The Ironblood Root (Part 1)

LUO FAN

— ✦ —

 'Tell him… I'm here.'

The Corrupted Hero's whisper echoed relentlessly in my mind, reverberating so violently that my head throbbed with pain.

I moaned, clutching at my temples, trying to shut out the voice. It was just a dream. It had to be. I couldn't possibly be back in that cursed Training Ground.

A firm hand on my shoulder jolted me awake. My breath hitched as I gasped, chest heaving. The Corrupted Hero's voice still rang in my ears, lingering like a phantom.

The room was dimly lit, the air carrying the faint, familiar scent of incense. The scent of the temple. My gaze darted around, disoriented, until I recognized the wooden beams above me, the simple furnishings. I was in a bed, a real bed. And beside me sat Tao Liu, his expression a mixture of relief and concern.

"Are you alright, Priest Luo?" he asked gently.

His voice—so steady, so human—shattered the lingering haze of my nightmare. My vision blurred as a surge of raw emotion overtook me. I was back. Truly back. Safe.

I forced myself to sit up slowly, resisting the sudden, ridiculous urge to reach for him—to hold onto something solid, something real.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked again.

I nodded, swallowing hard, forcing a small, shaky smile while fighting back tears.

His frown deepened. "What happened to you? Where have you been for the past seven months?"

I opened my mouth, the truth clawing its way up my throat. I wanted to tell him everything, to unburden myself of the horrors I had endured. But the knowledge I carried was too dangerous. If word of the Ancient Training Ground spread, cultivators from every corner of the world would descend upon this temple, seeking its forbidden power.

I hesitated, my mind warring with itself. But then, I reminded myself—Tao Liu was the caretaker of this temple, the last disciple of its former master. He would never allow his home, his master's resting place, to be desecrated by power-hungry cultivators.

Taking a slow breath, I met his gaze. "Elder Tao," I began, my voice still hoarse. "Do you still wish to regain the cultivation you lost?"

Surprise flickered across his face, then confusion. "Priest Luo… why are you asking me that?"

I held my breath as I watched him process my words.

Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. "Even if I wanted to, my core was damaged beyond repair. I can no longer be implanted with another one. And at my age…" He chuckled wryly, though there was no bitterness in it. "Even reaching the third level again would be impossible. My time as a cultivator has passed."

His words struck me with sudden clarity. He had long accepted his fate. He had spent decades without cultivation, his body aging, his strength waning. He had found peace in the life he had now.

And because of that… perhaps it was safe to tell him.

After all, this was his temple. His home. He deserved to know what lurked beneath it.

"Elder Tao," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "There's something you need to know."

Tao Liu's brows furrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. "Please, go ahead, Priest Luo."

I took a steady breath, knowing what I was about to say would shake him. "Elder Tao, are you aware that there is a graveyard beneath this temple?"

His reaction was immediate. He stiffened, his eyes widening in shock. "You found the Sacred Ground?"

"I did," I admitted. "But it's not a sacred ground. It's an Ancient Training Ground."

A sharp gasp escaped him, his mouth parting in disbelief. "So the tales were true all along… Are you saying that you've been trapped there for the past seven months?"

I nodded, the weight of the memory settling heavily on my shoulders. "It's a miracle that I made it back at all. I did receive something in return, but no reward is worth the torment I endured. Every day in that place was a battle just to stay alive. I wouldn't go back even if it meant restoring my cultivation to grandmaster level. I would rather grow old here with you."

Tao Liu remained silent, his shock evident as he tried to process my words. Finally, he murmured, almost to himself, "My master and I searched for that place for decades… but we never found it."

"There's a hidden staircase behind the library wall," I explained. "It leads to an underground chamber."

His frown deepened. "We found that chamber, but it was empty."

"There should have been a stone tablet in the center of the room. When I touched it, the entrance revealed itself, and I was taken."

Tao Liu's lips parted, his expression shifting from confusion to realization. He was silent for a long moment before nodding slowly. "The old records say that the door only manifests for someone who is deemed worthy. It must have chosen you."

I shook my head. "It's no blessing, Elder Tao. It's a curse. You were fortunate not to be chosen."

His eyes darkened with unease. "Tell me about it. What did you see? What kept you trapped for so long?"

