Chapter 20: Into the Heart of the Wildlands

Nine moons had passed since Fu Huan and Yue had left behind the comforting security of Shrek Academy's walls. No longer did their path wind through well-trodden roads or bustling towns; instead, it led them deep into the heart of the untamed Wildlands, where the spiritual energy surged with raw, primal force—like an unseen ocean drawing powerful and perilous spirit beasts to its tide.

Yue, her small hand nestled trustingly within her elder sister's, gazed about with wide, ruby eyes—brimming with wonder and a trace of anxiety. She drank in the heady scents of the earth, rich with damp soil, wild herbs, and the resinous breath of ancient pines. They pressed steadily into the twilight shade of the Sunset Forest, a name whispered in old tongues and burdened with secrets. Among the rare few who dared wander its depths, it was known as the dwelling of spirit beasts aged well beyond ten thousand years.

"Yue, it's not safe here," Fu Huan warned in a low murmur, retrieving a small vial from her travel bag. It was filled with a thick, golden-yellow liquid. "Cover yourself with this."

Without hesitation, Yue took the vial and carefully applied the viscous substance to the exposed areas of her skin. A strange, earthy scent wrapped around her, blending seamlessly with the forest's natural musk.

"This alchemical salve masks our human scent," Fu Huan explained, her gaze sharp as she watched Yue's movements. "It cloaks us in the essence of wild herbs—simple foliage to a predator's nose. Reapply it each week, or we risk being found."

Thus began their new life in the wilds—days ruled by tireless training under Fu Huan's unyielding discipline and endless alchemical experiments. There was no room for weakness, especially not in Yue, who had grown to be far more than a mere disciple in Fu Huan's eyes.

Time flowed gently, like a stream meandering through the underbrush, days turning to weeks, and weeks into months. They encountered spirit beasts of every kind—facing fierce skirmishes and seizing hard-won victories. Along the way, they gathered herbs of varying potency, from the mundane to the exceedingly rare. Fu Huan worked relentlessly at her portable alchemy furnace, driven by a singular obsession—to forge something potent, something that could elevate them both. Yue, in turn, made astonishing strides not only in cultivation and combat, but also in theory. Fu Huan, a living encyclopedia, generously poured forth her vast knowledge—filling Yue's young mind with ancient formulas and arcane treatises. Were it not for their simple traveling garb, they might have been mistaken for wandering scholars lost in their pursuit of higher truths.

"Yue, add the shredded serpent root," Fu Huan instructed calmly, stirring the contents of the cauldron. "And watch the balance between ginseng and ivy. We need perfect synergy."

"The glowing moss is ready, sister," Yue replied, carefully weighing strands of greenish filaments that glowed faintly with a phosphorescent light. "One part root to twenty parts moss, as you said."

"Good. Raise the temperature by sixty-two degrees," Fu Huan ordered, her eyes never leaving the alchemical reaction.

This painstaking work could stretch for hours, but gradually, Yue's hands grew more confident, her movements more precise—signs of her maturing skill.

After completing another batch, Yue was given a small portion of the thick elixir. Its scent was rich and herbal, the result of three months of effort—a string of failed attempts, where precious ingredients had burned away to ash. The potion was composed of over eighty different herbs, each with unique properties. In the past, Fu Huan had brewed similar concoctions for her former master, meant to expel toxins. But this time, her goal was different—a formula to awaken and empower both spirit and flesh at the cellular level.

After three months of seclusion in the forest, a need arose to briefly return to civilization. The Sunset Forest lacked neither food nor water, but their supplies—clothing and basic gear—were dwindling.

A few days later, they arrived in a modest town at the edge of the forest. After spending the day restocking their supplies, they decided not to rush back into the wilderness and instead took a room at a humble inn.

"Two rooms, please," Fu Huan addressed the drowsy receptionist.

"One!" Yue corrected firmly, casting a stubborn glance at her elder sister.

Fu Huan sighed. "Yue, you're not a little child anymore. You don't need to cling to me while sleeping."

"It's pointless," Yue declared flatly, as if stating a law of nature. "I'll come to your bed anyway."

"Fine," Fu Huan relented. "One room. One large bed."

