The mountain steps seemed endless. The stone stairs continued, twisting up through ancient pines even as Lin Xuan's calves protested their improved stamina and the trail of ashes slid away from him into the clouds.
They climbed mere memories to the Azure Spirit Sect — glittering white walls capped with blue-glazed tiles, banners waving in the breeze, water falling from terraces on a distant cliff down into the ancient gorges where ponds and streams lay, hidden from sight. It bore down, not only in stone and timber but the millennia of power pressed into every square inch.
[Environmental Scan: Defensive formations active. Qi density increased by 37%. Possible increase in cultivation speed within sect grounds: 24%.]
Lin Xuan did not need the System's analysis to register it—he felt the air here, how much thicker, how much more flavor each breath had when they contained purified spiritual energy.
"Stop looking at them," Yun Ruo's voice sounded unclouded.
Qin Feng: "I am just curious, how many of you can kill me in one move here?" Lin Xuan said.
"More than you think. Fewer than you fear."
They had it in their sights, but the air changed before they breached. No, this wasn't the wind, as light as it was — rather, it was weight... a weight that such a quiet thing seemed all but impossible. His heart seemed to crash against his ribs, his vision going sharp as hell.
[System Notice: Malicious Qi Bind - Power Level: Cauterize-Incipience. Range: 1.2 kilometers. Closing at high speed.]
Yun Ruo stopped mid-step. Her head cocked, and she looked at him for the first time as if with a little bit of caution.
"Ghosting a Foundation Establishment on your ass," she murmured. "That's… unusual."
A Stone Creek cripple? Lin Xuan's mouth was dry. "Yeah."
An absent shadow flittered through the pines beneath the stairs, then it unfolded into a silhouette leaping quickly in powerful, smooth bounds. He wore a black robe, sewn with blood-red thread, and the emblem on his chest was of a claw grasping at a crescent moon.
[Alien Database Match: Black Talon Syndicate - Enforcer Rank. Focus: Assassination of targets under one kingdom. Light is a form of wielding precise pursuit and little collateral.]
The man stood ten paces beneath them. His hair was black, pulled back with a strip of crimson — voidblade shade, maybe even prestyde gold. Eyes with the depth and rage of winter ice itself were flat in his skull.
He pitched me back another step, his voice iron dragged over stone. "You're making my final week a fucking hassle." "So let's make this quick."
He moved in the blink of an eye—one moment he was still, the next he was right before Lin Xuan with his hand acting like a blade and dashed towards his throat.
[Level Requirement: None. Name: Skyfall Hand. Skill Type: No Skill Detected – High Grade Killing skill. Acquire?] "Yes."
Its mechanics blossomed in his mind as it began to execute, faster than anything he'd ever tried. He fell back, only just knocking the blow aside with the spear shaft. The fallout reverberated through his arms, rendering his fingers numb.
The enforcer slid in, his blows a mixture of thunder — elbows, knees, palm heels, every one targeted to kill.
[System prompt — Recommend acquis: Flowing water counterform (Mid-grade, defense)] "Yes."
He surrendered to the new shape — deflecting here, swerving there, never actually taking a hit face-on. But using proper form, the huge power differential still pushed him back one step at a time.
The enforcer's next move happened too fast — and then Yun Ruo was there, her sleeve insouciantly brushing the man's wrist aside.
"CY7 is my ward," she whispered.
"You can escort his corpse then," the enforcer responded, sidestepping her as easily as a drop of rain on a cold window pane.
[System Analysis: Yun Ruo cultivation base conjecture Qi Gathering (Peak) — suppressed signature. — Turn off signature] Aggressor capability that appears to fall somewhere outside of claimed space and time?
Failed A backhand placed, hit on Lin Xuan's back. Dwayne below him fell thirty meters into pine and rock.
(Environmental – Dislodge support stone two places left – debris hazard.) "Yes."
He stepped to the left and struck that stone with his heel just right. The block shattered, throwing sharp bits and rocks into the enforcer's face. Not enough to blind him… but two heartbeats.
[Skill Detected: Falling Leaf Strike — Mid-Grade Opportunistic Attack.] "Yes."
Spear high, pivot low — the blow went wide of the enforcer's blade and scraped along his side hard enough to draw blood.
The Enforcer stepped back reaching for the line of red on his robe. His face showed no expression, but the shackles on Lin Xuan's body immediately felt twice as strong, crashing against Lin Xuan like a tide upon them.
[System Alert: Ext. Chakra suppression at 67%. Host mobility reduced.]
He couldn't move as fast now — each step was like running through wet sand, but he needed to make it up the stairs. The enforcer blurred forward again.
The clamor halted at Yun Ruo's proclamation. "Xuan — ten breaths. That's all I'm going to hand you to flip this."
Unlock temporary Fusion Mode — Skyfall Hand + Flowing Water Counterform + Stone Piercing Lunge [System Prompt]Risk: Treats unadapted meridians too strongly. [Yes.]
The three techniques wove together into something else still — seamlessly offense and defense with no beginning or end, the pointed ends of the spear thrusting through zones delineated by his palm and footwork designed to negate an opponent's speed edge.
The next exchange was different. Lin Xuan not only avoided, even some places hid passed on was removed wanted to grab. There are within the surrounding space unrest difficult drums. He knew how it would move, and he had an instantly learned counter to every motion the enforcer made.
The man's pale eyes narrowed.
Shouts came from above—disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect, some of them descending the stairs to either side, others looking down from the gate. The noise of the fight had brought them over, and with a Foundation Establishment cultivator beating up on someone who was not even in the sect yet… that was too much of a sight to miss.
He felt their eyes on him, the burden of hate. Some curious. Some skeptical. Some are already hostile.
The enforcer slightly overextended into a high palm intended to cave his temple in. Lin Xuan allowed his body to twist armor back piece turned sideways, strode closer, used the floating water shape slip over his shoulder, thrusted spear head directly under man's rib area.
It landed—not far enough to kill but well enough to stun.
Yun Ruo's arm turned iron-like and hooked onto the man's wrist. "Enough."
She felt herself grow more powerful, and she thrust out, and in an instant, her push knocked the enforcer ten steps backwards down the stairs.
The man glanced between the two, blood trickling from the minor wound. He did not seem mad, he seemed like a human calculator.
Then I respond, "It's not all." "The bounty still stands. And it will grow."
And he spun around and leaped over the side of the stairs into the pine trees and was gone faster than smoke.
Now the sect disciples were almost upon him. One of them, a tall youth who was stony-faced, scanned Lin Xuan up and down. "This guy hasn't even come in, trouble is already knocking on the gate."
The third one, a girl in green robes said quietly, "Or he might be the trouble we want."
Yun Ruo didn't look at them. "Come, Xuan. See if the Sect loves you more than your enemies do."
As they entered the vast gates, the System sounded again.
[Quest Completed: Live through nasty Foundation Establishment experience.] [Reward: Partial resistance to Qi suppression + 1 random high-grade combat skill.]
A faint smile hung over the corner of Xuan Lin's mouth, and knowledge began to invade him.