Exiting Seclusion

Xu Yan spent the week in Elder Mo Ying's abode, consolidating his cultivation. The air in the cave was still thick with the lingering stench of blood and death, but he paid it no mind. Each day, he sat cross-legged by the now-drained blood pool, channeling the Devouring Shadows Technique to stabilize the surging qi within him.

His meals were sparse—pills and the remaining rations he carried. They were enough to sustain him.

On the seventh day, Xu Yan exhaled deeply, opening his eyes as he completed his session of cultivation. He stood up, stretching his limbs. He rolled his shoulders and clenched his fists, feeling the renewed strength coursing through his body.

The familiar weight of power settled within him, steady and firm. His qi felt refined, the turbulent energy of earlier now fully integrated. He flexed his fingers experimentally, letting a faint trace of shadow qi flicker around them. His control had grown stronger.

"A week," he murmured to himself, his voice echoing faintly in the hollow space.

Xu Yan adjusted his robes, stepping out of the cave into the dim twilight of the wilderness. The air was crisp, and the faint rustling of leaves carried the subtle hum of life, a stark contrast to the suffocating stillness of Elder Mo Ying's abode.

As he began his journey back toward the Blood Fang Sect, Xu Yan's mind wandered, reviewing his current capabilities. His lips curled into a bitter smile.

'What do I even have at the moment?' he thought. 'Not much… just the Blood Crushing Fist.'

The technique wasn't without merit—it was fierce and effective in battle—but it was also basic, something any Blood Fang Sect disciple could learn. After returning to the sect, most of his time had been spent recovering from injuries and stabilizing his cultivation. By the time he was fully healed, there hadn't been much opportunity to learn anything else.

Then there were the techniques he had practiced during his time in the Azure Sky Sect: the Azure Cloud Strike and the sect's signature movement technique. His eyes darkened at the thought. While these techniques had once been his pride, they now carried a bitter taste.

'They're still usable,' he admitted, 'but with my shadow qi, their strength is muted. It's like trying to light a fire underwater.' He frowned. 'Even if they worked perfectly, I'd rather not use them. It's not just about avoiding suspicion—it's about moving forward.'

To rely on the techniques of the Azure Sky Sect felt like clinging to a past he had chosen to abandon. His path now lay in the shadows, and he would embrace it fully.

Then there was the Boundless Sword Technique. His hand instinctively moved to his waist, where no sword currently hung. A sigh escaped his lips.

'The technique's potential is obvious, but without a decent sword, it's like trying to paint a masterpiece with broken tools. This needs to be my priority when I return to the sect.'

The lack of a suitable weapon wasn't the only issue weighing on his mind. He frowned as his thoughts turned to compatibility.

The Devouring Shadows Technique had fundamentally changed his cultivation path. Unlike the other disciples of the Blood Fang Sect, who cultivated blood qi by refining the essence of their slain foes and spirit beasts, Xu Yan walked a rarer and more solitary path. Shadow qi was elusive, consuming, and treacherous—a path seldom seen even among demonic cultivators.

'If it weren't for Mo Ying stumbling upon that ruin and finding this technique, this cultivation method might have been lost forever in the Southern Region,' he thought.

This uniqueness, however, came with its own challenges. Most of the sect's techniques relied on blood qi, rendering them incompatible with his shadow qi. That left him at a crossroads. He couldn't rely on standard sect techniques, yet his path demanded constant innovation and creativity.

All of a sudden, a bold idea sparked in his mind.

'What if I could adapt the sect's techniques to my shadow qi?' The thought was audacious, even reckless. Most cultivators would scoff at the notion of altering established techniques, especially those tailored for specific qi types. But Xu Yan wasn't most cultivators.

'It will take time,' he admitted to himself. 'I'll need better control over my shadow qi first, and a suitable technique to experiment with.'

As the sky darkened further, Xu Yan quickened his pace, his thoughts returning to the sect. The techniques of the Azure Sky Sect might remain a fallback option, but his focus lay ahead—on resources, tools, and the mysteries still waiting to be uncovered.

With a final glance at the fading horizon, Xu Yan's resolve burned brighter than ever. He would rise, no matter the obstacles, and forge a path the world wouldn't dare ignore.