Chapter 10: Danger in the Valley

Morning light slipped softly through a veil of mist, wrapping the Tianhan Sect in an unusual hush. A thin fog drifted over the main courtyard, as if swallowing the leftover tension from yesterday's fierce duel.

Inside a small building on the eastern side, Yanzhi lay still on a simple wooden bed. Her whole body was wrapped in bandages, her breathing slow but steady. Her eyes stayed open, fixed on the ceiling above—crowded with thoughts she couldn't silence.

Soft footsteps echoed closer. Lu Ming stepped into the room, carrying a bowl of warm porridge. He placed it on the small table beside her bed without a word.

"You don't need to stand up, Yanzhi. But eat something before your body gets cold."

Yanzhi only murmured a faint reply, forcing herself to sit up. Pain shot through her body, but she didn't lie back down.

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself that far," Lu Ming said quietly. "But you did it anyway. Why?"

Yanzhi let out a shaky breath. "I just didn't want to lose… as someone I'm not."

Lu Ming studied her in silence for a moment. "That's a steep price to pay for pride."

"Maybe," Yanzhi answered, a faint, crooked smile tugging at her lips. "But at least I know I'm still standing."

---

Outside the small building, whispers spread quickly among the disciples.

Many were still talking about Yanzhi's duel with Rou Han. But now, another question lingered—where did Yanzhi get the power to stand up to the Thousand Li Slash?

Under a maple tree nearby, a sharp-eyed young man stood with his arms crossed. His name was Wei Ren—born to a minor family, but known for his sharp observation skills.

"Something's off," he muttered to himself. "That power… doesn't belong to her alone."

Meanwhile, inside the elders' training hall, another conversation was taking place.

"That child is hiding something," one elder said darkly. "When Rou Han's final strike landed, there was a strange aura around her. That wasn't normal flame."

"An ancient spirit's aura?" Elder Fan asked, eyeing his peers with suspicion.

"Possibly. We should keep an eye on her—but don't let her know."

In the far corner, Lu Ming sat silent, fingers curling into a tight fist beneath his robe.

---

That night, while Yanzhi drifted in and out of sleep, the spirit within her spoke softly.

"You know they've caught a scent. They'll dig deeper."

"Let them. I won't use your power carelessly."

"What if they find me?"

"Then they'll hunt you. Not me."

The spirit let out a low laugh. "How amusing. But you're wrong. If they expose me, you'll burn too."

Beneath that fragile calm, something was already stirring. And Yanzhi knew—this sect wouldn't let her stay hidden for long.

A few days later, the students received new orders: they'd be sent out on an external training mission. The destination—a rugged stretch of hills to the east, known as the Shadowwind Valley. On paper, it sounded simple: gather spirit herbs, keep an eye on wild beasts. But for some, this mission was a chance—to spy, to probe, and to test.

Yanzhi stood at the departure grounds with a handful of other disciples. Among them was Wei Ren, arms crossed under a maple tree, eyes locked on her like a hawk.

"Don't get too full of yourself," Wei Ren muttered as he passed by. "The world outside isn't as safe as a duel stage."

Yanzhi said nothing. But deep inside her chest, that small flame flickered awake again.

And far ahead, Shadowwind Valley waited. Not just a training ground—but a field of secrets ready to surface.

The hours slipped by, and soon enough, the morning of reckoning arrived. With steps that felt heavier than usual and hearts that weren't quite steady, the disciples of Tianhan Sect stood at the mouth of a valley steeped in whispered legends of the past.

Gray skies hung over the ridge, while a thin mist clung to the slopes like the breath of some ancient creature long forgotten. Before the entrance to the Darkwind Valley, dozens of disciples lined up—some tense, some brimming with restless excitement.

High above them, Lu Ming stood on a large boulder, his robe fluttering lightly in the breeze. His gaze swept across the crowd below, lingering on each face for a heartbeat.

