for extra resources. But the price is--you must report at a moment's notice."
"Start from the beginning," Zhou Qian said. "What happened in the Black Abyss, what Gurqin said, what you encountered. Don't leave out a single word."
Li Xuan recounted it from the beginning.
Starting from entering the Black Abyss, to encountering Zhou Wen's Corpse, to a part of Gurqin's Main Body descending, to Shadow getting injured, to him repelling the wolf souls, to the retreat--and finally, his breakthrough on the journey back.
He told it in great detail, but omitted the panel information, attributing it only to "comprehension during combat" and "the fusion of two powers within the body."
After listening, Zhou Qian fell silent for a long time.
"You mean Gurqin's Main Body is at least five times stronger than that avatar in the mine?"
"At least," Li Xuan said. "And he said that although I refined the mark within my body, when I get close to his main body, the mark will grow back."
Zhou Qian stood up, walked over to the wall, and pulled down a huge 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 main body is here. For thirty years, we always thought he was sealed beneath the mine, but it turned out to be just an avatar. The main body has never left the Northern Territory."
He turned around and looked at Li Xuan.
"Do you know what this means?"
Li Xuan waited.
"It means the Barbarian Royal Court likely knew where Gurqin's main body was all along," Zhou Qian said. "Every southward invasion they've made over the past thirty years wasn't for territory, but as a cover. A cover for Gurqin's recovery, and a cover for his avatar's activities in the Southern Territory."
He walked up to Li Xuan, staring directly into his eyes.
"And you, Li Xuan, you killed his avatar, refined your mark, and escaped alive right in front of his main body. You are now his biggest thorn in the eye."
"So starting today," Zhou Qian said, "the Shadow Division will fully support you. Not because you're important, but because as long as you're alive, Gurqin will come for you. And as long as you're alive, we have a chance to catch him."
He paused.
"In three days, the Elder Council will hold a meeting. You will be called in then to tell everything you know about Gurqin. And then--we have to decide one thing."
"What thing?"
"Whether to wait for Gurqin to come, or to go find him."
Coming out of the Shadow Division, it was already dark.
He sat on the couch, closing his eyes to look within.
[Li Xuan] [Status: Peak] [Realm: Inner Qi Realm Sixth Layer (Minor Accomplishment)] [Strength: 45.0] [Physique: 110.0] [Agility: 20.0] [Spirit: 25.0] [Potential Points: 5] [Technique: Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique Third Layer (Limit-Breaking Stage 4)] [Technique: Mountain Suppressing Art (Perfection)] [Technique: Red Sun Scripture (Great Accomplishment)] [New Ability: Crimson Blood True Gang Qi (Initial Accomplishment)--Fuses Red Sun Qi with Blood Fiend Gang Qi, can leave the body to form Gang Qi chains, damage to yin and evil entities +800%] [Special: Blood Fiend Diamond Body, Yin Yang Unity]
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