A chilling dampness pressed against his forehead, a stark contrast to the fire that seemed to smolder deep within his bones.

  Bi Kan’s eyelids fluttered, peeling open to a world of wavering, distorted shadows.

  The figures were tall, their forms wobbling like heat-haze in a darkened room, their voices a low drone that failed to pierce the incessant, high-pitched ringing in his ears.

  What's this feeling…

  "Stay…" The word was a dry rasp, torn from a throat that felt like sandpaper.

  The shadow figures stilled. One of the heads turned, its mouth opening and closing, but the sounds were lost in the cacophony inside his own skull.

  Bi Kan winced, a fresh wave of pain lancing through his temples.

  Make it stop…

  "Stay away… from…" He managed to breathe out the words, each one a monumental effort that drew him closer to the edge of exhaustion.

  Just as the darkness threatened to reclaim him, a much taller, broader shadow emerged, stepping into the periphery.

  The ringing in his ears intensified, becoming a deafening shriek.

  This pain!

  "He'll be fine."

  The words sliced through the chaos, clear as a striking bell. And just like that, the noise was gone.

  The oppressive weight lifted from his mind, leaving behind a quiet, aching stillness.

  Have I recovered?

  His vision slowly bled back into focus.

  The menacing shadows resolved into the worried faces of small children, their menacing forms shrinking into excited grins.

  His hearing returned, and with it, the cheerful sounds of a bustling village.

  Then, another sense awoke.

  His nose picked up a rich, savory aroma of roasted meat and wild herbs, a scent that spoke of warmth and sustenance.

  A young boy with a smudge of dirt on his cheek beamed. "Brother Bi Kan's finally awake!"

  A small chorus of cheers erupted. The tallest figure was no longer a threat, but a familiar, solemn face.

  Those serious, intelligent eyes were unmistakable.

  "Lin…" Bi Kan’s own lips curved into a faint, tired smile. "Did I worry you?"

  He pushed himself up on his elbows, a sharp intake of breath hissing through his teeth as agony shot through his spine. "Ugh! It hurts!"

  It wasn't a surface pain. It was a deep, internal ache, as if every muscle fiber had been stretched to its breaking point and then scorched over a low flame.

  He felt sluggish, heavy, as if moving through thick water. A cool breeze drifted through the open door of the hut, and his entire body shivered, the simple sensation almost unbearable.

  His hand came to rest on his own chest, feeling the frantic, exhausted beat of his heart. "I feel so… burnt out."

  Lin walked closer, her small, cool hand coming to rest on his forehead. "Big brother Bi Kan, you were heating up. Everyone was trying to cool you down."

  I-I see. His eyes narrowed in understanding. The cold, damp sensation had been a wet cloth. "Oh. I guess I've been pushing myself too hard, then."

  He closed his eyes, taking stock of his internal state. Has my body… gotten sturdier at least—

  "You look stronger, Big Brother," Lin’s quiet voice cut through his thoughts. "I can feel it… somehow."

  A faint blush colored her cheeks as she examined his form, her gaze intense and focused.

  Bi Kan’s eyes snapped open. His smile widened, genuine and sharp despite his pain. "Lin."

  He looked up at her, a profound sense of victory washing away some of the ache.

  "You can sense Qi now, can you?"

  She took a small step back, her mouth falling slightly open in surprise. "Yes," she whispered, a flicker of pride and wonder in her eyes. "I… I can sense Qi, Big Brother…"

  His hand rose shakily to his chin.

  I see. So it worked. The pressure from that beast must have been the final push she needed.

  The fact that she could sense the subtle strengthening of his physical vessel was undeniable proof.

  He looked down at his arms, flexing his fingers.

  But there were no visible changes, no new layer of muscle. He sent a tendril of his awareness inward.

  His meridians felt wider, more resilient, yet the core of his power remained unchanged.

  "I'm still in Stage 8," he murmured, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I thought I broke through."

  Lin sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, her expression turning serious as she closed her eyes.

  "What are you doing, Lin?"

  "I'm trying to gather Qi," she said, her brow furrowed in concentration.

  "But it won't come in! I can see the faint lights… but I can't absorb them!"

