# Chapter 21: Wilderness Fugitive
Three days into his journey toward Radiant City, Xìng Huáng had learned several harsh lessons about survival as a fugitive in the Blood Demon Martial Realm. The most important was that his previous experiences had been sheltered by tribal protection he hadn't fully appreciated until it was gone.
The wilderness between territorial boundaries was a contested zone where the rules of civilization held no sway. Corrupted creatures roamed freely, spatial anomalies from the dimensional merger created pockets of lethal instability, and most dangerously, wandering cultivators operated without the philosophical constraints that governed tribal members.
SURVIVAL STATUS: DAY 3
HEALTH: 34/40 *(Minor injuries from terrain hazards)*
SPIRITUAL ENERGY: 67%** *(Conservation protocols active)*
FOOD/WATER: ADEQUATE *(Foraged resources)*
PURSUIT DISTANCE: UNKNOWN *(No contact for 18 hours)*
His hidden divine heritage interface had been providing constant updates on his concealment status and tactical situation, but the information was increasingly concerning:
FUGITIVE ASSESSMENT:
BLOOD IRON SEARCH PATTERNS: SYSTEMATIC AND EXPANDING
ESTIMATED SEARCH RADIUS: 200+ KILOMETERS**
ALTERNATE FACTION INTEREST: DETECTED *(Unknown intentions)*
MASKING INTEGRITY: 91% *(Improved during isolation)*
The improved masking was the one bright spot in an otherwise grim situation. Without the constant pressure of high-level spiritual analysis, his divine heritage had settled back into deeper concealment. But the mention of "alternate faction interest" was ominous—his escape had clearly attracted attention from powers beyond the Blood Iron Tribe.
He was currently sheltering in a cave system that showed signs of previous habitation by something with claws and a taste for bone marrow. The original occupant was nowhere to be found, but the smell suggested its absence was recent and possibly involuntary.
A distant roar echoed through the cave system, followed by the sound of something large moving through the tunnels below his position. Not pursuit—the spiritual signature was wrong for hobgoblin cultivators. This was something native to the wilderness, and it was heading in his direction.
THREAT ANALYSIS: CORRUPTED CAVE STALKER
Cultivation: BLACK IRON - PEAK
Behavioral Pattern: TERRITORIAL PREDATOR
Combat Capability: HIGH *(Advantage in cave environment)*
Threat Level: SIGNIFICANT *(Especially given current condition)*
Xìng Huáng weighed his options quickly. Fighting would risk injury and spiritual energy expenditure he could barely afford. But retreating deeper into the cave system might trap him if the creature decided to hunt systematically.
The decision was made for him when the Cave Stalker's head appeared at the tunnel entrance—a nightmare fusion of reptilian features with too many eyes and a mouth that opened in directions anatomy shouldn't allow.
"Well," he muttered, drawing his improvised weapon, "at least it's not another evaluation."
The fight was brutal, confined, and complicated by terrain that favored his opponent's natural advantages. The Cave Stalker could move through tight spaces with fluid grace while its multiple eyes provided superior spatial awareness in the darkness.
But Xìng Huáng had learned from every encounter since the merger, and his Combat Evolution ability was now sophisticated enough to adapt to new opponents within minutes of engagement. More importantly, his Divine Greed trait—no longer completely suppressed—provided enhancement bonuses that turned desperation into tactical opportunity.
BLOOD SEEKER ABILITIES: FULLY ACTIVE
WORTHY OPPONENT DETECTION: CONFIRMED *(Significant advancement potential)*
COMBAT EVOLUTION: ANALYZING** *(Cave combat techniques)*
DIVINE GREED ENHANCEMENT: MODERATE *(Risk/reward optimization)*
The breakthrough came when he realized the creature's multiple eyes created a vulnerability rather than pure advantage. Too much visual input required processing time, creating micro-delays that could be exploited by someone with sufficient pattern recognition skills.
His blade work became a dance of misdirection, each feint designed to overload the Cave Stalker's visual processing while positioning for strikes at the gaps between its natural armor plates. The confined space that should have favored his opponent instead became a weapon he could use to control engagement angles.
When the creature finally fell, the essence absorption was immediate and substantial:
VICTORY ACHIEVED: CORRUPTED CAVE STALKER
ESSENCE ABSORBED: 347 *(Enhanced by Divine Greed)*
CULTIVATION PROGRESS: BLACK IRON - HIGH → BLACK IRON - PEAK**
NEW TECHNIQUE LEARNED: CONFINED SPACE COMBAT
SPECIAL REWARD: CAVE STALKER CHITIN ARMOR *(Basic materials)*
The advancement to Black Iron - Peak was significant, but more importantly, the combat had restored his confidence in his ability to survive the wilderness journey. Each challenge overcome made him stronger, and his divine heritage ensured maximum benefit from every worthy struggle.
