In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through drifting clouds and reflected off countless swords planted upright in the ground. The graveyard of swords was silent, yet heavy with unspoken grief. Every sword stood as a marker—each one representing a warrior who had fallen in the battle against the Flowing Cloud Sect. Some swords were chipped, some cracked, and some stained dark with dried blood, but none were removed. They were left there as proof that those lives had once burned fiercely.
All the members of the Azure Heaven Sect gathered in silence. Even those who were injured came, leaning on staffs or supported by comrades. At the front stood Jian Wuhen himself. Though his body was still recovering, he insisted on attending. His expression was calm, but his eyes were heavy. When the wind passed through the graveyard, the swords let out faint metallic sounds, like quiet mourning.
No one spoke. No one needed to. Each person bowed deeply toward the forest of blades, paying respect to those who had given everything so the sect could survive.
After a long moment of silence, Jian Wuhen turned and left the graveyard.
⸻
Soon after, Jian Wuhen arrived at the sect leader's office. On the surface, Azure Heaven Sect had won the battle, but only he truly understood the cost of that victory. As he sat down, his movements slow and restrained, the weight of responsibility pressed down on him far more than his injuries.
The first problem was manpower.
The losses suffered in the battle were severe. Many elites had died, and even more were injured. Those still alive needed time—weeks, even months—to recover. The second problem was even more urgent. The Spirit Realm was about to open, yet the sect no longer had enough warriors in peak condition to explore it safely. Sending weakened disciples would only lead to more deaths.
Despite his condition, Jian Wuhen knew he could not rest. A sect leader did not have the luxury of grief.
Because of this, he had summoned the Branch Manager of White Dragon Hall.
Jian Wuhen lifted a cup of medicinal tea and took a slow sip. The bitterness spread across his tongue, grounding his thoughts. Just then, a guard appeared at the door and spoke respectfully, "Sect Leader, Branch Manager Bai has arrived and requests permission to enter."
Jian Wuhen nodded lightly. "Let her in."
Branch Manager Bai entered the room with steady steps. Her posture was straight, her expression composed, but her sharp eyes did not miss Jian Wuhen's pale complexion or the faint strain in his breathing.
Jian Wuhen gestured for her to sit.
After taking her seat, Branch Manager Bai spoke first. "Sect Leader Jian, I heard of your injuries. How is your condition now?"
Jian Wuhen smiled faintly. "Stable. The physicians say it will take time, but I won't die from it."
Branch Manager Bai nodded. "That is good to hear. This battle shook the entire region. Many eyes are watching Azure Heaven Sect now."
They exchanged a few polite words, but neither lingered on small talk. Soon, Jian Wuhen set down his tea cup. His expression turned serious.
"Let us speak of important matters," he said.
Branch Manager Bai straightened slightly and nodded.
Jian Wuhen continued, "After the battle with the Flowing Cloud Sect, our manpower has been greatly reduced. Many of our elites are injured, and we lack enough peak-condition martial artists. Under such circumstances, exploring the Spirit Realm alone would be dangerous."
He paused briefly, then spoke clearly. "I want to propose a joint exploration. If White Dragon Hall and Azure Heaven Sect combine our forces, we can reduce losses and increase efficiency. Both sides will benefit."
Branch Manager Bai fell silent.
She considered the offer carefully. Sending her own people carried risks, but relying entirely on Azure Heaven Sect would mean trusting secondhand information. If both forces entered together, White Dragon Hall could witness everything firsthand and secure resources more quickly.
After a short moment, she spoke. "I agree."
Jian Wuhen let out a quiet breath. "Good."
They continued discussing details—how forces would be divided, how resources would be shared, and how conflicts would be handled. Time passed without either noticing.
When the discussion finally ended, Branch Manager Bai stood up to leave. Just before stepping out, she paused and asked, "One last thing. Where is the Divine Doctor? I did not see him on my way here."
Jian Wuhen smiled softly. "He has already begun a new journey."
Branch Manager Bai did not press further. She cupped her fists lightly. "I see."
Then she turned and left the room.
——
As the sun slowly descended toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and crimson, a lone figure moved swiftly through the dense woods. The rustling of leaves followed his steps, and distant cries of wild creatures echoed through the forest, blending with the sound of wind brushing past trees.
That man was Aelric.
In his hand, he held a folded map—one he had borrowed from the library of the Azure Heaven Sect with the direct permission of Sect Leader Jian Wuhen. The map detailed the western regions: scattered villages, minor sects, dangerous wilderness zones, and the long path that ultimately led toward the Martial Society, far beyond the borders of Yunlai Village.
The forest he traveled through was far from peaceful.
Hidden among the shadows were countless wild beasts—wolves with glowing eyes, serpents coiled around tree branches, and unknown creatures lurking silently in the underbrush. Their gazes followed Aelric's every movement. Some crouched low, others tightened their muscles, waiting for what they believed might be an opening.