Yue merely shrugged, signaling her indifference to the topic. Her nights were still haunted by nightmares, and only Fu Huan's embrace brought her solace. Fu Huan deeply felt Yue's suffering and wished she could forever banish those torments. But she understood—against the influential clans that had left such scars on the girl's heart, their current strength was far from enough. In Fu Huan's eyes, weakness was an unforgivable sin.

Once back in their room, the girls each took a small dose of a precious elixir. The wondrous liquid slowly absorbed into their bodies, saturating them with condensed life force and acting as a potent tonic. Their once pale skin gained an even more porcelain-like glow, and their features grew finer, more delicate—though beneath this tender shell, a formidable power stirred.

Yue's spirit power surged from rank 24 to 27, while Fu Huan, already at the peak of rank 45, felt the barrier tremble—47 was close, and 48 just beyond that. That night, Yue clung to Fu Huan like a little koala, the warmth of their shared presence a balm for her soul.

By morning, they had left the town behind, returning to the now-familiar surroundings of the Sunset Forest—their home for the past three months.

"Yue," Fu Huan suddenly said, halting on a quiet woodland path. "I believe it's time."

"Time?" Yue echoed in confusion.

"Yes. Time to try our soul fusion skill," Fu Huan explained, looking her in the eye. "The first time was only a faint echo, a fleeting sensation when we first met. Cultivating a skill like this demands absolute trust."

"Fu..." Yue said softly, a mix of nerves and anticipation in her voice. "You know I trust you with all my heart and soul. I'll always stand by you."

"I believe that too," Fu Huan said with a rare, gentle smile—the first in a long time. "Because you're the only one I can trust, little sister. Not because of circumstances." She stepped forward and embraced Yue tightly.

In that moment, something imperceptible shifted within their auras.

Their forms, once separate, began to dissolve into one another. In their place stood a breathtaking girl, appearing around sixteen or seventeen years old. Her hair retained Fu Huan's rosy hue, but the gentle waves and texture mirrored Yue's. One eye radiated a soft pink light, the other burned with deep ruby fire. Their facial features melded Fu Huan's elegance with Yue's youthful softness, creating an otherworldly allure. The power surging from their fused form was immense—Fu Huan could feel their strength had grown exponentially. For soul fusion wasn't a mere combination—it was magnification.

Within the shared connection, they exchanged sensations, thoughts, emotions—like two rivers merging into one mighty stream. But, as with all beautiful things, the moment was fleeting. The bond suddenly shattered, leaving both girls drained and gasping.

Seeing Yue weakened, Fu Huan quickly retrieved a vial and poured a recovery extract into her mouth. It swiftly replenished her depleted spirit energy.

"Sister Fu…" Yue whispered, her breath ragged, face pale, and eyes glazed with fatigue. "That skill is… so powerful. But I'm too weak. I can't hold the synergy long enough. I need to become stronger!"

Fu Huan brushed back Yue's hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You will, Yue. Just believe—in yourself, and in us. We are one now."

Another six months passed. Tireless training and collaborative alchemical experiments bore fruit. Fu Huan reached the 50th rank of spiritual power, while Yue advanced to the 30th, becoming a quasi-Spirit Grandmaster. They both knew they would need soul rings of the highest quality for their next steps. Their bodies, hardened through training and bolstered by Fu Huan's elixirs, were now capable of withstanding powerful energies.

"Yue," Fu Huan said one day, drawing a small, oily piece of yellowish substance from her bag. "This is my secret. The reason I was able to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring for my fourth slot—whale fat."

"Whale fat?" Yue blinked in surprise, frowning slightly. "Isn't that a strong aphrodisiac the noble clans use for… indulgences?"

Fu Huan smiled faintly. "Yes and no. In raw form, it does act as an aphrodisiac. But when melted and ingested, it has a powerful tonic effect on the body, reinforcing it from within."

She handed the fat to Yue. "This is for you. Forgive me, it's only a piece of a thirty-seven-thousand-year-old whale. I consumed the fifty-thousand-year-old one myself. Finding one of such quality again is… nearly impossible."

"That doesn't matter, Fu," Yue said gratefully, accepting the gift. "You're doing everything you can for me—how could I refuse a chance to grow stronger? The stronger I become, the less of a burden I'll be during our fusion. You felt it, didn't you? How overwhelming our combined power was." Her ruby eyes blazed with determination.

