chapter 25 “The Walking”

For the first day, Lu Yan moved swiftly through the dense forests surrounding the sect, his every step measured, his senses sharp. Though the path was familiar, there was an unshakable tension in the air—a quiet warning woven into the rustling leaves and shifting shadows.

The air carried the crisp scent of damp earth, mingling with the faint sweetness of blooming spirit flora. Ancient trees stretched high, their roots sprawling like veins through the underbrush. This was no ordinary forest. It was land infused with Qi, alive in ways that could not be explained.

Though no threats had surfaced yet, he never allowed his vigilance to waver. The wild was never truly silent without reason.

As night fell, the darkness grew thick, pressing against his vision. He kept moving. There was no need for rest—his body, honed through years of cultivation, was beyond mortal exhaustion. Instead, he focused inward, channeling his Qi in steady cycles as he followed the crystal's pull.

The first night passed in quiet unease.

With the first light of dawn, the Second day began to shift.

The further he traveled, the denser the vegetation became. The towering trees of the outer forest paled in comparison to the giants of Jade Spine Gorge. Their bark shimmered faintly, pulsing with veins of deep emerald light—as if breathing. Their branches wove together high above, forming a natural canopy that swallowed the sky, casting the land in an eerie twilight.

This was a place untouched by civilization.

Here, even the plants bore an intelligence unnatural to the ordinary world. Vines slithered like serpents, shifting when his steps drew too close. Roots moved beneath the earth, reaching, waiting, as if testing his presence. Flowers bloomed and withered in seconds, their petals whispering like soft voices.

Every breath, every step, carried weight.

The silence grew heavier. Not the stillness of peace—but of anticipation.

The deeper he ventured, the more the very air seemed to press against him, thick with unseen energy. The gorge was alive in a way that defied logic, and yet, not a single beast stirred.

That was the first warning.

By the time the third day arrived, the silence had transformed into something unnatural.

Not a single rustling leaf. No distant cries of birds. No sign of insects. The world had emptied.

Only the whisper of wind remained, winding through the trees like a phantom's breath.

Lu Yan's steps slowed. His instincts flared. Something was here.

Though he could sense nothing, his every muscle tensed, honed by battles fought in the past. His hand hovered near his sword hilt. The crystal's pull had grown stronger, guiding him toward a deeper part of the gorge—toward something waiting.

Then—

A scent.

Faint at first.

Then thick. Heavy. Suffocating.

Blood.

His gaze snapped toward the distant clearing ahead, its edges veiled by twisted roots. The air shifted, carrying the unmistakable metallic tang of fresh carnage.

He stepped forward.

The ground was littered with deep claw marks, the earth torn apart by something powerful. At the center of the devastation lay a corpse—or what remained of one.

A Spirit Beast, its body mutilated beyond recognition. Qi had been drained from it entirely, leaving nothing but an empty husk. The wounds were unlike anything he had seen before—not the work of a predator, nor of any weapon he knew.

A cold realization settled in his gut.

Something had hunted this creature.

And now, it was hunting him.

His eyes snapped open, his senses sharpening instantly. The air was heavy, charged with hostility. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his body tense. The undergrowth rustled, branches trembled, and then—

A shadow lunged.

The beast moved like a phantom, its black fur blending seamlessly with the night. It was massive, nearly four meters tall at the shoulder, its muscular body rippling with latent power. Its elongated claws gleamed under the faint moonlight, its crimson eyes locked onto him with primal hunger.

[Shadowfang Direwolf – Level 12]

Lu Yan's breath remained steady, but inwardly, he calculated his chances. The beast was three levels above him. In a direct clash, it had the advantage in strength, speed, and durability. But Lu Yan did not fight head-on.

He fought with the forest.

As the wolf lunged, his hands blurred into a seal.

"Forest Manifestation."

Instantly, the ground trembled. The roots beneath him responded, surging to life with his Qi. Thorned vines burst from the earth, coiling upward like serpents, striking at the wolf's limbs mid-air. The beast twisted its body with unnatural agility, avoiding the first tendrils, but more came. The forest itself became an extension of Lu Yan's will, branches reaching, roots shifting, turning the battlefield into his domain.

The wolf growled, its claws flashing. It tore through the vines effortlessly, shredding them with brute force. Lu Yan narrowed his eyes. Even with his ability, this was no ordinary beast.

He moved.

With a step, his figure blurred, vanishing behind the towering roots. The moment his feet touched the ground again, his sword was drawn. Not an elaborate weapon—just a simple blade, but enhanced by his Qi.

"Sword Slash."

A basic technique. Weak alone. But when merged with Forest Manifestation, it became something else.

The moment the wolf turned, dozens of sharpened wooden spikes erupted from the ground, striking at its blind spots. At the same time, Lu Yan dashed forward, his sword gliding like a falling leaf, tracing an arc through the air.

Shhhk!

The blade found flesh.

Dark blood sprayed into the air, a deep gash carving across the wolf's side. But it did not falter. Instead, its fury ignited.

The wolf let out a deafening snarl, its body surging with raw, dark energy. The pressure alone sent shockwaves through the air, the surrounding vegetation wilting under its aura.

Lu Yan gritted his teeth. He had wounded it, but not enough.

The wolf's claws swept toward him in a brutal counterattack. He barely twisted out of the way, but even then, the sheer force of the strike sent him skidding backward, his feet digging trenches into the earth. His arm ached from the impact, but he had no time to recover.

The beast lunged again.

This time, it was faster.

Lu Yan's mind raced. His Qi reserves were draining. He couldn't keep up this battle for long. Unless—

His eyes flickered with determination. He had only one chance.

With a deep breath, he poured everything into his next move.

The forest roared in response.

Vines surged, not as separate entities, but as an extension of his body. They coiled around his arm, his sword, merging his essence with nature itself. The energy in the air shifted, the leaves trembling in resonance.

The wolf sensed it too—its instincts screamed danger. But it was too late.

Lu Yan moved.

"Sword Basic Slash."

A single strike.

His sword, now intertwined with the lifeblood of the forest, flashed in a perfect arc. The vines followed, striking like a thousand spears.

The wolf's eyes widened.

Then—silence.

A gust of wind passed through the clearing.

The wolf stood frozen, its massive frame rigid. A moment later, thin, deep cuts bloomed across its body, as if nature itself had rejected its existence. Blood poured like a waterfall.

And then, the beast collapsed.

Ding.

[You have defeated Shadowfang Direwolf – Level 12]

[New System Function Unlocked: XP Absorption]

[Defeating higher-level enemies now grants experience based on the gap in strength]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Level 9 → Level 10]

[XP: 3/20000]

Lu Yan exhaled, his heartbeat slowing. His body ached, his Qi reserves nearly depleted, but a new power surged within him. He had broken through.

He had survived.

Yet, as the wolf's body faded into the earth, its Qi dispersing into the night, Lu Yan turned his gaze forward.

Because deep within the forest, beyond the shadows, he could feel it.

A presence. Watching. Waiting.

And somewhere beyond that—