The air on the training grounds was a dry, dusty haze, each clash of weapons sending up a fresh cloud of sand. Xiong Zhan’s movements were a masterclass in efficiency, his practice spear a blur of controlled power. But Ying Xia, his student of only a few weeks, was his perfect, chaotic counterpoint.

  SHWUK!

  The sharp clang of wood on wood echoed as Xia’s spear connected with Zhan’s, deflecting his powerful thrust with a surprising ease that belied the fact she wasn't using a single shred of Qi. She was a natural, her body moving with an instinctual grace.

  One attack after another, she flowed around him, a serpent of polished wood and steel. With a sharp cry, she spun, the spear becoming a silver arc as she delivered ten rapid-fire thrusts.

  Zhan stood his ground, a mountain against the storm, his own spear a whirlwind of blocks and parries.

  But as he deflected the final thrust, Xia transitioned in a heartbeat, using the side of the spear’s long pole to smack his weapon aside.

  As he stumbled, thrown off balance by the unexpected tactic, she spun and thrust, the sharpened tip of her spear coming to a dead, silent stop just a hair's breadth from his throat.

  A slow, appreciative smile spread across Xiong Zhan’s weathered face.

  "In pure skill," he breathed, his voice a low rumble of awe, "this old man has been surpassed. I can't believe that in just a few short weeks, you've become so proficient."

  Ying Xia grinned, pulling her spear back and rubbing her nose with the back of a grimy hand.

  "Well, what can I say! I guess I just have a knack for this weapon!" She swung the spear in a triumphant arc, the wind whistling past its tip.

  The way she moved, the raw, untamed prodigy in every line of her body, was undeniable.

  "Xia, listen to me closely," Zhan said, his expression turning serious, his eyes glinting with a new idea. "I'll teach you a technique. A true spear art you can utilize once you've reached the Body Tempering Realm!"

  "Woah! Really?!" she gasped, her own eyes widening with excitement.

  "You're giving up your sect technique, just like that?"

  The voice, calm and analytical, cut through the moment. Bi Kan’s boots crunched softly on the sandy ground as he entered the training grounds, his arms crossed.

  "Are you sure that's allowed, Brother Zhan?"

  Xiong Zhan’s face flushed a deep red. He grit his teeth, pointing a trembling, accusatory finger at Bi Kan. "Shut up! You were not meant to hear that!"

  Ying Xia’s face fell, her earlier triumph instantly curdling into a furious pout. She spun, leveling her spear at Bi Kan. "H-hey!" He sidestepped with an easy grace, the sharp tip hissing past him.

  Even after my training, he thought, a flicker of genuine respect in his eyes, I don't think I'd come out unscathed if I took one of her thrusts head-on.

  "What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled, her entire body trembling with indignation. She pointed the spear directly at his neck. "I'm finally going to get stronger, and you try to sabotage me?! HRAH!"

  "Hoh? This'll be good!" Xiong Zhan muttered, a wicked grin on his face as he quickly and quietly fled the training grounds, leaving the two youths to their own devices.

  "Xia, calm down, that wasn't my inten—"

  SHWOOP!

  "S-Shit!" A thin line of crimson bloomed on Bi Kan’s cheek as he leaped back, rubbing his face where the spear tip had grazed him. "Hah… if I wasn't fast enough…"

  She didn't give him a moment to recover. She dashed forward, the spear a blur of silver, each slash and thrust aimed with a deadly, professional precision. Her technique… it's flawless! Bi Kan thought, weaving and ducking through the storm of attacks. If we were at the same stage, with the same speed, I'd be in real trouble!

  "HURYAHHH!" With a final, furious roar, she lunged, putting all her weight into a single, piercing thrust.

  Instead of dodging, Bi Kan’s hand shot out. He didn't try to block the tip; he grabbed the polearm itself, his grip like a vise of tempered steel. He used her own momentum against her, lifting the spear high into the air.

  "W-WHA!" she yelped, her feet leaving the ground as she was hoisted upwards. With a grunt, he shook the spear violently, sending her tumbling through the air to land in a heap several feet away.

  "Ugh!" She groaned, her pride as bruised as her body. Bi Kan threw the spear, sending it skittering across the sand, and let out a long, weary sigh.

