Chapter 18: Dawnroot city

Chapter 18: Shadows on the Horizon

Jin Ye moved swiftly through the Verdant Veil Forest, his pace steady yet silent.

The weight of his breakthrough to the Fifth Stage of Qi Refinement still fresh in his veins. His movements had changed—become quicker, sharper, as though his body had been reforged in the wake of his latest kill.

Not long ago, he had been weak, talentless, prey.

Now, he was becoming else.

Dawnroot City lay ahead, but before reaching it, he had to prepare.

The Azure Sky Sect's entrance exam was ahead but he knew no sects trials were easy. There were always trials meant to weed out the weak death wasn't just likely but encouraged. He wouldn't be surprised if some had come at the foundation establishment.

He would be a fool to walk in blind.

Dawnroot City was not just a destination—it was an opportunity.

A place to gather intelligence, acquire resources, and steal what he required.

His fingers tightened briefly at the thought.

The world had already shown him one truth—power was never given. It was taken.

The forest fell silent.

Jin Ye stopped walking.

No birds. No rustling leaves. Just an unnatural stillness that reeked of ill intent.

His gaze swept forward, catching a hint of movement in the trees up ahead.

Then, voices.

Three figures emerged from the undergrowth, their weapons visible, but not yet raised. Two more circled behind him, attempting to cut off his retreat.

Five in total.

Their leader, a scarred man with a crooked smile, stepped forward. His aura flickered with weak Qi—Sixth Stage Qi Refinement.

Not enough.

"Well, well," the man drawled, his greedy eyes scanning Jin Ye. "You lost, friend?"

Jin Ye remained silent.

"See, this here's our road," the leader continued. "And travelers pay a toll. Silver, gold… or whatever else you've got."

Jin Ye's gaze flickered over their weapons—cheap steel, rusting at the edges. These weren't seasoned killers. Just desperate men.

He spoke, his voice calm.

"How much?"

The leader grinned. "Generous of you to ask. Let's say… five silver taels."

Jin Ye said nothing, but inwardly, he took note.

The leader's demand meant one thing—he assumed Jin Ye had money.

In the mortal world, currency was divided into copper, silver, and gold taels:

10 Copper Taels = 1 Silver Tael

100 Silver Taels = 1 Gold Tael

For commoners, a single silver tael could feed a family for a week. Five silver taels was enough for a month's living expenses in a city.

For cultivators, however, money was secondary to resources. What mattered was:

Spirit stones they could boost cultivation speed.

Jin Ye currently was pitifully poor, this was a chance to earn some money.

And he had no intention of paying.

"Let's make this easy," the leader continued. "Hand it over, and we won't have to kill you."

Jin Ye's eyes turned cold.

In an instant, his Qi surged.

Before the leader could react, Jin Ye's palm snapped forward

Scorching Fang Palm! It exploded against the leader's chest, sending him crashing into the dirt.

The air filled with the scent of burning cloth and singed flesh.

The other bandits froze.

Jin Ye moved.

One of the bandits cursed and swung his sword.

Jin Ye's form flickered, moving with a speed that wasn't human—Shadow Step!

He vanished from the bandit's sight, reappearing behind him.

Moonlit Phantom Steps carried his weight seamlessly, allowing him to pivot mid-motion, evading with precision.

Before the man could turn

Jin Ye's fingers curled.

Rising Fang Strike.

His fist struck the man's throat, collapsing his windpipe instantly.

The bandit gurgled, eyes bulging as he fell, his body spasming on the ground.

Two down, three to go.

The remaining three panicked.

One turned to run.

Jin Ye did not allow it.

His sword left its sheath—a clean arc slicing through the night.

Steel met flesh.

The runner's head severed in an instant, his body crumpling lifelessly.

The last two dropped their weapons, their faces pale.

"P-please, spare us! We didn't want to do this, we were forced!" one stammered.

Jin Ye considered them for half a breath.

Then, his sword flashed again.

There was no mercy in his path.

Jin Ye exhaled and cleaned his blade with a flick of his wrist.

He searched the bodies, he found

12 Silver Taels

A small pouch of dried rations

A crude iron ring—inscribed with faint Qi runes. Looking closely he found it was a weak storage artifact. Focusing his QI he found it was only about 1 meter cubed. While not much a pleasant surprise none the less.

A single low-grade spirit stone, he could sell this for some gold but only a fool would do that.

Jin Ye pocketed the items without hesitation.

His gaze swept over the bodies once more.

Then, he saw it.

Golden-red wisps flickered faintly above the corpses.

Jin Ye's breath slowed.

Again?

It was the same as before.

Like Wei Rong.

Like the Shadowfang Wolf.

Instinctively, he reached out—his fingers brushing the unseen strands of fate.

The moment he did—

A rush of energy tore through his body.

Strength. Reflexes. Life force.

It poured into him, subtle but undeniable.

His muscles twitched, his mind processed movement faster, his grip on his sword felt more natural.

Jin Ye's heart pounded.

This wasn't just Qi absorption.

This wasn't just looting corpses.

This was stealing their fate itself.

He straightened, the golden wisps fading into nothing.

His silver eyes gleamed coldly.

"This is getting interesting"

For the first time, Jin Ye fully understood.

And he wanted more.

Jin Ye walked in silence through the forest, his mind lingering on the battle he had just fought. The bandits had been weak, but it wasn't their lack of strength that occupied his thoughts—it was the way he had moved.

