Chapter 16: Stepping into the Unknown

Xiao Lan and Xiao Qing walked in silence under the moonlit sky.

Behind them, the Xiao Clan's towering walls still loomed, but they no longer held Xiao Lan captive.

He was free.

But freedom came with a price.

Xiao Qing broke the silence first.

"So… what now?"

Xiao Lan exhaled slowly, staring at the vast land ahead of them.

"We leave the Xiao Clan behind," he said. "And we find a way to grow stronger."

Xiao Qing nodded. "Do you have a place in mind?"

Xiao Lan smirked.

"Yes. The Outer Mist Region."

Xiao Qing's eyes widened. "You're insane!"

Xiao Lan laughed.

"Maybe. But that's where I need to go."

The Outer Mist Region was a lawless land, filled with rogue cultivators, exiled clans, and monstrous beasts.

It was where only the strong survived.

And Xiao Lan intended to thrive there.

They traveled for three days, crossing forests, rivers, and old trade routes.

Despite Xiao Qing's warnings about bandits, no one dared approach them.

Xiao Qing was a skilled warrior, and Xiao Lan…

Well, after his fight with Xiao Ming, he radiated danger.

The air around him felt different.

Like a storm waiting to be unleashed.

On the fourth day, they reached the border of the Outer Mist Region.

The moment they stepped past the boundary—

Everything changed.

The air was thick with wild Dao energy, chaotic and unpredictable.

Strange beasts watched them from the shadows, their eyes glowing in the darkness.

And ahead, in the distance, the first settlement of the Outer Mist Region awaited.

The city of Black Hollow.

A place where criminals, mercenaries, and rogue cultivators gathered.

A place perfect for someone like Xiao Lan.

A place to begin anew.

Black Hollow was nothing like the Xiao Clan's city.

Here, power ruled above all else.

Shops were protected by mercenaries, not guards.

People walked with weapons drawn, always ready for a fight.

And in the center of it all—

Was the Black Hollow Arena.

A brutal underground fighting ring, where warriors battled for fame, wealth, and resources.

Xiao Lan's eyes gleamed.

This is the perfect place to test myself.

Xiao Qing sighed. "Let me guess… you want to enter the arena?"

Xiao Lan grinned. "What better way to make a name for myself?"

Xiao Qing shook her head.

"You're impossible."

The Black Hollow Arena was filled with roaring crowds.

Xiao Lan and Xiao Qing stood at the entrance, looking at the towering iron gates that led into the battlefield.

A large, scarred man sat at a wooden desk, chewing on a piece of dried meat.

"You wanna fight?" he grunted, eyeing Xiao Lan.

Xiao Lan smirked. "That's why I'm here."

The man chuckled.

"You don't look like much. But we'll see how long you last."

He tossed Xiao Lan a wooden token.

"Welcome to the Blood Trials."

Xiao Qing crossed her arms. "I still think this is reckless."

Xiao Lan laughed.

"Then let's see how reckless I can be."

He stepped through the iron gates—

And into the arena of blood