  "Seriously, can't you calm down a bit?" he asked, genuinely bewildered by her explosive anger.

  Ying Xia smashed a fist against the ground. "DAMN IT!" How?

  How could the gap still be so wide? His movements were on another level entirely! He had dodged every precise strike with contemptuous ease!

  She slowly pushed herself to her feet, glaring at him, her chest heaving.

  "Hnh… just you wait, Bi Kan," she seethed, her voice a low, fierce promise. "Once I train more, you won't be able to catch up to me anymore!"

  "Of course, of course, I don't doubt that at all," he replied, waving a dismissive hand, his thoughts already moving on. His gaze swept the empty training grounds before settling on Xiong Zhan, who was cautiously peeking out from behind a nearby hut. Bi Kan’s expression turned serious, his tone shifting from dealing with a pouting friend to one of grim purpose.

  "Let me borrow your time, Brother Zhan."

  The dust from their brief but intense spar slowly settled, the lingering energy of their clash dissipating into the quiet morning air. Xiong Zhan pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against, his earlier amusement replaced by a keen, analytical glint as he eyed the approaching Outer Disciple.

  "Oh?" Zhan’s voice was a low, cautious rumble. "What does this brother intend to use my time for?"

  Bi Kan walked towards him, his own steps measured and deliberate, his gaze unwavering. The playful exasperation he’d shown Ying Xia was gone, replaced by a sharp, focused intensity that was far older than his years.

  "I heard from Senior Sister Jinyan," he began, his voice calm and direct, "that you were the one who has dealt with the bandits that tried to breach this village. Along with the other villagers, of course."

  Huh, to think that senior sister would give that information, Zhan thought, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

  He had assumed Jinyan kept to her alchemical world, detached from the village's bloody struggles. Maybe this boy knows something more. He’s not just asking to make small talk. "What you speak of is the truth," Zhan confirmed, a note of pride entering his voice.

  "I have handled the bandits during their raid. I even encountered a Body Tempering Realm one." He grinned, a flash of teeth in his weathered face. "Fortunately, I was at a higher stage than him and easily subdued that fiend!"

  Bi Kan nodded, absorbing the information, his mind a quiet engine of deduction. After a few more probing questions, a clearer picture of the village's defenses and the bandits' tactics began to form. "I see," he finally said, his gaze locking with Zhan's.

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  "So, you're wondering if I know more about their processes, perhaps even the name of their leader."

  Zhan leaned back against the wall, his own expression turning grim as he was lost in thought. "I've long suspected that these bandits must be under one leader," he admitted, his voice dropping. "Probably someone at a realm that exceeds even the Body Tempering Realm. Although, when I first fought them, I thought that Body Tempering bandit was the sole leader, since he led dozens of men behind him."

  He let out a long, exasperated sigh, turning to look up at the bright, unforgiving sun. "But after that, while I was walking through the woods, I’ve seen groups of bandits still roaming, even setting up new camps. Naturally, I defeated them, along with the help of some of our own villagers who have reached the Qi Sensing Realm."

  Folding his arms across his broad chest, Zhan delved into the more intricate, unsettling details of his investigation.

  "That’s when I knew for certain. They must have a mastermind. I've since encountered two or three more Body Tempering Realm experts, and the bandits behind them did not call them 'leader' or any title of that sort. At their dying breaths," he said, his voice turning to a low, chilling whisper, "I heard them whisper a name… 'Boss'… or something along those lines."

  Bi Kan’s posture straightened, the final pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. He rose to his full height, folding his arms as he gazed at Zhan, his own eyes burning with a new intensity. "And? Did you find out the name of this so-called 'Boss'?"

  Zhan scratched his arm, his face contorting in contemplation as he dredged up the fragmented memories from his battles. A flicker of recognition dawned in his eyes, followed by a grim certainty.

  "Of course," he said, his voice a low, final rumble. "He goes by the name of—

  "Hao Yu."

  The name boomed from the entrance of the main tent, a voice laced with a mixture of feigned warmth and deep-seated tension. Hao Fu strode in, his long, flowing gray hair a stark contrast to the grim functionality of the fortress. "It's been so long, cousin. To what do I owe the pleasure of your arrival? You didn't even give me time to prepare!"