So I told him everything—the grueling journey, the nightmarish creatures, the shadows that lurked in the depths, the necromancer who controlled the dead, and, most terrifying of all, the warning about the Corrupted Hero.

Tao Liu listened without interruption, his body rigid with tension. When I finished, the curiosity that had once shone in his eyes had been replaced by something graver.

"No matter how I try to imagine it differently," he finally said, his voice heavy, "everything you described reminds me of only one thing—the underworld."

"I think it's an extension of it," I agreed, my fingers tightening unconsciously around the blanket covering my lap.

Tao Liu exhaled slowly, wiping the sheen of sweat from his brow. "You're right… I was fortunate not to have found it."

I met his gaze, my tone firm. "You must keep the children away from that door. No one can go near it. No one."

His nod was solemn. "I will make sure of it." He reached over to the nightstand and picked up an object. "I found this with you."

My gaze followed his hand, and my breath hitched at the sight of the key resting in his palm. A cold shiver ran through me. Just looking at it brought back the horror I had endured. I quickly averted my eyes. "I found that after defeating the Overlord," I muttered. "According to that mysterious voice, it unlocks another training ground… a far more difficult one."

Tao Liu studied the key for a moment before setting it back on the nightstand. "And you've chosen not to continue?"

I shook my head firmly. "I just wanted to come back. I'll never go there again."

His hand rested gently on my shoulder, his warmth grounding me. "It's over now," he said, his voice steady. "And it wasn't for nothing. You might have found the key to saving your own life."

My chest suddenly tightened, and a sharp pang radiated through me. I could feel it—the imbalance of my qi. My dark core had absorbed too much essence from the necromancer's death, and my light core was struggling to keep up.

"I need to meditate," I said, wincing at the pain.

"No need for that," Elder Tao interrupted, rising swiftly to his feet. "I'll be back in a moment."

I barely registered his departure. My mind was a whirlwind, the Corrupted Hero's voice still ringing in my ears like an unshakable curse. I had always preferred solitude, but not now. Not when the echoes of that encounter still clawed at my sanity.

"Elder Tao?" I called out, unable to stop myself.

To my relief, the door creaked open, and Elder Tao returned, carrying a small vial of elixir. "This," he said, settling beside me on the bed, "was refined from the plant you were clutching when we found you. We purified it to remove any corrupted qi."

My breath hitched. Now that I had reached level five, I could feel its essence resonating through me before even touching it.

"The Ironblood Root?" I whispered.

He nodded. "Bing Hai remembered the book you had asked him to read before you disappeared. That's how I knew you were searching for this herb. If the book was correct, this should stabilize your cores and protect you for a year."

I took the vial with trembling hands. "But… who refined this?" I asked, knowing that only a high-level alchemist could extract the full potency of a legendary herb like the Ironblood Root.

Elder Tao's expression remained unreadable. "I'll tell you later," he said simply. "Drink it."

I hesitated for only a moment before lifting the vial to my lips. The liquid had an earthy, slightly bitter taste, but as it slid down my throat, warmth spread through me, soothing the turmoil within my cores.

Elder Tao watched with satisfaction. "Don't waste a drop. You need its full potency."

Obediently, I drained the vial. The warmth settled deep in my chest, and I could already feel its effects taking root.

"For a year, you'll be safe from qi deviation and the White Vulture's corrosion," Elder Tao assured me.

I bowed my head, gratitude swelling in my chest. "Thank you, Elder Tao. But really, who refined the elixir? There aren't many high-level alchemists in Xianru Empire that I know of."

A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips. "He told me you two have met before."

I frowned, sifting through the possibilities. "Could it be Xu Dong?" I asked, though I immediately doubted it. Xu Dong had barely reached level three when I last saw him.

Before Elder Tao could answer, a firm knock sounded at the door.

He smiled again as he stood. "That must be him."

I tensed as the door opened, and a tall figure stepped inside, clad in pristine white robes. Immediately, I felt the weight of his presence, the unmistakable aura of a powerful cultivator.

As he came closer, the broadness of his shoulders, the way he carried himself—it all struck a chord of familiarity.

Then he stopped beside my bed, gazing down at me with an amused grin.

"How was the elixir, Priest Luo?" he asked, his tone teasing.

My breath caught. That voice.

My eyes widened in shock. "Ma Huan?!"

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