Deep within the serpent's cave, a damp chill seeped into the bones. From afar came the sound of dripping water—steady, echoing, and thick with silence. The ground was layered with dry moss and scattered bones. Faint light filtered in from the outside, illuminating a place long forgotten by time.
Xuan Chen leaned against the stone wall, his breath faint as he sat in quiet meditation. Xiao Chen kept watch near the entrance, eyes scanning the surroundings, alert and silent. Neither spoke.
After a few breaths, Xuan Chen opened his eyes. His gaze swept across the patterns etched into the stone wall. His tone was grave.
"This cave… doesn't look naturally formed. These markings seem familiar—like remnants of an ancient array."
Xiao Chen nodded.
"The moss still holds spiritual energy. The bones are arranged with intent. This must've been the serpent's lair… but given its nature, such order is unlikely. There's something else at play."
Xuan Chen's voice deepened.
"There's another matter."
Xiao Chen turned.
"Hmm?"
Xuan Chen's gaze dropped to his own soul sea.
"Have you noticed… after the battle and the fruit's nourishment, your spiritual energy feels… stronger than before?"
Xiao Chen blinked, then focused inward. His expression shifted.
"…You're right. It should've just recovered—but it's actually increased."
Xuan Chen nodded.
"That's an anomaly. When spiritual energy is pushed to its limits, then rapidly replenished by the fruit and serpent blood, it can trigger a 'Qi Circuit Reinforcement Loop'—a self-breaking of the upper threshold. It's rare. And dangerous."
Xiao Chen widened his eyes.
"So I got lucky?"
Xuan Chen's voice turned cold.
"No. This method works only once, and requires immense resistance and precise timing. A single misstep would've reversed the flow—rupturing your meridians. Most wouldn't dare attempt it."
Xiao Chen rubbed his chin.
"So it's fast… but a gamble with your life."
Xuan Chen nodded.
"That's why the path of cultivation must be walked with caution."
Their gazes drifted, almost in unison, toward the center of the cave—where the strange violet-patterned spirit tree stood. Its trunk was deep black with a purple sheen, its leaves scaled like serpents. Threads of spiritual energy pulsed from its core, weaving with the ambient aura around it.
Xiao Chen spoke in a low voice.
"This thing… if we leave it here, Starseizing Palace will surely come for it. What if we… take it with us?"
Xuan Chen smiled faintly and rose slowly to his feet. From his sleeve, he drew a talisman etched with swirling patterns.
"This tree is no ordinary specimen. It matches the descriptions in ancient texts—the Violet-Marked Spirit Tree. Its outer shell is nearly impervious. Only spiritual energy can cut through it."
Xiao Chen chuckled and shook his head.
"I thought you weren't one to covet worldly things."
Xuan Chen replied calmly.
"Better I claim it than leave it for others to seize."
He sat before the tree for a moment, forming seals with both hands. His spiritual energy sharpened like blades, slicing delicately through the trunk. A segment of the main branch was severed and sealed into the talisman.
Curious, Xiao Chen asked,
"Hey, where'd you get all those talismans and pills? Don't tell me you've got a treasure vault hidden somewhere."
Xuan Chen glanced at him, smiling lightly.
"It's a technique from beyond these lands—called the Art of Space. Not recorded in the Central Plains' traditions. What you saw was merely a miniature space I carry with me."
Xiao Chen tilted his head.
"So it's like our sleeve-pouches?"
Xuan Chen shook his head.
"Not quite. Sleeve-pouches are external tools powered by spiritual energy. What I use is built directly from what your people call the Sea of Consciousness. I visualize a tower within my mind—and once it's formed, it links to my awareness. It doesn't lose control easily."
Still brimming with curiosity, Xiao Chen watched Xuan Chen manipulate the spatial technique.
"Wait… how'd you do that just now? It's just a pouch, right? How'd it fit such a huge piece of spirit wood?"
Xuan Chen nodded slightly and pointed to the ground beside him.
"Want to learn?"
Xiao Chen rolled his eyes.
"Obviously. Something this useful? Of course I do."
Xuan Chen spoke calmly.