  She pouted, and in a fit of frustration, her hand shot to the axe at her waist, swinging it uselessly at the invisible motes of energy.

  She gasped, her body suddenly going limp. Bi Kan reacted on instinct, his weak arm shooting out to catch her before she could fall.

  "Phew… Lin, don't be so reckless. I'm tired as well."

  She leaned heavily against him, her breathing ragged. "My chest hurts…"

  Bi Kan leaned back against the headboard, letting her rest against his side.

  She must still be affected by that creature's spiritual pressure. Her meridians are open, but they're too fragile.

  The door to the hut creaked open and Dai entered, a wide grin stretching across his face.

  "Wow, looks like our founder, the great Bi Kan has finally awoken!"

  He was holding a small wooden bowl, from which the delicious aroma emanated.

  "So that's what I smelled," Bi Kan said, a corner of his mouth lifting. "It was your cooking, Dai."

  Dai laughed, a booming sound that filled the small hut. "My cooking's that good, huh?" He placed the bowl on a small table by the bedside.

  His eyes then fell upon Lin, who was breathing evenly against Bi Kan's side, her eyes closed. His grin faltered.

  "Not again. Did she pass out, Bi Kan?"

  Bi Kan looked down at the sleeping girl. "I think she just fell asleep. She's still shaken by the beast's pressure."

  Dai nodded, his expression a mixture of concern and relief. "That girl said so as well before she left. Also, she told me to ask you if that creature was a flame type or a poison type."

  Bi Kan tilted his head, confused for a moment before understanding dawned. "Huh. Tell her that it's neither. My body being like this isn't because of the beast. It was solely due to my training."

  Dai reached down to carefully lift his sleeping daughter into his arms. "I see," he said, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

  "That girl… I told her to stand back." A small chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Even told her that if you can't handle it, no one can."

  "I'm not that powerful, you know," Bi Kan shook his head.

  "Well, I hope you recover soon, Bi Kan! I know you're a busy boy, always scheming something!"

  Dai gave him a final, knowing wink before taking his leave and closing the door softly behind him.

  Minutes passed in silence. Bi Kan gathered his bearings, the throbbing in his body slowly subsiding to a dull ache.

  Finally, he reached for the bowl beside him.

  "It really does… smell good."

  Back in the Mission Hall, the air was so thick with tension that every disciple held their breath.

  The two warring elders, whose pressure had been moments from crushing the weaker disciples, now stood with a rigid, newfound respect.

  That figure commands so much respect… who is she? Ying Xia wondered, a small, excited smile forming on her face as she craned her neck to get a better look.

  Thud!

  "Wha—?!"

  The world lurched. An immense weight, as if a mountain boulder had materialized out of thin air, slammed down onto her shoulders, forcing her to the floor in a jarring kneel.

  The stone tiles cracked beneath her knees.

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  "You dare—"

  Her threat died in her throat. The robes of the person holding her down were those of a Junior Elder, who was himself kneeling beside her, his face pale and beaded with sweat.

  Wait! Come to think of it…

  Her eyes darted around the hall.

  Every single disciple, from the newest Outer Sect recruit to the proudest Inner Sect prodigy, was on their knees.

  Only the two feuding elders remained standing, their heads bowed low before the powerful figure.

  "What kind of clueless disciple are you?" the Junior Elder hissed beside her, his voice a strained whisper.

  "Everyone kneels when they're in the presence of a Grand Elder!"

  Ying Xia’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

  A single, resonating thought echoed in her mind, the same thought every disciple had whenever this specific legend appeared.

  Her arrival was heralded not by a sound, but by a scent—the poignant, complex aroma of a thousand rare herbs.

  Her hair was a cloud of fiery orange, fluffed by a gentle, unseen current of Qi.

  Her lips, glistening with a faint pink sheen, were set in a look of regal boredom.

  But it was her eyes that held the hall captive: they were the color of liquid jade, with flecks of luminous gold that seemed to see through flesh and bone.

  She looked no older than twenty.

  WHY IS SHE SO YOUNG?!

  "To think you both would cause such mayhem in your positions," LingHu Qixia's voice was soft, yet it carried to every corner of the hall, each word dripping with chilling authority.

