The forest clearing pulsed with tension, as if the very air held its breath.
Sunlight filtered through the towering canopy above, cutting jagged beams of gold into the dense green. Shadows danced across the forest floor, broken only by the coiled shape of a massive serpent. Its emerald scales shimmered like polished jade, thick as plate armor, and every slow shift of its body stirred the ground like a rolling quake.
From its mouth came a low, venomous hiss a sound that seemed to resonate inside Kai's chest.
He stood still, sword in hand. Steel Claw gleamed, its curved blade wrapped in a thin layer of white fire. Requiem of Heavenly Flame was active, the sacred flame burning steadily, pulsing in rhythm with his breath.
Kai's eyes narrowed. He could feel the beast's killing intent, sharp and primal. A beast this large shouldn't move fast. It shouldn't need to.
But the snake lunged.
It came like a blur. Despite its bulk, it crossed the clearing in a heartbeat, fangs bared. Kai twisted instinctively, barely dodging as the monstrous jaws snapped shut beside him. Its fangs clipped his shoulder, slicing through cloth and grazing flesh.
Pain flared hot.
He hissed, staggering back a step, but he refused to fall. His grip on Steel Claw tightened.
Flame of Heaven surged to life.
Golden light burst across his skin, thin glowing veins spiderwebbing across his arms and chest like sacred inscriptions carved in light. The fusion of Requiem and the Dance of Embers—once dismissed as a trash-tier technique—now burned with divine heat.
Speed. Precision. Flow.
His movements became fluid, too fast for the eye. His senses sharpened to a razor's edge. Even the air felt slower.
"Techniques are tools," So Yun's voice echoed in his memory, steady and calm. "Intent forges them."
Kai exhaled slowly, letting go of doubt. He wouldn't waste this chance.
High above, wings flapped. A small phoenix-shaped creature hovered, her red-gold feathers gleaming.
"Where'd you learn that trick?" Fen's voice rang out, a mix of awe and mischief.
Kai didn't answer immediately. He darted forward, blade sweeping in a wide arc. The steel sang through the air and cleaved a nearby tree clean in half an ancient trunk, split like kindling.
But the snake twisted, narrowly evading the strike. It spat a stream of venom, sizzling like acid mid-flight.
"Keep up, Fen!" Kai shouted, ducking low.
The venom splattered where he'd stood moments ago. The ground smoked. But Requiem's flame burning silently around his body—purified the air around him. The poison never touched him.
Still, the serpent grew bolder. Its slitted eyes locked onto him with pure, hateful instinct. Again it struck. Kai rolled sideways, dragging his sword in a horizontal slash as he moved.
Sparks flew.
The blade caught its flank, carving a shallow line into the snake's armor. Blood welled, bright and hot but only a scratch. Even with Steel Claw's high conductivity and his amplified Meridian-stage strength, it wasn't enough. Its scales were like forged iron.
Kai frowned. He had Night Blade talismans, tools that could pierce spirit beasts—but only a handful remained.
Too early to use them, he thought grimly. If more beasts come, I'll need every last one.
"Can you freeze it?" he called out. "Just for a second!"
Fen flapped higher, her eyes glowing.
"Immobilize it? You got it!" she chirped, suddenly serious.
The air dropped ten degrees in an instant. A chill swept the clearing, and mist began to form around the snake's coiling body. Ice crept along its scales—thin, web-like veins that shimmered blue under the sun.
The serpent tried to lunge again—but its coils slipped on frozen ground. It flinched, slowed for just a heartbeat.
That was all Kai needed.
He leapt forward, shield raised. With a grunt, he slammed it down onto the snake's head, staggering the beast with a crack that echoed like thunder.
Steel Claw followed, descending in a tight, brutal stab.
The blade pierced the creature's eye.
The soft tissue gave way with a sickening crunch. The serpent screamed, a high, whistling hiss of rage and pain. It thrashed once—then fell limp.
Still.
Kai collapsed to one knee, breathing hard, meridians aching from the exertion.
From above, Fen landed lightly on the corpse's head, fluffing her feathers in triumph.
"Wow, we nailed it!" she beamed. "Think it's tasty?"
Kai blinked, wiping sweat from his brow. "Tasty? Are you hungry again?"
"Me? No way!" she huffed. "I'm just... curious! Also—yes. Got any food?"
Kai gave a tired laugh, checking his ring. Inside lay dozens of items—formation scrolls, spirit stones, pills, sealing talismans, a few artifact fragments—but no food. Not even dried fruit. And no water, either—not that he needed it for himself.
"So Yun didn't mention food when we left," he muttered. "Guess I'm supposed to live on spiritual enlightenment."
He raised a hand, adopting a sage-like tone. "A cultivator survives on sunlight and dew."
Fen rolled her eyes. "Pfft. You can starve if you want. I'm a phoenix! I need proper meals."
Kai chuckled, then glanced at the snake's body.
"It might be edible," he admitted. "But that venom is nasty. I wouldn't trust it."
"You can purify poison, right?" Fen prodded, tilting her head. "Come on, fire-boy. Cook it with your holy flame!"
Kai sighed, rubbing his temples. "First—remember we're hiding? Big flashy techniques make for big flashy targets. Second—I'm not at my best."
Fen narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Not at your best? You literally just broke through. What, did you stub a meridian?"
Kai smiled faintly and sat down on a fallen log, brushing away moss.
"I think it's time for a story," he said.
Fen blinked. "Storytime? Now?"
Kai leaned back slightly, the pain in his shoulder dulling. "Remember Master Lu?"
Fen's feathers bristled. "That lunatic? He once tried to hand me over to the alchemists! Said I was 'rare material.' I could've fried him!"
Kai froze. "He what?"
"He's gone now," he muttered, ignoring the tight twist in his stomach. "Forget him."
But he couldn't.
As he spoke, he began recounting the events. The duel. The fire. The sacrifice of the heavenly sword. He left out the most dangerous truth the one about Xu Xe's plan to make Fen a vessel. He couldn't bring himself to say it. Not yet.
Fen listened, her expression changing with every sentence from curiosity, to confusion, to quiet outrage.
And then she squawked.
"Wait he named me after his empire?!" she shouted. "That senile dragon! He said it was poetic! Something about 'the northern wind of fate'! What a load of ugh!"
Kai couldn't help it he laughed.
"That's what bothers you the most?"
Fen folded her wings, nose high. "I have standards."
Kai smiled, but a shadow lingered behind his eyes.
If she knew the rest... would she still trust me?
He didn't know.
But secrets always found a way to rise.