"The Darkwind Valley stays open for three days only," his voice rang out, calm yet edged with warning. "You enter to gather Black Mist Jade. You come out when time is up—or you don't come out at all."

A few disciples swallowed hard. Yanzhi, standing somewhere in the middle, let out a quiet breath.

"Don't get reckless," Lu Ming added, his eyes sharp as they flicked toward a few specific groups. "If anyone gets seriously injured or disappears… we will only wait at the edge. This is not a playground."

He gestured at two senior cultivators standing beside him.

"I'll be watching from here with the wardens. Once you cross that line, your choices—and your life—are your own responsibility."

With that, he gave the signal, and the lines of disciples began to move.

Yanzhi stepped forward with his assigned group: Mei Jiu, a quiet girl armed with her silver needles; Bai Lin, calm and steady with his light-footed sword style; and two other outer disciples serving as backup.

Their path led them deeper into the valley, toward the inner zone where the Black Mist Jade was said to be thickest.

Yanzhi said nothing, his breathing slow and steady. But inside, he could feel it—the restless stirring of the spirit bound within him, like a caged beast catching the scent of old, buried earth.

"This place…" the voice hissed in the back of his mind.

"…it carries traces of ancient power. Something I once tasted… before I was sealed away."

Yanzhi's fingers tightened around the small pouch at his hip.

"Stay out of my way," he whispered silently.

"If you're weak, I won't stay silent."

They kept moving, boots crunching over rough stone as the trail grew narrower and the world around them turned quieter.

A damp breeze drifted through the rocks, carrying the musky scent of the forest that hemmed in the path ahead. They walked on in silence, each disciple trying to bury their nerves—though the hushed voices still slipped out between them.

"Did you hear?" one boy muttered under his breath. "They say that valley used to be a den for high-level beasts."

"And plenty went in and never came back…" another added, his tone tight with unease.

Beside Yanzhi, Mei Jiu glanced over at him, silver needles glinting faintly in her sleeves. "You look calm. Not scared at all?"

Yanzhi breathed out through his nose. ""If I say yes, you'll call me a coward. If I say no, you'll say I'm pretending to be tough."

Mei Jiu gave a tiny grin. "At least you're honest about it. Let's just hope you don't drop dead in there."

Inside Yanzhi's chest, the spirit let out a soft, mocking hiss.

"Perfect. It's been far too long since we stepped into a place where one wrong step can get us both killed."

Yanzhi didn't bother to reply. He just kept moving forward with the group, deeper into the valley's waiting shadows.

Entering the Valley

The path into the valley dropped steeply, tangled with roots and slick stones. The moment their feet crossed an invisible threshold, the air changed.

What had been a gentle breeze turned cold and heavy, slipping under their skin and into their bones. The mist thickened, and the sounds of life—birds, insects, the rustle of leaves—vanished in an instant.

It felt as if the valley had swallowed the world's voice whole.

The spiritual energy that wrapped around this place was far from ordinary. For someone sensitive like Yanzhi, it felt like walking through a hidden layer of reality—dense, suffocating, and faintly… familiar.

"This land has tasted a demon's blood," the spirit in her whispered suddenly, its tone more serious than usual.

"A demon?" Yanzhi asked inwardly.

"Something was buried here. Or fought here. Its traces haven't fully faded."

The group split off down different paths. Some students formed small circles for protection, their lanterns flickering through the drifting fog.

Mei Jiu and two others veered left, searching cracks in the rocks where Black Mist Jade liked to hide. Bai Lin drifted west on his own, wanting no company.

Yanzhi chose her own path, slipping down a narrow slope where the air was damp and dim.

"You know why I hate places like this?" The spirit's voice hummed low, like a thought half-buried.

"They remind me of my final moments."

Yanzhi moved steadily, her breath even. She didn't ask for details. Her eyes stayed sharp.

This valley wasn't a training ground.

It was a trial—waiting to see who deserved to leave it alive.

And far beneath the ground they walked on, something long buried began to open its eyes.