  Hao Yu, who had been sitting casually upon Hao Fu's own command seat, simply smiled. He rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion, his calm yellow eyes sizing up his cousin with an almost predatory appraisal. "You've reached the Peak of the Body Tempering Realm," he said, his voice a low, appreciative rumble. "I congratulate you, my dear cousin."

  Pushing off from the seat, Hao Yu slowly approached, his heavy leather boots clattering against the stone floor, each step a deliberate, weighty thud that seemed to mark his territory. Hao Fu’s two most trusted bodyguards, loyal men who had served him for years, instinctively shifted, their hands drifting to the hilts of their blades, their muscles coiling.

  This boss of ours is unpredictable, one of them thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  Boss Hao Fu has been kind to us all these years. We'll gladly give our lives for him, even if it means offending Boss Hao Yu.

  Hao Yu noticed the intense, protective gazes. He simply smiled, a disarming expression that did not reach his eyes. "I'm just wondering, cousin," he said, his voice deceptively casual, "how come you've left this fortress of yours to fend for itself?"

  THUD!

  Hao Yu’s hand landed on Hao Fu’s shoulder, a crushing weight that sent a jolt of pure, agonizing pain through the Peak Body Tempering expert's frame. H-His strength! Hao Fu thought, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out. Even my shoulders hurt this much?!

  "Where have you run off to?" Hao Yu pressed, his voice dropping to a confidential whisper.

  "Not only that, I've heard you brought your daughter with you. Where is she now? I want to see my dear niece. She was as talented as my own son…"

  This bastard… Hao Fu’s own eyes narrowed. "It is true that I've left… to go somewhere," he admitted, his voice strained. "But I'm afraid you can't meet with my daughter."

  CRUNCH!

  Hao Yu’s grip tightened, the bones in Hao Fu’s shoulder groaning under the immense pressure, threatening to crack. "And why is that?"

  Gritting his teeth until his jaw ached, Hao Fu faced his cousin head-on. "S-She's… in seclusion," he forced out. "I'm afraid she'll be gone… for a while."

  Hao Yu’s grip finally released. Hao Fu straightened up, rubbing his throbbing shoulder, a silent testament to the brutal, casual display of power he had just endured. "Very well," Hao Yu said, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "I hope your daughter reaches a higher realm by the time she comes back… since we're going to need it."

  He walked back to the command seat, sinking into it as if he owned it, and let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Someone's out to get us, cousin," he declared, the earlier tension replaced by a grim seriousness. "They've destroyed multiple camps of ours for the past few months. Not only that, I've encountered them as well. They are disciples of a sect. Our trade has gone to an unbelievable low."

  Hao Fu’s eyes widened in disbelief, his hand clenching into a fist. "W-What?! How could this be!"

  SLAM!

  He brought his palm down on the heavy wooden table beside him. The table didn't just crack; it exploded, a shockwave of splintered wood and displaced air that was felt across the entire fortress. "What are your plans then, cousin?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.

  Leaning forward, Hao Yu rubbed his temples, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We must gather our forces and face them head-on," he said, his voice flat and final. "We'll go back to the main fortress and hunt them all down. That’s the only way we'll survive." A faint, confident smile touched his lips. "As long as we're with my son, we'll win. He's at the same realm as I am, although he's only a few stages behind."

  Hao Fu nodded, his own resolve hardening. "Very well, cousin. Then I'll ask for my men to come back and regroup." A new, vicious fire ignited in his eyes.

  "Let’s set out and teach these bastards of the sect a lesson!"

  A new kind of fear had taken root in the bandit fortress, a fear that was colder and more unpredictable than the raw brutality of its master. It followed the quiet, confident steps of a young boy who now walked the muddied grounds not as a slave, but as a specter of impending change. As Wei Zheng passed, the usual jeers and crude jokes of the bandits died in their throats, replaced by a tense, resentful silence. Their eyes, filled with a mixture of envy and terror, followed his every move.

  "Tch, I can't believe he became Hao Yifeng's right-hand man," a bandit muttered to his companion, his voice a low, venomous whisper.

