Dawn came.
Shuan joined escort mission. Five outer disciples. One inner disciple supervisor. Merchant caravan with twelve wagons.
Destination: border town three days away.
Perfect.
They left Azure Cloud Sect at sunrise.
Elder Yue watched from main hall. Expression unreadable.
She knows.
Doesn't matter. Too late to stop now.
First day, nothing happened. Traveled. Made camp. Rotated watches.
Shuan took last watch. 4 AM to 6 AM.
At 5:30, made his move.
Quietly gathered his bag. Left camp supplies.
Inner disciple supervisor stirred. Eyes opened.
"Where going?"
"Perimeter check."
Nodded. Closed eyes again.
Walked into forest.
Kept walking.
At one mile distance, started running.
Used Iron Meridian Method - pushed Qi through meridians at triple speed. Body temperature spiking.
Faster. Harder.
Behind him, alarm went up.
Someone noticed he hadn't returned.
Fifteen minutes later, pursuit began.
Could sense them. Three cultivators. All Earth Realm.
Sect sent enforcers.
Expected this.
Ran for three hours. Used every technique Elder Feng taught. Every trick learned in four years.
Pursuers gaining slowly.
Reached prepared location. Cliff overlooking river gorge.
Dead end.
Turned. Faced pursuers.
Three Earth Realm cultivators. Mid stage. Combat specialists.
"Lin Shuan. Sect orders your return." Lead enforcer. Scarred face. Cold voice.
"Not going back."
"Not your choice."
They advanced. Formation positions. Professional.
Can't win. Can't fight three Earth Realm.
Don't need to win. Just need to escape.
Pulled out jade slip. Crushed it.
Shattering Step.
Forbidden technique activated.
Space twisted. Reality bent.
Teleported backward. Over cliff edge. Into river below.
But technique had cost.
Felt meridians tearing. Not normal damage.
The augmented pathways - Grade 5 spiritual roots - shattering.
All of them. Simultaneously.
Pain exploded.
Worse than augmentation.
Worse than breakthrough.
Everything built over four years... destroying.
Hit water. River swept him away.
Consciousness fading.
Last thought: Free.
Finally free.
Then nothing.