"The methods of the Central Plains rely on tools to carry space—linked to spirit stones, arrays, or talismanic inscriptions. What I've learned belongs to a Western lineage—projecting mental force into spatial fissures, anchoring with soul awareness, and tearing open an entrance. It's not powered by objects… but by consciousness."
Xiao Chen looked puzzled.
"Sounds a bit like controlling a flying sword with your mind?"
Xuan Chen shook his head.
"Flying swords rely on control. Space… requires support. You must first sharpen your awareness like a blade, slice through the seam between the spirit realm and the physical world, then extend your mental force to form a stable structure. That's the first step in the Way of Space."
Xiao Chen frowned, thinking for a moment.
"So how do I train?"
Xuan Chen turned his palm, revealing a miniature spirit core, its aura faint and elusive.
"Use this as your anchor. Try channeling your soul awareness into it. Don't force it—think of it like 'searching for a sliver of light in the dark.'"
Xiao Chen sat cross-legged and began to focus on the core. He tried several times—no reaction.
Frustrated, he growled.
"What's wrong with this thing? Why's it so hard to open?"
"You're too impatient," Xuan Chen replied, his tone light but precise.
"Your awareness hasn't softened like wind through sand—it's still crashing like stone against a wall. You're using Central Plains methods to activate it. But spatial pouches rely on the flow of intent, not brute spiritual force."
Xiao Chen gave a wry smile.
"No wonder no one teaches this in the Central Plains…"
Xuan Chen's voice remained steady.
"Precisely because it's difficult, few know it. But if you master it—even here—no one will be able to steal what you store."
With that, Xuan Chen demonstrated the technique. He meant only to reach in casually, to show the method. But instead… he opened a door.
Both of them froze.
His soul sense swept inside—and what he saw resembled a small storage chamber, at least several dozen meters across. Layered, organized, and far beyond what he'd imagined.
Even Xuan Chen frowned slightly, murmuring,
"…This pouch was never this large."
He paused, then understood.
"It must be the combined effects of the spirit fruit and serpent blood—my mental force has surged."
Xiao Chen stared in awe.
"You mean… this room expands with your mental strength?"
Xuan Chen nodded.
"Unless the creator placed a limit—yes."
Xiao Chen's eyes widened suddenly.
"Wait a minute… no wonder you've got all those talismans and pill bottles and never seem weighed down… You've been cheating!"
Xuan Chen raised a brow, his tone lazy.
"Did you really think I stuffed dozens of flying talismans into my sleeves? That'd be absurdly bulky."
His gaze drifted into the distance, deep and calm.
"Spatial tools are, at their core, extensions of refined mental force. The stronger the mind, the more stable—and expansive—the space."
Xiao Chen rubbed his nose, muttering to himself.
"So it's like the higher the realm of a Fate Mark, the more stable it becomes… I thought you started out with that huge capacity."
Xuan Chen chuckled.
"When I first activated it, it was barely the size of a palm. What you're seeing now… is extremely rare."
Xiao Chen laughed and shook his head.
"No wonder you always pull things out like magic. I thought your sleeves were connected to the earth's ley lines…"
Xuan Chen smirked.
"Now that you know, shouldn't you be showing me some proper respect?"
Xiao Chen rolled his eyes.
"I respect your head."
Unwilling to be outdone, Xiao Chen closed his eyes again, attempting to sense the spatial force. His awareness sank into a silent void—an experience strikingly similar to the final trial within the Fate Mark Tower. His will tightened, his spirit stretched like a thread through darkness. He tried to see the boundaries of space, then began weaving his soul sense into the unseen walls.
A faint ripple stirred. He felt as if he'd grasped something with texture.
"It's like… reshaping an empty shell in your mind, then pouring spiritual energy into it." He opened his eyes, astonished.
Xuan Chen spoke softly.
"Few can reach that level. There's always been a resonance between Fate Marks and spatial magic."
Having found the sensation, Xiao Chen's spatial pouch responded—opening with a soft pulse.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring in disbelief.
"Holy—no wonder this thing holds so much! This isn't a pouch—it's a vault!"