  His friend sneered, his gaze lingering on the two figures flanking Wei Zheng. "Heh, he even has beauties accompanying him. What a bastard."

  On Wei Zheng’s right walked Wanxia, her arms crossed, her expression a mask of bored indifference that failed to hide the wary vigilance in her eyes. On his left, Chenxi happily gnawed on a piece of stolen meat jerky, her youthful innocence a stark, almost painful contrast to the grim reality of their prison.

  Wei Zheng’s gaze settled on a new slave, a man whose spirit had been all but extinguished. He walked over and placed a hand on the man’s head. A faint, crimson glow, warm and imperceptible to all but the most sensitive, pulsed from his palm for a single heartbeat.

  "W-Wha! What is this…?" the slave gasped, his own eyes snapping open as the world around him exploded into a kaleidoscope of shimmering, dancing lights he had never seen before.

  Wei Zheng turned to Wanxia. "Sister Wanxia, please guide this one as well."

  She scoffed, flicking her vibrant orange hair back with a dismissive gesture. "You're ordering me around now, aren't you, Wei Zheng?" But despite her sharp tone, she moved, her steps sure and steady as she led the dazed, newly-awakened man towards a secluded corner to begin his lessons.

  The plan's all coming together, Wei Zheng thought, a cold, hard glint in his eyes.

  "Mhm! So yummy!" Chenxi mumbled through a mouthful of jerky. "Still, Brother Zheng! I can't believe you've reached that stage so fast after just a few weeks!"

  Standing at the 8th stage of the Qi Sensing Realm, he was indeed a star among prodigies, an impossible anomaly.

  "I just got lucky somehow," he said, the words a practiced lie. If it weren't for that crimson flame within my Soul Sea, he knew, I wouldn't have reached this point. I wouldn't have been able to orchestrate this uprising.

  A shadow detached itself from the wall of a nearby tent, the afternoon sun glinting off the polished steel of a drawn dagger. "Wei Zheng," the guard said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Boss Yifeng has asked for you."

  Wei Zheng turned to Chenxi, gently shooing her away. "Alright, I'll be on my way." It's been a week or two since I've been gathering these people, he thought, his own plan now accelerating at a terrifying pace. I'm sure it's all coming together.

  He parted the heavy leather flap of the main tent. "Boss Yifeng, you've summoned me," he said, his voice calm and respectful. "Does this mean you're pulling one of the final threads?"

  Yifeng nodded, a slow, deliberate motion. He tossed a small object across the dim tent. It flew in a perfect arc, landing squarely in Wei Zheng's palm. It was a heavy, iron emblem, intricately carved with the image of a snarling wolf's head. "Hm? What's this for?"

  Leaning back in his chair, Yifeng’s yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. "Go towards my territory. I'm sending an army once again. This time, with two Qi Sensing Realm bandits at the Peak."

  Huh… it's that territory, Zheng thought, his mind racing. The one where Yifeng's armies have been constantly losing. "What should I use this for?"

  Yifeng grinned, waving a dismissive hand. "You'll know once you get there. Be sure to survive, and don't come back empty-handed, Zheng."

  "Understood. I'll be on my way then." Wei Zheng bowed and turned to leave. Ever since that first day, he's been teaching me cultivation methods, fighting techniques. I'll reach the Body Tempering Realm in a month or so. He's grooming me for something. His plan isn't bad… although, I've only got a small gist of it. What is he planning to have me do there?

  Outside, the new squad was already assembling.

  "Oh, there he is!" a bandit chuckled. "Hehe, I can't believe we're bringing his right-hand man. This will definitely be the last trip."

  "How could you be so sure?" another grumbled, his skepticism a sour note in the air. "Boss Yifeng has sent many of us countless times already to no avail. What makes you think we'll be the ones to end it?"

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, Wei Zheng came forward, his presence immediately silencing their bickering. "The boss said we can't come back empty-handed," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The best we can do is gather information. Let's not throw our lives away so haphazardly."

  The bandits nodded, murmuring amongst themselves. Wei Zheng met their gazes, his own expression a careful mask of leadership. I can't let them get too suspicious, he thought, a cold certainty settling in his gut. I have a strong conviction that Hao Yifeng is sending them intentionally to die.