  The two elders broke out in a cold sweat, their hearts hammering against their ribs.

  "W-We—" the arrogant elder began.

  Her eyes narrowed. The air around the elder’s throat seemed to constrict, and he choked, his hand flying to his neck as if grasped by an invisible hand.

  "K-Kuh…?"

  "When did I give you permission to speak?" she asked, her tone conversational. "You dare overstep your boundaries in my presence?"

  The Elder immediately dropped into a deep, prostrating bow, his forehead touching the stone floor.

  "I see," she continued, tapping a single, elegant finger against her chin. "You must still be upset that I took the mantle of Grand Elder in my family's name. So you revolt in your own, petty way?"

  His head snapped up, his mouth opening in protest, but he was too slow. Her hand blurred, closing around his face with a grip of iron. "Two."

  CRACK!

  She slammed his head into the floor. A powerful shockwave of pure, golden Qi radiated outwards, washing over the kneeling disciples.

  Yet, it didn't harm them. Instead of feeling pressure or damage, a wave of warmth and clarity washed through their meridians, as if they'd just consumed a priceless spiritual pill.

  W-What…! We should have been sent flying! But she controlled her output that flawlessly! Ying Xia’s jaw dropped.

  "You are incredibly rude," LingHu Qixia stated calmly, dusting off her hand. "If I weren't in a good mood, I would have taken your limbs."

  She smirked, a dangerous glint in her jade-gold eyes. "But I do not wish for our fresh and cute disciples to witness such carnage."

  She opened her hand, and the elder looked up, the disdain and hate in his eyes warring with a primal, instinctual terror.

  "You may speak your apologies."

  The elder’s mouth opened, the words tumbling out in a panicked, fawning rush.

  "M-My Apologies! I overstepped! I will… make amends by sending priceless treasures to your doorstep immediately!"

  Woah! That old man became obedient all of a sudden! A giggle escaped Ying Xia’s lips, and she hastily covered her mouth.

  What a weak geezer. She snickered again, causing the Junior Elder beside her to break out in a fresh wave of sweat.

  This girl… the audacity she has… Every disciple in the vicinity, both Inner and Outer, turned their heads slightly to stare at her with a uniform expression of cautious disbelief.

  Ying Xia ignored them, her focus entirely on the Grand Elder. Even so, I can't gauge her strength…

  "Listen." Bi Kan's pragmatic voice echoed in her memory. "When an opponent is severely powerful, we at the lower realms can't gauge their realm level."

  He had raised two fingers, his expression turning sly.

  "And sometimes, there are those at such a high level that they're met with constant enemies.

  Those people… they withhold their power, keeping it hidden to look ordinary and weak, avoiding attention."

  A familiar, ruthless smile had touched his lips. "That's when we catch people off guard, release all our strength, and kill the—"

  Blah!

  So this means the Grand Elder isn't hiding her strength at all! She's asserting her dominance!

  Ying Xia rubbed her nose, a wide, predatory grin spreading across her face. "Just like me… hehehe."

  The Junior Elder slowly, deliberately, shuffled away from her.

  It's not good to be this close to her. If the Grand Elder LingHu Qixia notices, she'll probably vaporize this audacious disciple…

  "I'm glad I was able to resolve this violence that was about to occur," the Grand Elder said, tilting her head. Her gaze shifted to the Master of the Mission Halls, who nodded gratefully, folding his hands together. "Very well. The business of the sect shall continue."

  With a final, dismissive glance, she turned and left, her form fading like a phantom.

  The moment she was gone, a collective breath of relief and awe rushed through the hall.

  "W-Woah! It's my first time seeing a Grand Elder up so close!"

  "Yeah! She was so beautiful!" a bald disciple exclaimed, a dopey grin on his face. "It was my first time seeing an Elder get thrashed that easily, too!"

  The humiliated elder, overhearing this, began to exude a murderous aura, only for the other elder to step in his way.

  "You heard her. This violence has been resolved. You may leave."

  The elder scoffed, his face a mask of fury, before turning and storming out of the hall, his robes whipping in the wind.

  The Master of the Mission halls let out a final, heavy breath.

