Feng Luochen approached the fallen men, her steps uneven and heavy. Remembering Lestes's words, she raised her sword with trembling hands and thrust downward. The blade pierced cleanly through a chest, ending the struggle in a single strike.
The moment it was over, her strength gave out.
The poison within her body surged violently. Her vision swam, darkness creeping in at the edges. Her legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Lestes noticed at once.
"If the poison isn't treated soon, you won't last much longer," he said calmly.
He turned toward her, his tone carrying quiet authority. "Sit down. Lotus position."
Feng Luochen obeyed, lowering herself to the ground and crossing her legs.
"I'll refine the poison inside your body using flame," Lestes said.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Alchemy.
On the Martial Heavenly Continent, alchemists were among the most revered existences. To refine pills or cleanse poison with flame required an extraordinarily powerful soul and absolute precision. Only one in ten thousand cultivators could even touch the threshold of alchemy, and high-tier alchemists were rarer than legends.
So he's an alchemist as well…
For the first time since becoming his servant, a sense of relief stirred within her. Serving a powerful alchemist meant she would never lack medicinal pills—a priceless advantage on the path of cultivation.
"Remove your outer garments," Lestes said, his voice utterly matter-of-fact. "The flame must act directly on your meridians."
She stiffened, then nodded. A faint blush crept across her face as she removed her outer layer and sat upright once more.
Lestes positioned himself behind her and placed his palm against her back.
The instant his hand made contact, a wave of heat spread through her body. Her breath faltered, and her thoughts threatened to drift.
"Focus," Lestes said sharply. "Regulate your breathing. Don't resist. One mistake, and the poison could turn fatal."
His words snapped her back to clarity.
She closed her eyes and calmed her mind.
A controlled flame emerged from Lestes's palm—not fierce or violent, but steady and refined. It flowed into her body like a guided current, threading through her meridians with precise intent. Wherever it passed, the poison was burned away, strand by strand.
Time stretched on.
At last, Lestes withdrew his hand.
"The main poison has been removed," he said. "Some residue remains, but it won't matter after a few antidote pills."
Feng Luochen exhaled deeply, relief washing over her like a tide.
Lestes turned away and began searching the corpses, retrieving three storage rings.
Storage rings were essential tools for cultivators, capable of holding items across long journeys. Depending on their grade, they could store anywhere from a single cubic meter to hundreds. These three were low-grade, each containing roughly two cubic meters of space.
Inside, he found gold coins, medicinal pills, and several cultivation manuals.
He skimmed through the techniques briefly.
Trash.
From the perspective of someone who had once stood at the peak of existence, these methods were crude and incomplete. Still, understanding the cultivation system of this lower plane was necessary.
After adjusting her clothes, Feng Luochen approached him.
Lestes sat beside one of the corpses, eyes closed.
He was using a forbidden soul technique—Memory Extraction of the Dead.
Though his cultivation base was gone, his immortal soul and essence blood remained. Through sacrifice, he could forcibly draw out fragmented memories.
Information flooded in.
This world was called the Martial Heavenly Realm.
Its cultivation system was structured as follows:
Qi Condensation Realm – absorbing heaven-and-earth qi into the dantianFoundation Establishment Realm – refining spirit qi and stabilising one's foundationCore Formation Realm – condensing the dantian into a Golden CoreNascent Soul Realm – shattering the core to give birth to a nascent soulDeity Transformation Realm – a legendary peak rarely reached
Lestes opened his eyes, organising the information with ease.
"We're heading deeper into the forest," he said, pointing ahead. "There's something valuable there."
Feng Luochen hesitated.
"The inner forest is extremely dangerous," she said carefully. "Even powerful cultivators avoid it."
She didn't voice the rest, but the thought was clear: If danger arises, he will survive. I won't.
Lestes met her gaze calmly. "There are risks, yes. But not many. With cooperation, we'll manage."
Cooperation?
She was stunned. In her eyes, Lestes was at least a Core Formation cultivator. What could she possibly contribute?
As if reading her thoughts, he continued, "I'll suppress the demon beasts with soul pressure. You kill them with your sword."
He glanced at her. "You can kill a stunned enemy, can't you?"
She straightened immediately. "Yes. I can."
"Good. Let's go."
An hour later, they reached the foot of a small mountain. Along the way, they gathered medicinal herbs and killed several high-tier demon beasts with startling ease.
To Feng Luochen, it felt unreal.
"There should be a cave nearby," Lestes said. "I'll search."
He sat down and extended his divine sense.
Minutes passed.
Then his eyes opened. "Found it."
The cave entrance was hidden behind a rock formation. Feng Luochen shattered the stone with a sword strike, and they stepped inside.
At first glance, the cave appeared empty.
"This isn't right," Lestes murmured.
Then his gaze sharpened. "A formation."
Old and weakened—but exceptionally well concealed.
"Break it by force," he said.
Feng Luochen gathered her strength and struck the wall. The formation shattered.
What lay beyond stole her breath.
Mountains of spirit stones filled the space, glowing softly. Shelves of ancient books lined the walls. Rare heavenly treasures and high-grade pills rested nearby.
"This amount of wealth…" Feng Luochen whispered. "It's enough to sustain a top-tier sect for a hundred years."
Lestes nodded, unimpressed by the stones. His attention was fixed on the books.
"I'll cultivate here until I reach Foundation Establishment," he said.
For safety, he laid out several concealment formations at the entrance.
Then he handed Feng Luochen a jade slip.
"This is a cultivation method for you—Yin–Yang Divine Fusion."
Her eyes widened.
It was a dual cultivation technique—but not one of exploitation. It focused on balancing yin and yang, strengthening body, soul, and divine sense together. Such methods were exceptionally rare, especially those suited for female cultivators.
"I modified it myself," Lestes added. "It will suit you."
Feng Luochen clenched the jade slip tightly.
For the first time since her fall, something stirred deep within her chest.
Hope.