Then he glanced at Xuan Chen, lifting his chin with quiet pride, as if to say: See? I'm not bad either.
Xuan Chen chuckled softly, then added,
"This was your first activation—your mental force was surging. That's the only reason you opened such a large space all at once."
Xiao Chen pouted.
"Then I really lucked out."
Xuan Chen raised a brow.
"Whether it was luck… or fate's gift—that's harder to say."
After finishing his guidance on the spatial technique, Xuan Chen was preparing to meditate when Xiao Chen suddenly spoke.
"You've taught me so much… I can't just take it for free."
Xuan Chen glanced sideways, brow slightly raised.
"What now? Planning to start your own lecture hall?"
Xiao Chen grinned, patting his soul sea.
"You've watched me circulate my energy often enough. My path of Fate Mark cultivation… isn't entirely off-limits to you."
Xuan Chen smiled quietly.
"The Fate Mark lineage relies on physical resilience. Outsiders rarely grasp it."
"I know," Xiao Chen said, shaking his head. But his eyes, for once, were serious.
"I'm not talking about the body-forging stuff. Just the early circulation techniques before imprint recognition. For someone like you—with monstrous mental strength—it's perfect for stabilizing your qi and centering your awareness."
As he spoke, he pulled out a stone tablet and began sketching the flow paths of the three foundational imprints: Qi, Form, and Guard. He marked several key "lock points" and "passage nodes."
"This is the basic energy circulation method for new disciples of the Starmark Sect. We call it Star-Drawn Cycle. It's used to stabilize the spiritual base and enhance mental sensitivity." Xiao Chen explained as he traced the lines, unusually focused—nothing like his usual carefree demeanor.
Xuan Chen studied the patterns in silence. After a long pause, he murmured,
"So Central Plains cultivation… holds such depth."
Xiao Chen raised a brow.
"Well? Impressed yet?"
Xuan Chen thought to himself… He teaches better than many masters I've met.
A faint smile touched his lips. His voice was low.
"Alright. I'll take it."
They looked at each other—and both burst into laughter.
But then Xiao Chen gave a wry smile.
"You know… this might be the first time I've talked to someone like this. No need to guard myself. No need to hide."
His tone was light, almost casual. But beneath it lingered a quiet loneliness far beyond his years.
Xiao Chen gave a faint, self-mocking smile. His voice carried a trace of weariness.
"Ever since my mother carried me, Starseizing Palace has wanted me dead. In the village, aside from my grandfather who raised me, everyone else feared me… cursed me… avoided me. Later, I fled into the forest. Only my master remained. Other than those two… no one ever truly saw me as human."
Xuan Chen nodded gently, his voice low and steady.
"I understand. I know what it's like to live among people who don't understand you."
His tone was like falling leaves—neither sorrowful nor joyful—but beneath it lay the silence of deep waters.
Xiao Chen paused, turning to look at him. His eyes held disbelief… and a quiet question.
"You too…?"
Xuan Chen nodded, his gaze drifting toward the distant woods, touched now by a hint of frost.
"The Western continent is home to many non-human races. I'm human. I never fit in. For years, those who spoke weren't human… and those who understood… were rarer still. Over time, I kept company only with scrolls and star charts."
He paused, then added softly,
"Eventually… I stopped expecting anyone to understand."
Xiao Chen murmured,
"No wonder you always look so gloomy."
He tilted his head toward Xuan Chen, then frowned.
"Wait—then where did you learn all those skills?"
Xuan Chen glanced at him, his tone calm as still water.
"The place that gave me back my life… naturally left something behind."
Xiao Chen wanted to ask more, but saw Xuan Chen already lowering his head, packing his things in silence.
He clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Always so mysterious…"
But his tone held no hostility now—only quiet curiosity.
Inwardly, Xiao Chen asked himself,
"…If we'd met earlier… would things have been different?"
Xuan Chen turned slightly but didn't answer. He simply smiled.
So much of the past had been silence and isolation. But now, at last, they had found someone they could speak to.
Perhaps… that was fate's most unexpected gift.