The sun had disappeared behind the mountains by the time Li Xuan finally stepped out of the old shed.The air was cooler now, and the shadows stretched long across the ground. Everything felt quieter — too quiet.
Li Xuan walked slowly back toward his room, his thoughts heavy.
Yan Ling's words replayed in his mind again and again.
"This sect is rotting.""You might be the only one who survives what's coming.""Someone like you shouldn't die so early."
Who was she?
Why could she see what others couldn't?Why was she watching him?How much did she know?
He didn't have the answers.
—Do not trust her too easily, the Grand Immortal warned. Her eyes carry secrets, and secrets are heavier than swords.
Li Xuan murmured, "She didn't seem like she wanted to harm me."
—Even good intentions can be traps, the Immortal replied. Remember that.
Li Xuan nodded slightly.
He approached his small room, the wooden door creaking softly as he pushed it open. The dim light from the cracked window cast long shadows across the floor.
He sat down on his bed, stretching his legs carefully.
For a long moment, he simply breathed, letting the tension leave his body.
Yan Ling's appearance changed everything.
She saw him fight.She noticed his improvement.She cared enough to warn him.
But she also made one thing clear:
The sect was about to face something dangerous.
Li Xuan clenched his fists slowly.
He had always felt the weight of the sect's decay — the elders' greed, the disciples' cruelty, the leadership's indifference. But hearing someone else confirm it made it real.
Made it urgent.
He sat in silence until the Immortal spoke again.
—Your time is short, Li Xuan.—The cracks in your meridians will heal after tonight. Tomorrow, you can resume breaking the blockage.—Once it shatters, your dantian will open. Then… your path truly begins.
Li Xuan raised his head, his eyes calmer than before.
"How long until I reach Qi Refining?"
—If you train smart… days.A pause.—If you train foolishly… months.
Li Xuan smirked slightly. "I'll choose the first one."
—Good. Then rest now. Your body needs it.
Li Xuan lay down slowly. His bruises throbbed, but much less than before. His muscles were still tight, but they didn't feel dead or useless.
The warmth swirling inside him reacted like a small, obedient flame.
As his eyes began to close, he whispered to himself:
"I won't die here… no matter what's coming."
He drifted into sleep.
He didn't sleep long.
A sudden noise woke him — soft footsteps outside his door.
Li Xuan's eyes snapped open.
He held his breath.
The footsteps stopped right outside.
Someone was standing there.
Silently.Not knocking.Not moving.
Just standing.
A chill crawled up Li Xuan's spine.
—Stay still, the Immortal whispered. Do not move. Do not breathe too loudly.
Li Xuan's heart thumped quietly in his chest.
The silence stretched.
Then—
A faint voice came through the door.
Very soft.Almost gentle.
"Li Xuan… are you awake?"
Li Xuan recognized it immediately.
Zhao Ren.
Li Xuan stayed silent.
Zhao Ren's voice came again, slightly amused.
"I know you're inside. Open the door."
Li Xuan's fingers tightened on the blanket.
The tone wasn't angry.
It was calm.Too calm.
A tone someone uses when they're hiding something behind their back.
Zhao Ren continued, his voice low:
"I came to… talk."
Li Xuan didn't move.
He didn't trust him.
Not at night.Not outside his room.Not after yesterday's fight.
And Zhao Ren himself seemed to sense this silence.
His next words made Li Xuan's blood run cold.
"Li Xuan… Elder Qiu wants to see you."
Li Xuan's breath caught for a moment.
Elder Qiu?
Now?
At night?
Nothing about that felt right.
Zhao Ren's voice lowered even more.
"He said… if you don't come out, he'll drag you himself."
Li Xuan finally spoke, his voice steady:
"I didn't do anything wrong."
Zhao Ren chuckled softly.
"That doesn't matter."
There it was.
The truth.
Li Xuan felt the Grand Immortal's presence sharpen inside him.
—He is lying. Elder Qiu did not send him. Zhao Ren came on his own… for something else.
Li Xuan whispered back inside his mind, "Then what does he want?"
The Immortal answered calmly—
—Trouble.—And you must not walk into it.
Zhao Ren tapped the door lightly with his knuckles.
"Li Xuan… open up."
Li Xuan sat perfectly still.
He didn't blink.
He didn't breathe loudly.
He simply waited.
Then, Zhao Ren's tone changed — colder, quieter, almost whispering:
"If you won't open the door…"
A pause.
"…then I hope you survive the night."
His footsteps faded slowly down the path.
Li Xuan stared at the door.
The danger wasn't coming.
It was already here.
And someone in the darkness had made their first move.