  His hand shot up, and a deafening shout bellowed from his body, shaking the very pillars of the pavilion.

  "WHAT ARE YOU ALL GAWKING AT?! WE MUST CONTINUE THE SECT'S BUSINESS!"

  Instantly, the dazed disciples scrambled back to their feet, rushing back to the lines and bulletin boards.

  The Junior Elders nodded from the shadows before melting back into them, their silent watch resuming.

  "That's right." Ying Xia clasped her hands together, the solemn atmosphere of the hall already forgotten. A wide, battle-hungry grin stretched across her face.

  "I almost forgot, it's time to earn my keep!" She cracked her knuckles, the sound sharp and full of promise. "Stealing contribution points through duels has gone stale. It's time to get pumped up again!"

  As she turned, another figure entered the hall, his presence a stark contrast to her fiery energy. His pale blue hair seemed to absorb the light, and his scholarly robes were immaculate.

  His eyes found Xia for a fleeting second, and his hand started to raise in a gesture of greeting, only to freeze mid-air.

  An immense chill, born not of the air but of a soul-deep memory, washed over him.

  His hand began to shiver as a voice, cold and final, resonated within the deepest corners of his mind.

  "We're not allies."

  The phantom words made him take an involuntary step back, his breath catching in his throat.

  The image of a boy with exhausted, merciless eyes bubbled up from his memory, glaring at him with an intensity that could freeze hell itself.

  "The only reason you're alive is that you bought me time. You've served your purpose, Gu Moyu. Don't ever show your face in front of me again."

  Gu Moyu bit his lip, the metallic taste of blood a faint reminder of his failure. His hand slowly retracted, clenching into a fist at his side.

  "How cruel of you to say that…" he thought, a bitter, self-deprecating smile touching his lips. "But I deserve it. I'm not entirely innocent, am I?"

  He melted back into the flow of the crowd, giving Ying Xia one last, lingering glance before disappearing among the other disciples.

  Ying Xia turned, a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. "What was that…"

  She took a step forward, her hunter's senses telling her she was being watched, before a snippet of conversation caught her ear.

  "—a silver ape has been spotted near the sect's Research Department."

  Her investigation was instantly forgotten.

  A prying curiosity took over, and she sidled over to a nearby support pillar, pretending to stretch as she leaned against it, all ears.

  "Yeah, I heard it was originally in the Thousand Scale Woods before it chased the Sect's Research Team all the way back here," an Inner Disciple added, shaking his head in disgust.

  Another scratched his head. "Really? Those scholars are so incompetent. How could they let a troublesome beast follow them back to the sect's doorstep?"

  "It has thick skin, too," the first disciple lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Comparable to a cultivator who just broke through to the Body Tempering Realm."

  A collective gasp went through the small group. "Huh? Should we take care of it?"

  Another disciple immediately shook his head. "Hell no! That beast is said to be extremely strong! It attacks like an Angered Demon!"

  "Speaking of demons!" one of them laughed. "That recent Inner Disciple who joined a few months ago has been wreaking havoc! Maybe he'll be able to match the Silver Demon Ape's tenacity!"

  They all huddled together, chuckling at the thought. Unseen by them, Ying Xia's lips began to curve upward.

  "Thick skin like a Body Tempering disciple, huh?"

  Her fingers unconsciously traced a faint line on her upper arm through the fabric of her robes. She bristled, the phantom pain of a sword slash making her blink rapidly.

  It hurts… The memory was still so clear. She had only been in the early stages of the Qi Sensing Realm, a complete novice.

  She gritted her teeth, a familiar fire igniting in her eyes.

  "You nearly killed me back then," she thought, the image of the cloaked swordsman, Hao Xua, flashing in her mind.

  "But I was basically a newborn in the cultivation world."

  She raised her chin, her knuckles turning white. "This Silver Ape… its hide is as tough as yours was. I'll use it as a whetstone."

  A fierce, determined light shone in her eyes. "I'll prove that if you were standing here today, I'd be the one walking away!"

  "Before I head out, maybe Bi Kan will find this interesting! I'll invite him!"

  She made a dash for the exit, only to be immediately distracted by the massive bulletin boards plastered with detailed ink illustrations of various demonic beasts.

