Tianhun: Building a Bridge

Two days later.

Tianhun City.

The city walls came into view.

Quan Batian had changed into ordinary clothes. A gray cloth robe, washed pale, with frayed cuffs. He looked like an old man heading to the market.

Yet no one dared come within three paces of him.

Pedestrians on the street would unconsciously veer aside when they passed him. They could not say why. They simply felt that the air where the old man stood was heavy.

Quan Cangtian walked down the street.

He paused.

He sensed an aura.

Very faint.

Dark Soul Cult.

More than one.

All of them were to the southeast.

Quan Batian did not turn around.

He spoke softly.

"Did you sense them?"

Quan Cangtian nodded.

Quan Batian said,

"Business first."

Quan Cangtian clenched his fist. The Dark Red Crystal beneath his palm did not move.

Inn.

Quan Batian rented two rooms.

Everyone was present.

The room was small, with two beds, a table, and a north-facing window. Zixiao stood against the wall, the Thunder Light Sword resting across her knees. Huo Yuhao sat on the edge of a bed. Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong stood by the door.

Quan Batian swept his gaze around.

He looked at Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong.

"You two, return to the academy."

Xiao Xiao opened her mouth but said nothing. Wang Dong tugged her, and the two left the room.

He looked at Huo Yuhao.

"You come with me."

Huo Yuhao froze for a moment.

Quan Batian had already turned around.

"I'm taking you to meet someone."

Huo Yuhao did not ask any questions. He stood and followed.

Quan Batian looked at Quan Cangtian and Zixiao.

"You two scout out the Dark Soul Cult stronghold first."

He paused.

"Don't make a move."

Quan Cangtian nodded.

Zixiao said nothing. The Thunder Light Sword across her knees shifted directions.

Quan Batian led Huo Yuhao through several alleys.

The alleys grew narrower the farther they went. The bricks underfoot were loose and creaked when stepped on. Moss grew along the walls, damp with moisture.

They stopped before a pharmacy.

Its storefront was tiny. Half the paint had peeled from the signboard, and the remaining characters were hard to make out. Two baskets of medicinal herbs sat by the entrance, releasing a bitter scent.

Quan Batian walked inside.

A gaunt old man sat behind the counter. His glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose, and he was grinding herbs in his hands with casual movements.

Quan Batian took out a Token.

It was not the Black-Robed Elder's Token.

It was the Quan Family Token. Made of bronze and the size of a palm, it bore the character "Quan" on one side and a dragon on the other.

The gaunt old man glanced at the Token.

Then he looked at Quan Batian.

He pushed up his glasses.

Then he stood.

And went into the back.

Without saying a word.

Huo Yuhao stood in the pharmacy. The bitter medicinal smell filled the air, piercing his nose. He took a breath, and his throat began to itch.

The back door opened.

Someone walked out.

He was powerfully built, around fifty years old. A scar ran across his face, from the corner of his left brow to his cheekbone. His aura was heavy, and the air in the pharmacy seemed to tighten when he stood there.

Golden Body Douluo, Jin Peng.

The Body Sect Vice Master. Rank ninety-six.

When he saw Quan Batian,

he clasped his fists.

"Cangtian Douluo."

Quan Batian waved a hand.

"Just call me Old Quan. I'm here to discuss serious business today."

Jin Peng nodded.

"Please speak."

Quan Batian shifted aside.

Revealing Huo Yuhao behind him.

"This child has Spirit Eyes. A Body Martial Soul."

Jin Peng's gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao.

He saw Huo Yuhao's eyes.

The Spirit Eyes glimmered faintly. So faintly that they were indistinguishable from ordinary eyes without close inspection. But Jin Peng was from the Body Sect. He saw through it at a glance.

He said nothing.

But his hand clenched into a fist.

Then loosened.

Huo Yuhao felt the weight of that gaze. He instinctively straightened his back.

Jin Peng stared at Huo Yuhao for several seconds.

Then he turned to Quan Batian.

"Spirit Eyes. An eye-type Body Martial Soul."

He paused.

"How long has it been? Has he awakened before?"

Quan Batian shook his head.

"No. He has not yet learned Secondary Awakening."

Jin Peng's eyes lit up.

Quan Batian did not give him time to process it.

