Challenge Successful, Reputation Begins to Show

I leaned against the spirit beast, slowly sitting back down on the bluestone platform. My left shoulder was still numb, my knuckles stiff, and each breath sent a pang through my chest. That last battle had drained me completely; my Dantian was empty, and my meridians felt scorched.

The spirit beast lay beside me, its head on the ground, ears perked. It knew I didn't have the strength for another fight.

The System interface popped up: [Post-high-intensity combat sequelae detected. Consume 50 points to activate 'Meridian Repair Assist'?]

I tapped 'Confirm'.

A warm current flowed down from the top of my head, sliding along my spine and into my limbs. The tearing pain gradually receded, like someone pulling red-hot needles from my bones. I took a breath, my fingers regaining a slight bit of movement.

The dim light near the tree roots to the north flickered again.

This time, it didn't crawl forward but instead retreated into a crack in the ground. I couldn't see what it was, but I could feel it stop there, neither moving nor leaving.

I closed my eyes, ignoring it.

The most important thing now was to stabilize my spiritual power. I began circulating the basic cycle of the first turn of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art. The remaining spiritual power flowed slowly through my body, and with each rotation, my Dantian felt a little warmer. The mark between my eyebrows was still hot, but less so than before.

Footsteps sounded from outside the valley.

They weren't heavy, but light, as if treading on grass tips. Then came the sound of wings flapping, brief, just once.

I opened my eyes a crack and saw two figures standing at the edge of the woods.

A man and a woman, both wearing light armor of the Feather Tribe, their feathers shimmering with a grayish-blue luster. They didn't enter, just stared in my direction.

"It's here," the man said in a low voice. "The Earth Splitting Rhinoceros charged in, and half an hour later, it walked out on its own, limping."

The woman frowned. "But nothing inside was disturbed? Look at the collapsed ground, it's exactly a circular pit, like it was rammed."

"It wasn't disturbed by anything, it was blocked."

Their voices weren't loud, but I could hear them clearly. My spiritual sense was weak, but my ears still worked.

There was movement in the woods on the other side as well.

A lone demon cultivator passed by, cloaked in black, his face hidden by his hood. He stood in the distance for a few breaths, glanced at the traces of the battle, and turned to leave, moving so fast it didn't look like he was just passing through.

Not long after, two plant spirits hid behind a rock and spoke.

"Did you hear? The Guardian of the Valley repelled the Earth Splitting Rhinoceros."

"Who is this Guardian of the Valley? I've never seen them before."

"And the beast beside him isn't simple either, its fur has golden markings, like an ancient bloodline."

"Do you think it could be a reincarnation of some powerful being?"

"Don't guess wildly, spreading such things can cause trouble."

After they finished speaking, they dispersed, one burrowing into the earth, the other transforming into a vine and wrapping around a tree trunk.

I listened to their words, not moving or making a sound.

The spirit beast let out a low growl, wanting to stand up and drive them away. I raised a hand and pressed down on its neck. "Don't."

It stopped, but its tail still swept the ground.

I knew what they were looking at. A person who could force back an Earth Splitting Rhinoceros, whether a powerful being or not, shouldn't be underestimated. This battle made them remember this place, and remember me.

My name hadn't spread yet, but they were already calling me "Guardian of the Valley."

The title wasn't wrong. I was indeed guarding this place now, not going anywhere.

But I didn't want this title.

Fame came too quickly, and it could easily attract the wrong people. The Primordial Wilderness was not short of powerful beings, nor was it short of covetous eyes. Today I could defeat an Earth Splitting Rhinoceros, but tomorrow, even more troublesome opponents might come knocking.

I looked down at my hands.

My palms were covered in sweat, and my fingertips still trembled slightly. That sword strike earlier relied on the sensing from the Flowing Abyss, not power I fully controlled. I won because the System pointed out its weakness, because the spirit beast helped me block falling rocks, and because the Earth Splitting Rhinoceros itself had an old injury.

I was not invincible.

I had merely survived.

The System suddenly popped up a new question: [Question: In the early stage of the Witch-Demon Tribulation, what was the fundamental purpose of Eastern Emperor Taiyi establishing the Heavenly Court's patrol system? Countdown: thirty seconds.]

Options appeared.

A. Maintain order in the three realms B. Gather intelligence on rogue cultivators C. Strengthen central authority and weaken the local Witch tribes D. Select heavenly soldiers and generals

I stared at the question, my mind rapidly sifting through information.

The patrols were ostensibly to inspect the four directions and apprehend rampaging demons. But at that time, Witch tribes were spread across the land, each tribe forming its own entity, with priests holding power and ignoring the Heavenly Court's commands. Eastern Emperor Taiyi establishing patrols was, in name, to pacify the people, but in reality, it was to interfere in local affairs and seize power from the Witch shamans.

The answer could only be C.

I selected it.

[Correct! Reward distribution in progress...]

A bottle of pills appeared in the air, and I reached out to catch it. The bottle felt warm to the touch. When I opened it, a wisp of pure qi entered my nostrils.

The label read: Calming Heart and Concentrating Spirit Pill.

I poured one out and swallowed it. My mind instantly cleared, the background noise and murmuring voices from before seeming to be filtered out.

I smiled.

So, fame was also a kind of trial.

You fight a battle, others see it, word spreads, and you're no longer unknown. But whether you can handle what comes next still depends on you.

I looked up towards the woods.

The two Feather Clan members from earlier were gone, and the plant spirits had also disappeared. The wind blew through the valley, rustling a leaf.

The spirit beast's ears twitched suddenly.

I felt it too.

From the southeast, another living being was approaching. Not many of them, just three, and they were walking slowly, as if they had come specifically to check the situation.

I didn't get up, nor did I hide.

If they dared to come in, they would naturally see my state—sitting, unmoving, no blade in hand, but my eyes clear.

I wasn't afraid of them looking.

I was only afraid that after they looked, they would bring more people.

The System interface flickered: ["Fame Influence Coefficient" Monitoring Module Activated. Current Area Attention: Primary Diffusion State. Estimated attention increase of 5% per witnessed transmission.]

I closed the notification.

My gaze fell upon the fissure on the northern slope.

That dim light was still there below, unmoving. It hadn't left, nor had it attacked, as if waiting for something.

I noted its location.

The first thing I would do when I could stand steadily was to find out what it was.

But for now, I had to regain my strength.

I swallowed another Spirit Replenishing Pill and continued circulating my cultivation technique.

The spirit beast lay at my feet, its nose pressed to the ground, its ears constantly twitching alertly.

The footsteps outside grew more numerous.

Some were far, some near; some stopped by the treeline, glanced a few times, and left; others exchanged a few low words before departing.

They were all talking about the same thing.

"The person in the valley injured the Earth Splitting Rhinoceros."

"He used a blade with sword intent."

"The beast beside him can spray golden light to protect its master."

Word by word, the statements spread, like stones dropped into water, ripples expanding further and further.

I didn't know what these words would eventually turn into.

Perhaps tomorrow they would say I could cleave mountains and sever rivers, and the day after, that I could command heavenly lightning.

But I knew the truth.

I was just someone who had barely survived their first tribulation.

I couldn't let go yet.

I tightened my grip on the bottle on my knee, my knuckles slowly regaining color.

The evening sun shone into the valley, falling on my shoulders.

The spirit beast dozed off, its breathing becoming steady.

I kept my eyes open.

Deep within the woods, a pair of eyes flashed with a faint light.

Not Feather Clan, not plant spirits.

Those eyes stared at me, not moving away for a long time.