But as he was examining his new cultivation level, voices echoed from the cave entrance—human voices, speaking in accented English that suggested merger survivors like himself.
"—tracks lead this way, and there was definitely combat. Recent, from the spiritual energy residue."
"Could be more of those corrupted beasts fighting each other. This whole region is unstable since the territorial boundaries shifted."
"No, look at these strike patterns. This was cultivation combat, not animal predation. Someone with formal training fought here."
Xìng Huáng carefully approached the cave entrance, his enhanced perception allowing him to analyze the newcomers without revealing his presence. Three humans, all showing signs of successful cultivation advancement, but their spiritual signatures were unfamiliar—not the chaotic essence-theft patterns of infected survivors, but structured development that suggested formal instruction.
OBSERVER ANALYSIS:
HUMAN CULTIVATORS *(3 individuals)*
CULTIVATION LEVELS: BLACK IRON - MID to HIGH
Equipment: ORGANIZED AND PROFESSIONAL
Assessment: POSSIBLE RADIANT CITY SCOUTS OR SIMILAR ORGANIZATION
The woman who appeared to be their leader was examining the Cave Stalker's corpse with professional interest. "Whoever killed this thing has serious combat skills. Clean technique, efficient energy expenditure, minimal environmental damage."
"Think it could be our runaway from the Blood Iron Tribe?" one of her companions asked.
Xìng Huáng's blood went cold. They knew about his escape.
"Possibly. The timeline matches, and the combat style suggests Blood Seeker techniques. But why would he be traveling toward our territory instead of seeking sanctuary with another tribe?"
"Maybe because Radiant City is the only place in the region where humans don't automatically face discrimination or elimination?"
The leader nodded slowly. "Fair point. If I were a fugitive human cultivator, Radiant City would be my first choice for sanctuary too."
This was it—potential allies who not only knew about Radiant City but seemed sympathetic to his situation. But approaching them carried risks. If they were hostile or under orders to capture him for the Blood Iron Tribe, he would be trading his freedom for potentially false security.
The decision was made when the third member of their group—a young man whose spiritual signature carried the disciplined harmony of formal cultivation training—called out directly to the cave.
"If there's someone in there, you should know we're from Radiant City's External Affairs Division. We're not here to capture or eliminate anyone. We're investigating reports of a human cultivator traveling through the contested zones."
"And before you ask," the leader added, "we have no enforcement agreements with the Blood Iron Tribe. Their fugitives are not automatically our problems."
Xìng Huáng weighed the options quickly. Continue alone through increasingly dangerous territory while being hunted by multiple factions, or take a calculated risk on potential allies who claimed to represent exactly the sanctuary he was seeking.
His Gaming Prodigy talent suggested the risk was acceptable—their body language and spiritual signatures indicated genuine intent rather than elaborate deception.
He emerged from the cave entrance with his weapon visible but not threatening, his cultivation aura carefully controlled to project competence without aggression.
"I'm Xìng Huáng," he said simply. "And I could use some information about safe passage to Radiant City."
The leader's expression shifted to something approaching satisfaction. "I'm Captain Lin Wei, External Affairs Division. And you, Blood Seeker, have just saved us several more days of wilderness tracking."
"Tracking for what purpose?"
"To extend an invitation. Radiant City is always interested in human cultivators who've managed to achieve advancement.
She gestured toward the Cave Stalker corpse. "And your combat results suggest you'd be a valuable addition to our community's defense capabilities."
"What's the catch?" Xìng Huáng asked, his experiences having taught him that nothing in cultivation society came without complications.
Captain Lin's smile was understanding rather than predatory. "The catch is that Radiant City earns a seed with good potential strength and strategic value. We're a functioning cultivation society that happens to be primarily human. Membership requires contribution."
"What kind of contribution?"
"That depends on your capabilities, specialization, and personal goals. But judging by your advancement rate and combat effectiveness..." She paused meaningfully. "I suspect we can find something mutually beneficial."
As they began the journey toward Radiant City together, Xìng Huáng felt cautious optimism for the first time since his escape. These weren't desperate survivors scratching out bare existence—they were organized human cultivators who had successfully established their own territorial authority.
More importantly, they seemed to operate by principles that might actually value his earned advancement rather than viewing it with suspicion.
The path to godhood had taken another unexpected turn, but once again, it appeared to be leading toward opportunity rather than merely away from danger.
HIDDEN INTERFACE UPDATE:
SANCTUARY PROBABILITY: HIGH
RADIANT CITY ASSESSMENT: POTENTIAL LONG-TERM BASE
DIVINE HERITAGE STATUS: STABLE CONCEALMENT
RECOMMENDATION: CAUTIOUS ENGAGEMENT WITH ORGANIZED HUMAN SOCIETY
For the first time since the merger began, he was approaching a destination that might offer not just survival, but genuine belonging.