The distance from the corroded zone to the scavenger camp was long, taking several hours of travel. By dusk, Grey had reached the camp, a makeshift settlement of rogue cultivators who had nowhere else to go. Scavengers were often wanted criminals, people who had survived the world's brutality by becoming proficient in murder, theft, and plunder. Here, such deeds were not judged; the only thing that mattered was survival and personal gain.
Grey knew this, and his guard remained high. He had killed a scavenger just a few hours ago, and if all of them were like that, he would have to be more than just wary—he would have to be invisible. He felt the cold, hard reality of this world in the silence of his footsteps. The leader of this camp was in the eighth level of Qi Accumulation, just strong enough to handle any internal disputes that might arise.
At the entrance, he paid five coins as a tribute and walked in. Immediately, he felt a dozen pairs of eyes lock onto him, making his skin crawl. His face scrunched into a frown as his body grew tense. The camp was just as the map had shown: a cluster of wooden and stone houses, alongside tattered tents, all arranged in a loose hierarchy. The richer and more powerful you were, the better your shelter.
He spotted a stall selling medicinal pills and went to it. As he waited, a young girl appeared, her auburn hair and red eyes a striking contrast to the grim surroundings. With her rosy cheeks and pretty, oval face, she was a startlingly beautiful sight in this desolate place. She had a surprised expression on her face when she saw Grey. His peculiar appearance—grey hair, grey eyes, a detached gaze, and a long, dirty coat—made him stand out as a newcomer.
"Excuse me, who are you? What do you want to buy?" she asked, placing small bottles of pills on the counter.
Grey should have been happy to see someone his age, but the feeling of being watched intensified. He felt even more on edge. "How much for the pills?" he asked softly, a deep frown on his face.
"Ten pills, fifteen coins. That's the maximum we sell at a time," she said. Grey immediately took out fifteen coins from his coat pocket and placed them on the counter. He stared at her, and the girl, slightly flustered, remembered her role as a shopkeeper. She picked up a bottle of pills, and Grey noticed the black spots on them.
"Is this the best quality?" Grey asked, his eyes scanning the other bottles. They were all the same. The pills were made from plants in the corroded zone, which meant they contained impurities.
"Yes, for now," she said, blushing. She placed a bottle on the counter, and Grey quickly swiped it before turning to leave. He was no good at talking to girls, and with the strange, hostile gazes on him, he was in no mood for a long conversation.
"Wait… I haven't seen you around." The girl hurried to explain. "I just wanted to know if you have a place to stay?" Her fingers twiddled, and she blushed again, waiting for his answer.
"No, I live in the corroded zone," Grey replied bluntly.
Her eyes lit up. "Would you like to stay with us? My dad is looking for new scavengers to join his team, and I'm sure you could find a job while you're here."
Grey looked at her with a baffled expression, but when he saw she was serious, he paused, pretending to consider the offer. "I will think about it."
"Yes, yes… you can't rush decisions," she nodded, her eyes shining with hope.
Grey didn't wait any longer, turning and walking away. His time in the corroded zone had made him deeply cynical and suspicious. Who in this world would offer a stranger help out of the goodness of their heart? No one he had ever met. He didn't dislike the girl, but he was suspicious of her motives. He didn't want to get entangled in any bad relationships so early on, which was why he lied about living in the corroded zone. For now, he just wanted a safe place to break through to the fourth level of Qi Accumulation.
He looked for a place in the outer section of the camp, but the outrageous prices and the lingering, hostile stares sent him in the opposite direction, toward the edge of the corroded zone. From high up in a tree, he could see the dark clouds that shrouded his former home, both day and night.
The Fourth Level
The corrosive substance was reduced outside the zone, but not gone. Cultivators would still suffer from it over time. The Sky Mist Art he practiced, however, had a unique way of dealing with it—it condensed the corrosive substance into black dots on his wrist. He was at the third level, so he had three dots.
Grey sighed and closed his eyes. He had put this off for too long. He had to break through now. As his eyes closed, a faint purple light flickered on his forehead, a subtle energy he couldn't see. The lines of purple light spread, creating a network across his body, a hidden grid of power. This energy originated from the purple crystal in his chest, a feeble but real source of power.
He swallowed a handful of the pills he had just bought, and the sizzling sensation on his skin vanished. The black dots on his hand faded to near invisibility. He began to cultivate, and the spirit energy within him swirled at a feverish pace. Soon, he felt a popping sensation all over his skin, and a black, viscous goo oozed from his pores. He had already removed his clothes, and the sight of the dark pus made him want to gag, but his body felt revitalized, as if reborn.
The impurities that had accumulated in his body were being cleansed, flushed out with every pop. The quality of his spirit energy increased, and the swirling vortex within him reached full capacity, bursting like a dam. A loud bang erupted in his mind, and he opened his eyes. A faint purple light illuminated their depths. The purple lines on his body faded, and he knew it was done.
'Fourth level of Qi Accumulation.'