Yet none of them attacked.
The reason was simple.
The aura surrounding Aelric was calm, restrained, yet deeply unsettling. It carried an instinctive warning—an unspoken message that screamed danger. These beasts were not intelligent, but survival instinct ran deep within them. Every fiber of their being told them that attacking this man would lead only to death.
Aelric, for his part, was fully aware of their presence.
He could sense their breathing, their restrained movements, and the faint hostility directed toward him. If he wished, he could turn this forest into a field of corpses within moments. But he did not slow his pace, nor did his expression change.
To him, these creatures were irrelevant.
Aelric was not a man who killed for pleasure or impulse. His principles were simple and absolute: as long as no one obstructed his path, he would not go out of his way to eliminate them. Killing without purpose held no meaning for him.
Thus, he continued forward.
His figure blurred as he activated Traceless Divine Steps, moving effortlessly between trees and uneven terrain. Each step carried him farther west, farther away from Yunlai Village, and farther from the narrow world he had already outgrown.
As he ran, his thoughts drifted.
The recent battles, the techniques he had witnessed, and the masked man's terrifying abilities replayed in his mind. Martial arts, cultivation techniques, divine arts, strange authorities like Realm Creation—the power systems of this world were far deeper and more complex than he had initially assumed.
He began to question everything.
How was power truly divided in this world?
What lay above sect leaders, elders, and martial masters?
What other forces existed beyond the Southern Region?
What kind of beings could bend space itself and create realms at will?
Each unanswered question only fueled something dormant within him.
Aelric realized that the feeling growing in his chest was something he had not experienced in a very long time. So long, in fact, that he could not remember when he had last felt it—or how many years had passed since then.
It was not fear.
Nor ambition.
Nor hatred.
It was curiosity.
And alongside it came a quiet, rising excitement.
Curiosity to understand this world in its entirety.
Excitement for what awaited him beyond the horizon.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Aelric was no longer merely adapting or surviving. He was moving forward by choice—toward a future unknown, vast, and filled with possibilities.
——
As Aelric continued running through the wilderness, the sky above slowly darkened. The colors of dusk faded, and night quietly descended upon the forest. The sounds around him changed—daytime insects fell silent, replaced by low growls, distant howls, and the rustling of unseen creatures moving through the undergrowth.
Then, a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
[Ho…]
[I'm awake… and damn, a lot happened while I was asleep.]
The voice belonged to Hex.
Aelric did not slow his steps. He was already aware that Hex would know everything that had happened in Yunlai Village. Their souls were bound; nothing that Aelric experienced could be hidden from him.
[So…] Hex continued, his tone far more alert than usual. [We're heading toward Martial Society now?]
Aelric gave a silent nod as he moved between trees, his figure blending into the darkness.
Hex paused for a moment, then spoke again. This time, there was no teasing in his voice.
[Why?]
[What's your goal? What do you want to achieve in the end?]
[Now that we're no longer in immediate danger… what do you plan to do?]
[Do you want revenge on those beings who hunted you?]
The seriousness in Hex's tone made Aelric slow slightly.
He went silent.
For the first time in a long while, he truly thought about the question.
An end goal.
Humans lived chasing goals because their lives were short. They struggled, fought, dreamed—and in the end, they died. But Aelric was different. His lifespan was nearly eternal. The concept of "running toward an end" had never truly applied to him.
As for revenge?
That was not an end goal. It was merely a checkpoint—something that would naturally happen once he regained enough strength. Revenge was a path, not a destination.
If there was one thing he truly wanted to uncover, it was the truth.
The truth about his origin.
The truth of how he came into existence.
But that was not something he could pursue directly—not yet.
After a long silence, Aelric finally spoke, his voice calm and steady.
"I want everything this world has to offer."
Hex went quiet.
He pondered those words carefully.
Then he spoke again.
[If that's what you want… then why not build something of your own?]
[A sect. A kingdom. A foundation.]
[There's a limit to what you can do alone, no matter how strong you are—especially against the major powers of this world.]
Aelric's steps slowed.
For the first time, Hex's words truly caught his attention.
He considered the idea seriously—and found himself unexpectedly impressed.
"…Sometimes," Aelric replied dryly, "you do give decent advice."
Hex immediately bristled.
[Sometimes?!]
[Hey! Watch your tone!]
Aelric ignored his outburst.
As he moved forward, the trees gradually thinned. In the distance, faint lights flickered through the darkness—warm, scattered points glowing against the night.
A village.
Aelric adjusted his direction slightly.
He needed to time recover his essence.
And more importantly, he needed time—to think, to plan, and to decide his next steps in this vast, unfamiliar world.
Without hesitation, he headed toward the lights.
The journey had only just begun.