Before Fu Huan could respond, Yue wrapped her arms around her, pressing herself close. To Yue—who had grown up nearly untouched by maternal care—Fu Huan had become a teacher, a guardian, an older sister who was always there to guide and support her without expecting anything in return. And while Fu Huan's own affection deepened day by day, she still kept a layer of distance, as if shielding her own heart. That was the Fu Yue saw—her adopted older sister.

In time, they delved ever deeper into the forest, seeking the spirit beast Fu Huan needed for her fifth ring—one nearing thirty thousand years of age. Yue, meanwhile, needed one between three and three and a half thousand years. Along the way, they continued their habit of collecting rare minerals, turning it into something of a shared pastime. Yue learned much from Fu Huan, but her innate cheerfulness and emotional openness remained, especially in lighthearted moments.

Two weeks slipped by unnoticed. It had now been over nine months since they'd left Shrek. In that time, both girls had grown swiftly. Yue, once barely at rank 22, now stood at 30—a quasi-Spirit Grandmaster. Fu Huan had risen from rank 44 to quasi-Spirit King. They both understood that the quality of their next soul rings had to match their potential. Their bodies, tempered and strengthened through hardship and alchemy, were ready for it.

But what left the deepest impression was the progress of their soul fusion technique. They could now maintain their merged form for an entire minute—a tremendous leap forward, considering that just half a year ago, they had barely managed to activate the skill at all. Even so, their duet was still far from wielding the fusion's full potential.

A deep rumble shattered the stillness of the forest, sending tremors rippling through the ground beneath their feet. Fu Huan and Yue stiffened simultaneously, feeling the distant shockwaves pulse through the soil.

"Most likely a territory dispute between soul beasts," Fu Huan remarked coolly, her gaze scanning the woods with cautious precision. "Let's take a look. It's not the first battle we've witnessed, but don't expect too much."

Upon reaching the clearing that had become the battlefield, the sight before them struck with bleak sorrow. Three small owlets lay lifeless, their ages ranging between three thousand six hundred and three thousand seven hundred years, judging by their aura. A fourth one, his tiny body battered and broken, still clung to life, though each breath was a struggle. As his dimming eyes fell upon the approaching Fu Huan and Yue, he instinctively curled in fear. Yet even in his agony, the owlet's gaze seemed to plead with his mother—to flee, to escape from this new danger.

But a mother's instinct, entwined with the presence of an overwhelming foe—the ashen-white Void Dragon—left her with no path to retreat. The battle had clearly taken its toll on both combatants. The owl's unique ability—predicting and sensing future events—had allowed her to narrowly evade fatal strikes and retaliate in bursts. But the imbalance in power was evident from the start. Dragons, creatures of raw might and noble blood, often easily overpowered other spirit beasts of similar age. The battle, judging by the signs, had raged for more than an hour even before the girls arrived.

Almost all of the Chronos Owl's young were dead. Only the last one remained, and even he seemed doomed. Though the mother herself had avoided fatal wounds, her body was wracked with pain, and the dragon, still radiating vigor and untouched exhaustion, loomed as a merciless executioner. The owl's strikes had barely scratched its scales, and most of its wounds had already begun to regenerate thanks to the dragons' legendary resilience.

Yue, though not new to the bloodshed of soul beast conflicts, had never witnessed such a tragic and unfair scene. A mother, desperately guarding her young, had lost nearly all her children, with the last barely clinging to life.

"Yue," Fu Huan murmured, her voice cool and calculating. "That owlet… would be perfect for your third ring."

"But…" Yue's voice trembled, her ruby eyes glistening with unshed tears as they mirrored the dying light in the owlet's gaze. "Maybe… maybe we can still help him?"

"He's already dying, Yue…" Fu Huan's tone softened, but her words remained firm. "Ending his life would ease his pain. But…" Her gaze shifted, landing on the embattled owl. "We'll help his mother. She fought to the end for her young, even when death loomed near. And this dragon—he would harmonize well with your spirit."

Yue looked to Fu Huan, her eyes filled with silent plea, but also growing resolve. Fu Huan gave a small nod.

"Alright, Yue."

Their eyes met—silent understanding passing between them. Months of training had forged a bond deeper than words, allowing them to act as one.

"Now, Yue," Fu Huan said quietly, reaching out her hand.