"He has more than just Spirit Eyes."

Jin Peng was stunned.

"Three Martial Souls."

Jin Peng's expression changed.

The way he looked at Huo Yuhao was different now. Before, he had merely been assessing him. Now, he was weighing him.

"Three?"

Quan Batian nodded.

Jin Peng fell silent for several seconds.

He lowered his voice.

"I can't make the decision on this matter."

"I need to report it to the Sect Master."

Huo Yuhao stood there, his palms slightly sweaty. He did not know who the "Sect Master" was, but he could sense the respect in Jin Peng's voice when he spoke those words.

It was not mere courtesy. It was reverence.

Quan Batian was not in a hurry.

He sat down.

Jin Peng sat as well.

At some point, the gaunt old man had brought over two cups of tea. The cups were coarse porcelain, and the tea was dark and bitter.

Quan Batian raised one and took a sip before setting it down.

"My grandson attends Tianhun Royal Academy. Huo Yuhao is his brother."

Jin Peng nodded. He knew that.

"The Quan Family wants to make friends with the Body Sect."

Jin Peng did not respond.

He was waiting for what came next.

Quan Batian said,

"Huo Yuhao must learn what he needs to learn about his Body Martial Soul. The Quan Family cannot teach him."

Jin Peng glanced at him.

"You mean..."

"Send him here to learn."

Jin Peng looked at Huo Yuhao.

He asked Huo Yuhao,

"Are you willing?"

Huo Yuhao glanced at Quan Batian.

Quan Batian did not answer for him. He simply held his teacup and drank.

Huo Yuhao turned back.

He looked at Jin Peng.

"I am."

One word.

Jin Peng looked at him for three seconds.

Then he stood.

And walked to the back door.

"Three days. Wait for word."

It was nearly dark.

Quan Cangtian and Zixiao waited at the inn.

The door opened. Quan Batian and Huo Yuhao walked in.

Quan Cangtian studied their expressions. Quan Batian showed nothing. Huo Yuhao was somewhat excited, but he was suppressing it.

"Three days,"

Quan Batian said.

Quan Cangtian nodded.

"What about the Dark Soul Cult?"

Quan Batian said,

"You tell me."

Quan Cangtian said,

"In the Dark Alley District at the southeast corner, there are at least three strongholds. The number of people is unknown. But one aura is extremely powerful."

Quan Batian said,

"How powerful?"

Quan Cangtian said,

"At the level of a Titled Douluo."

Quan Batian fell silent.

Zixiao spoke.

"The Dark Soul Cult has placed a Titled Douluo in Tianhun City."

Her voice was calm. The Thunder Light Sword across her knees did not move.

Quan Batian looked at her, then at Quan Cangtian.

"It's not only the Dark Soul Cult watching you."

He paused.

"The thing inside you is listening too."

Quan Cangtian lowered his gaze to his palm.

The Dark Red Crystal pulsed faintly beneath his skin.

It was the same frequency as when he had sensed the Dark Soul Cult's aura on the street earlier.

He clenched his fist.

He said nothing.

Night.

Inn.

Quan Cangtian sat by the window. Tianhun City's night lights had come on, orange dots scattered near and far.

Zixiao sat beside him.

The Thunder Light Sword lay across her knees. Her eyes were closed.

But Quan Cangtian knew she was not asleep.

"Three days," he said.

Zixiao did not open her eyes.

"Mm."

Quan Cangtian looked outside.

"The Body Sect's message. The Dark Soul Cult's stronghold. And this."

He raised his right hand.

The Dark Red Crystal pulsed beneath his palm.

"Three things, all at once."

Zixiao opened her eyes.

She glanced at him.

"Afraid?"

Quan Cangtian shook his head.

"Not afraid."

He lowered his hand.

"I just feel like there isn't enough time."

Zixiao said nothing.

She reached out.

She turned his right hand over.

She took a look.

Then let go.

The same motion as last time by the campfire.

She closed her eyes again.

"Whether there's enough time or not, we still have to get through it."

Quan Cangtian said nothing.

Outside the window, Tianhun City's lights flickered in the distance.

The Dark Soul Cult was in the southeast corner.

The Body Sect was waiting for a message.

The gene inside him was pulsing.

Three days.

Would it be enough?