The Middle Flesh Bone Stage didn't just give Xi Ran strength – it gave him a **chance**. His body obeyed better, his stride lengthened, his breathing deepened. He moved through the forest faster, more confidently, navigating by the sun towards Misty Shoal. But the **Emerald Eyes** remained a dangerous gift. The slightest loss of concentration – and the world would begin to disintegrate into consciousness-overloading structures. He kept the ability on a short leash, using it only peripherally, like an instinct for danger or a path.
And danger came. Not from ahead, but from behind.
***Sight!*** A sharp, painful stab in his temples. Not a full vision, but an **alarm impulse** and an **image**: three figures moving along his trail. Two in grey – sect guards. And between them – **Lin Feng** (林峰 – Lin Feng). His **Late Iron Bones** radiated a **threatening, steely aura** in Xi Ran's perception, overwhelming the guards' dull yellow glows. They were close. Very close.
Panic gripped his throat. *They found the trail!* From the village? Or had Lin Feng sensed something with his artifact? Didn't matter. Run! Xi Ran bolted towards thick underbrush, trying not to break branches, weaving, obscuring his tracks near a stream. But Lin Feng was relentless and experienced. The distance was closing.
"He's here!" came Lin Feng's vicious shout. "He won't escape! Alive!"
Xi Ran ducked behind a thick oak, pressing his back against the rough bark. His heart pounded like a drum. **Middle Stage** against **Late Iron Bones** – suicide in an open fight. The guards were a nuisance, not a threat. He needed cunning. A trap. ***Sight!*** He forced the ability to focus, ignoring the mounting headache. The world narrowed to the patch of forest before him.
He *saw*:
An **old wolf pit**, cleverly disguised with a layer of branches and leaves (its aura was **dull brown**, the color of rot and deceit).
A **slope** beyond the pit, strewn with loose stones.
A **thin, dry branch** above the trail that could be knocked down.
The plan formed instantly. He darted to the branch, snapped it with a loud crack, then dashed *sideways* away from the pit, towards the slope, deliberately breaking several bushes loudly.
"Over there!" yelled one guard. Footsteps quickened, heading straight for the noise – towards the slope, skirting the pit.
Xi Ran hid behind a tree, watching out of the corner of his eye and holding the **Emerald Eyes** on the brink of overload. The first guard, running ahead, plunged into the pit with a choked cry. The second, stunned, froze at the edge.
"Idiot!" Lin Feng shoved the second guard aside and leaped *over* the pit, his gaze sharp as a blade piercing the bushes where Xi Ran hid. He *sensed* him. "Stop hiding, rat!"
Lin Feng moved towards the slope, towards the spot Xi Ran had made the noise. Exactly where he wanted him. Xi Ran gathered all the strength of his **Middle Stage** and roared as he burst from cover NOT towards Lin Feng, but towards a **pile of loose stones** higher up the slope.
"Halt!" Lin Feng turned, surprised by the audacity. He charged after him.
Xi Ran reached the stones. ***Sight!*** highlighted the largest, precariously balanced boulder. He poured all his newfound strength into a powerful kick!
**CR-R-RASH!**
The boulder tumbled down, triggering an avalanche of smaller stones. Right towards Lin Feng! The senior disciple didn't falter. His **Iron Bones** shone with steely light. He didn't dodge. He **met** the avalanche head-on with his fists!
**BOOM! CR-R-RUNCH!**
Stones shattered into dust under his blows! He was like a millstone crushing everything in its path. Stone dust choked the air. But Xi Ran wasn't waiting for a miracle. While Lin Feng battled the stones, Xi Ran was already sprinting down the slope, in the opposite direction from the ambush, towards dense alder thickets by the river. He used the confusion and the dust.
"RAN!" Lin Feng's fury was audible even at a distance. "I WILL FIND YOU! AND YOUR ROTTING FATHER TOO! HE'LL DIE AT YOUR FEET!"
The threat hit Xi Ran harder than any stone. *Father!* Lin Feng knew where he was going! And he was using it. Fear for his father lent Xi Ran new strength. He plunged into the river's cold waters, swimming with the current, hiding his trail. Only when the forest hid the scene of the chase did he crawl onto the bank, shivering but alive.
He looked towards Misty Shoal. The path home had become a minefield. Lin Feng would be waiting for him there. Or was he already on his way? His **Middle Flesh Bone Stage** and **Emerald Eyes** had given him a chance to survive the forest trap. But to save his father, it wasn't enough. He needed to become stronger. Faster. And find a way to defeat an enemy whose **Iron Bones** shattered stone like dry twigs. He clenched his fists. Home was close. And the battle for it had already begun.