> "You either rise above the grave they dig for you… or you stay buried."
– Ye Tianfeng
---
[Scene: Forest Path – Dusk near Misty Hollow]
Twilight bled across the horizon as Ye Tianfeng dragged a broken blade through the undergrowth. Beside him, Xiao Yue clutched her thin cloak, her eyes puffy but watchful.
They had not spoken since the shrine. The silence between them was not awkward—it was survival.
Tianfeng's gaze swept the forest edge, pausing as the Heavenly Engraving Panel pulsed in his vision.
---
🔹 [Talent Scan: Passive Mode Active]
> Ambient Talent Source Detected – Hostile Presence (2)
Distance: 40 meters northwest
Confirmed: Qi Signature – Fang Irons Mercenary Class (Low)
---
He stilled. His lips curled into something between a smirk and a snarl.
"They followed the smoke."
Xiao Yue looked up. "Who?"
"Carrion," he said simply, rising to his feet. "Stay behind the tree. Do not move."
He stepped forward, boots silent over damp roots.
---
[Scene: Clearing Nearby – Moments Later]
Two mercenaries crouched near the ruins of an old supply cart, blades drawn, whispering.
"Scouts said the rogue brat's somewhere around here. Fang Irons want him alive—broken, but alive."
"Pah. They say he killed five men with a rusted blade. Probably a fluke."
Lightning flashed through the leaves.
When the first man turned, all he saw was gold—a panel of light shimmering in his killer's eyes.
---
🔻 [Talent Source Locked]
> Target 1: Iron Vein Constitution (Lv.2)
Target 2: Shadowstep Technique (Lv.2) – Repeat Signature
> Engraving Suggestion: Replace Gale Step?
[Yes/No]
---
Tianfeng blurred forward. The first strike crushed the man's throat. The second—a reverse grip stab—drove into the second man's temple before he could scream.
> [Talent Engraved: Iron Vein Constitution (Lv.2)]
Effect: +30% Physical Defense / +Minor Weapon Resistance
His limbs burned with new strength. The world slowed slightly.
> [Duplicate Detected: Shadowstep already stored]
New Option Available: Combine Shadowstep Fragments for Talent Evolution
— Unlocks at Cultivation Tier: Qi Condensation
> System Log: Talent Capacity Near Limit – Consider Unlocking Slot 2
---
Ye Tianfeng exhaled. The high of power was addictive—and terrifying.
He wiped the blood from his hand onto his robes, then returned to the path.
Xiao Yue peeked from behind the tree, eyes wide.
"...Did you kill them?"
"Yes."
"They were people."
"No," he said calmly. "They were threats. And I need what they carried more than they did."
---
[Scene Shift: Cave Shelter – Midnight]
The two sat near a flickering flame. The carved bones of the Fang Irons' insignia cracked in the heat.
Xiao Yue finally spoke.
"You changed."
"I returned," he said without looking at her. "To what I was always meant to be."
Silence.
Then she asked, softly: "Will I change too?"
His gaze met hers, and—for a flicker—there was something softer behind his steely focus.
"You will survive. And that's all that matters."
---
🔹 [Heavenly Engraving Panel Notification]
> System Sync: Stable
Slot 2 Unlock Requirements: Cultivation Realm – Qi Condensation
Condition Tracker: 83% Complete
Remaining: 1 High-grade Talent, 1 Battle of Life/Death, 1 Intent Breakthrough
---
Ye Tianfeng lay back against the stone, watching the stars.
The
y tried to take everything from him—his name, his blood, his future.
But he would take it all back.
One talent at a time.
---
[End of Chapter 6]