The sun blazed high, casting long, broken shadows across the winding road. The now dirt track had narrowed into little more than a path, forcing the carriages into a careful, steady pace.
Jian and Maria rode in the first, while Yun Ji remained ahead, his senses stretched like a satellite camera.
Moments later Yun Ji cracked open the window, signaling one of the guards with a sharp gesture.
The man spurred his horse forward, hooves pounding, until he reached the Jian's carriage. A quick knock on the window followed.
Moments later, Jian slid it open, his sharp eyes meeting the same hand sign Yun Ji had displayed earlier. A frown cut across his face as he nodded.
Maria, catching the shift in his facial expression, leaned closer. "What is it?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Nothing you should trouble yourself with," Jian replied smoothly. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, though his tone was iron. "Just a few unfriendly visitors. Yun Ji will handle them."
The words had barely left his mouth when the forest erupted.
Dark figures burst from the trees. A dozen rogue cultivators—faces masked, cloaks tattered, eyes burning with bloodlust—descended upon the small group. Their killing intent was suffocating, heavy enough to choke the air.
These were no common highwaymen; these were men who had abandoned the righteous path, now joining the darkness for wealth and fleeting power.
Jian's carriage was immediately surrounded by bandits with blades held high ready to be hacked against the carriage wooden frame.
The coach men riding the carriage has already closed is eyes ready to be taken out with out a fight but before their weapons could reach the carriage.
BOOM!
From the second carriage, Yun Ji exploded into motion. He landed like a falling star atop a masked attacker, his blade a silver streak killing the attack immediately and in less than a micro seconds he had dealt with all the bandits within the circumference of the carriage.
"Protect the young master's carriage!" his roar thundered across the pathway now turned battlefield.
The two guards snapped into action, forming a shield before Jian's carriage while Yun Ji carved a path through the chaos. His movements were merciless and precise—each strike cut down another enemy, blood spraying in wild arcs across the narrow road.
The fight was over as swiftly as it had begun.
Silence settled in, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the wet drip of blood. Yun Ji stood at the center of it all, the corpses of rogue cultivators sprawled around him like discarded dolls. His blade gleamed red, though not a scratch marred his body.
"Rogue cultivators," he spat with disgust twisting his inside. His eyes narrowed on the road ahead. "These were nothing but cannon fodder. There are more waiting for us further along."
He wiped his blade clean with a flick and turned toward the carriages. "Stay here. I'll deal with the rest."
The next moment, Yun Ji vanished into the dense foliage. A silence hung for a moment before distant screams erupted from different underbrushes, loud and desperate, fading quickly into stillness.
Moments later, he emerged again, his steps unhurried, his robe unstained, though the path behind him was littered with fresh corpses.
With a casual flick of his hand, a wave of spiritual force swept the bodies aside, clearing the road as though they were nothing more than fallen leaves.
The carriages rolled on, their wheels creaking softly as the journey continued without interruption. Hours passed, and the road narrowed further, swallowed by the dense embrace of towering trees.
The forest around them grew darker, the canopy above blocking out much of the sunlight.
Yun Ji leaned out of his carriage window, his voice carrying over the clattering wheels.
"We've left the restricted area. Be cautious—there are magical beasts in these woods. Low level, but still troublesome."
His words had barely left his lips when a sharp whoosh cut through the silence a magical beast had darted across their carriage.
The air trembled, carrying the unmistakable pressure of spiritual energy. Yun Ji smirked knowingly, his gaze flickering toward the shadowed treeline.
A moment later, the spiritual energy surged—vast, unrestrained, and oppressive—spreading through the forest like a tidal wave. It wasn't a challenge, but a warning.
The magical beasts hidden in the shadows froze where they lurked. Unlike ordinary animals, beasts carried a spark of intelligence, enough to recognize the difference between prey and death.
Sensing the overwhelming aura emanating from the group, they shrank back into the dark. None dared to strike; to do so would have been suicide.
Thus the journey continued undisturbed.
Days flowed into nights, nights into weeks. Fourteen days of steady travel passed beneath creaking wheels and tired hooves until, at last, their destination was on the horizon.
The Crystal Province.
Even from afar, its gates glimmered faintly under the sunlight, towering high with an austere brilliance that spoke of wealth, power, and vigilance. As the carriages drew closer, the looming gate seemed to grow taller, dwarfing travelers like ants.
Two armored guards stood at attention, their weapons crossed before the entrance. Few dared tread this path, and the arrival of outsiders immediately set them on edge.
"Halt!" one barked, his voice sharp and carrying authority. "State your business in the Crystal Province."
The carriages slowed to a stop. From within, Jian pushed open the door and stepped down. Calm and composed, he drew from his sleeve two seemingly ordinary items: a simple bronze token, and a plain talisman etched with faint lines of faded gold.
The guards stiffened.
The token was proof of passage, granting entry into the province itself. The talisman, however, was far rarer—permission to step into the territory of a sect within the crystal province.
Ordinary in appearance, but in truth, These items were not given freely not during closed season as the sect entrance season had long passed.
And this items were never available during closed seasons. To hold both was proof of influence, wealth, and careful maneuvering.
Jian let the token and talisman catch the light before speaking, his tone steady.
"Our business has already sanctioned. Will you open the gate?"
The guards exchanged glances, eyes narrowing with suspicion, One of the guards immediately reached forward to cross check the token and sure enough it was the real deal as the weight of the token and talisman was undeniable.
Slowly, they shifted their weapons aside, the mass
ive gates groaning as they began to part.
The path to the Crystal Province opened before them.