The cold wind swept gently over the roofs of the Tang mansion, causing the lanterns to sway softly. Tang Wei stood motionless in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if he could find answers among the distant shadows. His expression carried a subtle anxiety—ever since that day.
Eight days ago, while he and Liao Chen were in the office planning the next steps after the tournament and their departure from the city, the protective jade bracelet he had given his daughter suddenly activated—and just as quickly deactivated, like an illusion.
His heart nearly stopped.
Without hesitation, he jumped to his feet, knocking over the table beside him. But when he tried to sense the bracelet's location, all he found was terrifying emptiness. Its presence had simply vanished from the world.
— "This can't be right..."
His first instinct was to set out in search of her immediately, but when he sensed the bracelet once more, its faint presence held him back. With a sigh of relief, he explained to his friend what had happened.
Still, doubt lingered. His mind raced through every possibility. Why had he been unable to sense the bracelet in that moment? Was his daughter hurt now? He had known, from the moment she began cultivating, that this day would come—that he would never be truly ready. But he also knew he could not, and should not, hold her back from growing.
Tang Wei clenched his fists. Even though anxiety still gripped him, knowing his daughter was alive was enough.
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In the depths of the forest, the sound of a heavy body falling echoed through the clearing. Warm blood dripped onto the grass, staining the dark forest floor. A spiritual buffalo lay lifeless, its eyes glazed over and its massive body stiff in death.
Just a few steps away, Tang Chun Xi breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly. In one hand, she gripped the handle of her Lunar Umbrella—the cloud-patterned weapon now slick with blood.
She had no idea how much time had passed since she was thrown into this place. After the initial shock of the battle, the explosion, and the desperate escape, the days had blurred into a constant routine of survival.
With practiced movements, she began to process the buffalo's meat, efficiently separating the useful parts. The task was mechanical—something she'd done countless times over the past few days—yet her mind drifted elsewhere.
Her thoughts returned to the exact moment everything had changed.
A few days ago…
The heat of the explosion about to consume her, the deafening roar in her ears—for a moment, she knew there was no escape.
But then, at the last instant, the Lunar Umbrella reacted. Sensing the danger, it activated its ability to save her. The umbrella opened above her head, and in a blink, she was swallowed by the void. The sensation was overwhelming—almost like being born again. The same feeling, only lighter, as if her body were being torn apart and stitched back together simultaneously.
When she came to, she was on her knees in the middle of a forest. Dizziness made her collapse forward, nausea churning in her stomach. At first, she couldn't even process where she was; her mind and body cried out for rest. The trees around her were dense, and while the scent of the vegetation was slightly unfamiliar, it was also oddly familiar. She realized she had been teleported to an area closer to human activity within the forest.
But she knew she had to move. Staying there would make her an easy target. With her weakened body, she took some healing and Qi pills.
'I need a place to rest and recover. That hollow in the tree will do,' — she thought.
With effort, she stood and reached the cedar hollow. Weary, she approached it, checking for signs of danger. Finding only leaves and branches, she used a dust-removal talisman. Then she settled inside. It was just spacious enough for her to sit.
—"This should suffice…" — she murmured, placing a defensive array at the entrance. Once her safety was ensured, exhaustion dragged her into darkness and she passed out.
When she awoke, her stomach growled and night had already fallen. She took a Fasting Pill, and her condition slowly stabilized. Her physical stamina was almost fully restored, though her spiritual energy remained at only a third—partly replenished by the pill and her passive spiritual absorption. In better condition, she reflected on what had happened.
She had nearly died.
It was the first time since being reborn that she had truly felt the fragility of her existence.
"If not for the Lunar Umbrella, I would've died in that explosion."
The weight of that truth made her shiver. She wasn't ready to die.
Her father…
His face flashed in her mind. She could imagine the worry in his eyes, the scolding she would receive for nearly dying. She couldn't die—not before discovering the truth about her origins and her true place in the world. She allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment.
She had narrowly escaped death. But to be consumed by fear was not an option.
Shaking her head, she forced her focus back to the battle. What could she have done differently?
"My speed at the beginning was enough to escape... but that's not who I am. I chose to fight."
Yes, she had chosen to fight. But was it the right choice?
She recalled the moment she'd lowered her guard. If only she had used an Iron Armor Protection talisman when she activated her aura, perhaps she could've withstood the blast without relying on the umbrella's teleportation. Her father had given her those talismans before leaving.
And, as she feared, using the aura emission had been a reckless move. That attack drained her energy and stamina severely. Already exhausted from the fight against the snakes, she'd been left completely vulnerable.
—"This cannot happen again," — she concluded.
Had she made just one different decision, she might have avoided the risk entirely.
'At least those fights helped stabilize my level,' — she thought. The back-to-back battles had solidified her fourth level. Normally, that would've taken weeks. That realization brought a small sense of satisfaction.
As she packed the last pieces of meat, she suddenly sensed a presence approaching. Her muscles tensed. Her grip on the umbrella tightened.
Footsteps on the underbrush—light, but more than one. It wasn't an animal.
She jumped onto a low branch, using the Lunar Umbrella's concealment ability. Her hands were cold, but her breathing remained steady.
In the distance, two voices whispered:
—"Are you sure you saw someone here?"
—"Yes. The trail is fresh. A spiritual beast was killed recently. It must've been a cultivator."
Tang Chun Xi narrowed her eyes. Hunters.
Her instincts told her they weren't ordinary beast hunters—they were looking for someone. She closed her eyes briefly and focused on their energy. The spiritual flow from the two men wasn't weak; they were at least at the sixth level of Body Tempering, perhaps higher.
'Should I reveal myself? I need to know how long I was unconscious.'
She still wasn't sure she could trust anyone here. Undecided, she chose to follow them from the shadows and only reveal herself if it proved safe—she couldn't afford to miss the return date.
Silently, she moved from tree to tree, making no sound.