Yue, eyes burning with determination, grasped her sister's hand. In that instant, something shifted. Their auras wove together, once separate now intertwined, pulsing as a single force. A faint glow enveloped them, intensifying with each heartbeat.

From where two girls had stood, now rose a single form—a breathtaking young woman of sixteen or seventeen. Her hair retained Fu Huan's rosy hue, but its soft waves mirrored Yue's. One eye shimmered with delicate pink light, the other burned with deep crimson flame. Her features fused Fu Huan's elegance and Yue's youthful grace into a visage of otherworldly beauty.

The power radiating from this fusion was immense—Fu Huan felt it: their combined strength far exceeded the sum of their parts. Fusion wasn't mere addition. It was transcendence.

As one, they moved. Fluid, swift, ethereal. The spatial agility of Fu Huan danced with Yue's temporal intuition, creating a style of motion that seemed to ripple between seconds.

The dragon, a creature of fifteen meters, snarled as he saw the fused form approach. Something within him stirred—a primal urge to destroy. He turned from the owl as if sensing that this new being was a threat to his dominion over space and void.

The owl mother seized her fleeting chance. Striking with what strength she had left, she clawed at the dragon. Enraged by her defiance, he roared—but then, something stranger happened.

Around the merged form, six spirit rings shimmered into view—four yellow, one purple, one black. They began to merge into a single ring, but the color was unlike any seen before. Not black, nor red, nor gold—it glowed with a soft turquoise hue.

Apotheosis.

The world seemed to dim, colors draining to pale greys, leaving behind only ghostly shadows. This was no mere time distortion. No illusion of slowed motion or warped reality. This was the true convergence of time and space, a force capable of unraveling reality itself.

But such a power came at a cost. The fusion's strength ebbed quickly. They had only moments.

Pooling spatial energy into one outstretched hand, the fused soul formed a blade—a blade of absolute severance. With a single motion, they soared upward and then descended.

The blade cleaved through the air—no, through the very fabric of existence. It sliced along the edge of the dragon's frozen time-field.

The strain was too great. Their bodies couldn't sustain the fusion. In a blinding flash, they separated, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath.

The ancient dragon was no more. He lay in two perfect halves, split cleanly down the middle. The mark of the strike stretched for kilometers—a scar carved into the face of the forest. The Chronos Owl, seeing the exhausted girls, made no move to attack. She understood. These beings had saved her.

The owlet, though over a meter long, was still a child by spirit beast standards. He crawled toward Yue, his gaze filled with pain and quiet acceptance. There was no fear. Only a final wish—to be of use in his last moments. He sensed the resonance of Yue's attribute, and instinctively, he offered his spirit to her.

"Go, Yue," Fu Huan whispered, watching the scene with solemn reverence. "He's asking you."

Yue nodded, her breath hitching, and approached the dying creature. Kneeling beside him, she gently brushed his blood-matted feathers.

"I'm sorry, little one," she murmured, tears spilling anew. "I'll never forget you."

Fu Huan met the gaze of the great owl, whose wings spanned over ten meters. The mother looked away, as if silently acknowledging her helplessness… and granting them her blessing.

Fu Huan made no move toward the dragon's ring. It would linger for several hours before fading. Right now, nothing mattered more than Yue.

To be continued...

Author's Note :

Hey everyone, thank you for continuing to follow the story!

I currently have 24 chapters finished, with 20 already published. Starting today, I'm adjusting the release pace. To avoid rushing and keep the quality intact, I'll be posting one chapter per day, sometimes two. I continue writing every evening, but the publications will be slightly behind the writing process to avoid burnout and maintain the material's integrity.

Upcoming release schedule:

April 20 — Chapter 20

April 21 — Chapter 21

April 22 — Chapter 22

April 23 — Chapter 23

April 24 — Chapter 24

April 25 — break

April 26 — Chapter 25

April 27 — Chapter 26

April 28 — day off

April 29 — Chapter 27

April 30 — Chapter 28

May 1 — festive Chapter 29

May 2 — Chapter 30

May 3 — Chapter 31

May 4 — Chapter 32

May 5 — Chapter 33

May 6 — day off

May 7 — Chapter 34

If everything goes as planned, the next chapters will be ready by that time.

Thanks again for your support — it truly helps me move forward.

What do you think Fu Huan will choose in the next chapter? Do you expect her decision to change thecourse of events?