Something had changed.

When he used Moonlit Phantom Steps, he felt light, his body weaving through attacks with deceptive afterimages, creating openings that confused his opponents. But when he used Shadow Step, there was no deception. No flourish. It was a predator's movement, an instant flicker from one place to another, erasing the distance between himself and his enemy.

Moonlit Phantom Steps was a dance, a flowing art that toyed with the opponent's senses. Shadow Step was the moment the blade plunged into the heart.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

Both had their strengths. He wondered how far he could push them—how he could make them his own.

The towering walls of Dawnroot City came into view as he stepped onto the main road. Formations glowed faintly along the stone, designed to detect contraband and unregistered spirit artifacts. He moved through the gates without issue, blending into the crowd of travelers, merchants, and rogue cultivators pouring into the city.

The city's structure was immediately apparent. The Inner Ring housed the noble families and high-ranking cultivators, a place where status dictated survival. The Merchant Quarter, where wealth flowed like a river, was packed with alchemists, blacksmiths, and formation masters vying for influence. The Outer Market was a chaotic melting pot of traders, mercenaries, and those seeking fortune through risk. And beneath it all, hidden in the shadows, lay the Underground Slums—a lawless place ruled by desperation, where failure often meant death.

Jin Ye made his way toward the Merchant Quarter. He needed information, and the best place to hear whispers of the sect entrance exam was the Iron Lantern Inn.

The inn was packed when he arrived, filled with young cultivators, merchants, and rogue warriors all speaking in hushed or excited tones. He found a lone table near the balcony and took the seat, ordering a meal as he listened.

Rumors were everywhere. The Azure Sky Sect's entrance test would take place in the Sunken Ruins of Taihua, an ancient battlefield lost to time. He had a month to prepare, some claimed a candidate had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, making the competition even more ruthless. Not everyone would leave the ruins alive.

Before he could digest the information, the inn doors swung open, and a group of well-dressed cultivators entered with an air of arrogance that silenced the room.

At their center was Wang Yiran, young master of the Wang Clan, one of the most influential families in Dawnroot City. He was the type Jin Ye had seen countless times before—entitled, reckless, and accustomed to getting what he wanted through family prestige rather than skill.

Walking beside him was Bai Xueqing.

She was striking, a woman whose presence commanded attention without effort. She wore moonlit-white robes embroidered with silver-blue lotuses, each delicate stitch emphasizing her elegance and curves. Her violet eyes were sharp, framed by long lashes that only enhanced their quiet intensity. There was no arrogance in her posture, no unnecessary movement—just an air of calm as she observed the world around her.

Jin Ye continued eating, uninterested in the performance of wealth and status until Wang Yiran stopped at his table.

A small pouch landed on the wood with a dull thud, the unmistakable clink of gold filling the silence.

"You're sitting in my seat," Wang Yiran said.

Jin Ye didn't even glance at the pouch.

The young master's lips curled in a smirk. "That should be more than enough compensation for your trouble. Take it and leave."

Jin Ye tapped his fingers lightly against the table. The room was quiet now, every eye in the inn waiting for his reaction.

"Compensation?" Jin Ye finally spoke, his tone calm. He picked up the pouch, feeling the weight of the gold in his palm. Then, with the same easy motion, he slipped it into his sleeve.

"I suppose that's fair," he said casually. "After all, I did waste time listening to you."

A ripple of hushed laughter passed through the inn. Wang Yiran's smirk disappeared.

"You must not know who I am," he said, his voice lower now, edged with irritation.

Jin Ye sighed. "A rich brat who thinks gold can buy anything?" He finally looked up, meeting Wang Yiran's gaze with unreadable silver eyes. "That about right?"

The young master's face darkened. His hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"You've made a mistake," Wang Yiran spat. "I was being generous, but now—"

His words were cut off the moment Jin Ye moved.

Shadow Step activated, his form flickering—one instant in his seat, the next behind Wang Yiran's guards.

They barely had time to react before Jin Ye struck. Two precise Rising Fang Strikes landed on their pressure points, sending them collapsing to the ground, their Qi circulation forcefully disrupted.

Wang Yiran stumbled back in shock.

Jin Ye was already in front of him.

Scorching Fang Palm slammed into his chest, sending him skidding across the floor, coughing as his Qi scattered.

The inn remained deathly silent.

Jin Ye picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

"You were right about one thing," he said without looking up. "This was a mistake."

He tapped the pouch of gold lightly against the table before slipping it back into his sleeve.

"Your mistake."

Wang Yiran lay on the ground, stunned, his face pale with humiliation. He scrambled up, his eyes burning with rage, but before he could say a word, Bai Xueqing placed a delicate hand on his arm.

"Enough," she said, her voice smooth as ice. "You've embarrassed yourself enough for one day."

Wang Yiran clenched his jaw, fists shaking, but he swallowed his anger and turned away.

Bai Xueqing lingered a moment longer, her violet gaze drifting to Jin Ye.

"You're an interesting one, either that or a fool." she murmured, a quiet amusement flickering in her eyes. "We'll see won't we which one in time."

She left without another word, following Wang Yiran out of the inn.

Jin Ye continued eating as the whispers spread around him.

Everyone had seen it.

Everyone now knew.

Dawnroot City had just learned his name.