  "Woah! Cool! It's like a whole world of legendary boars!" she exclaimed, her face pressed close to a drawing of a multi-headed serpent. "The world is really massive!"

  A few nearby Outer Disciples held back their laughter, shaking their heads. "She's like a country bumpkin who's never seen the city…"

  Bi Kan stared out the open doorway, his gaze lost in the distant horizon where the green forest met the pale blue sky.

  The empty soup bowl lay on the table beside him, its savory aroma now just a faint memory.

  His head was propped against a surprisingly soft pillow, but no amount of comfort could soothe the profound exhaustion that had settled deep in his marrow.

  His hand rested on his chest, feeling the slow, deliberate rhythm of his breathing. Each inhale was a conscious effort, each exhale a surrender to the leaden weight in his limbs.

  "I feel so fatigued…" he murmured to the empty hut.

  A shadow fell across the threshold, momentarily blocking the light.

  Bi Kan’s head turned, and his eyes, dull with exhaustion, widened slightly.

  Framed in the doorway was a familiar, gentle face, her lavender hair catching the afternoon sun.

  "Mei?"

  Another figure stood beside her, a stark contrast to Mei's serene presence.

  Her hair was the color of roaring flames, her arms were crossed in an impatient posture, and her sharp eyes swept the simple hut with a critical gaze.

  "Bi Kan, how are you?" Ming Mei’s soft voice preceded her as she walked slowly to his bedside, her movements full of a quiet concern.

  "Dai told me what happened when I was buying meat from him."

  The red-haired disciple followed, stopping a few paces back. "So this is the Bi Kan you've been talking about?" she asked, her tone laced with a skeptical curiosity.

  "Who's that, Mei?" Bi Kan asked, his gaze flicking to the intricate crest on her robes. It marked her as an Inner Disciple.

  "Oh, that's Mi Shui," Mei explained, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. "She was part of my group when we were hunting down those bandit camps, remember?"

  Bi Kan’s memory, though clouded by fatigue, sparked. He nodded slowly. "Oh, right. That's why she seemed familiar. You told me she was always angry…"

  Mi Shui’s face flushed a furious crimson. "M-Mei! You talk about me like that?!"

  Ming Mei offered a small, apologetic chuckle.

  A faint smile touched Bi Kan’s lips. "So, were both of you just passing by?"

  His eyes, though tired, were sharp, analyzing their postures, their expressions, the subtle tension in the air between them.

  "O-Oh, you always read me like a book, Bi Kan." A light pink hue colored Mei’s cheeks. She took a steadying breath. "I… I told Mi Shui about your alchemy skills."

  Bi Kan’s gaze shifted, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the fiery-haired Inner Disciple.

  The pieces clicked into a logical, if simple, pattern. He cut straight to the heart of it. "Do you want to get stronger?"

  "Huh?!" Mi Shui exploded forward, her hand shooting out to grasp the collar of Bi Kan’s robes before Mei could react. "Did you just assume I need your help to get stronger?!"

  Mei leaped to her feet, immediately pulling her friend back. "Mi Shui! We're asking him for help, remember?! Do you think he'll help you if you're this hostile?!"

  Mi Shui reluctantly backed off, her chest heaving. Mei then turned to Bi Kan, a pleading look in her eyes. "And Bi Kan! Don't provoke her… please."

  Bi Kan let out a long sigh, the movement sending a fresh wave of aches through his body. He scratched his head.

  "Sorry. I should've trusted that you wouldn't reveal my secrets for something as simple as that."

  His eyes fell on Mi Shui again, and this time he saw past the anger.

  He saw the dark, bruised circles under her eyes, the same exhaustion he felt in his own bones, but born of worry, not training.

  "Then, I'll assume once again. Forgive me if I'm wrong." Bi Kan raised his chin, his voice quiet but certain. "You don't want to get stronger. You want me to cure someone's poison, don't you?"

  The effect was instantaneous. Both of their eyes widened, a shared, sharp intake of breath cutting through the silence of the hut.

  The shock that rippled through them was a confession far louder than words.

  Bi Kan closed his eyes, a weary understanding settling over him. I guess that's a yes.