Location: Outskirts of Cloudleaf City – Seven Days Later
A thin mist curled across the open valley, the trees silent beneath the early dawn.
Two figures rode quietly atop a spirit-beast carriage drawn by wind serpents. One wore plain black robes trimmed in silver—Qin Huaian. The other, sitting beside him with arms crossed and swords at her back, was none other than Qin Xiaoxiao.
Against the elders' protest, she had insisted on escorting him to Heaven's Bridge.
"You'll be a lone sheep surrounded by lions," she'd told him. "You need someone who can bite."
Though reluctant at first, Huaian eventually agreed.
Besides… something about the trip felt wrong. As if an unseen hand had started to move from the shadows.
🗺️ The Route to Heaven's Bridge
Heaven's Bridge was located atop Mount Juntian, over 6,000 li east of Cloudleaf City.
To reach it, one had to pass through:
1. The Silverdust Plains – known for ambushes and shifting mirage zones.
2. The Cradle Hollow Ravines – inhabited by spiritual beasts and rogue cultivators.
3. Nine-Fold Ascension Steps – a spiritual trial gateway; each step reveals the weight of one's soul.
And in less than 30 days.
💀 The Ambush at Silverdust Plains
On the fifth day of their journey, as the mist deepened, six figures cloaked in black appeared, surrounding their spirit-beast carriage.
Each wore masks bearing the insignia of Yin Claw Sect—an infamous bounty guild that hunted rogue cultivators and prodigies for coin and karma points.
The leader pointed his blade forward.
"Qin Huaian. You carry Void Flame and the Mark of a Key. We were paid heavily to take your head."
Huaian stepped down calmly.
"Who paid you?"
The man smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Just as he raised his sword—Xiaoxiao moved.
Her blades spun like wind. In a flash, two assassins dropped—throats cut mid-spell.
"Touch him," she said coldly, "and you die."
The leader snarled and formed a seal. "Kill her—cripple him!"
⚔️ Qin Huaian Awakens a New Ability
As Xiaoxiao handled the close-range threats, Huaian focused on the leader, who launched a spear of blood-forged qi. His body moved instinctively—not dodging, but phasing.
The spear passed through him as if he were a shadow.
"He's… not solid?!" the man gasped.
Huaian's eyes glowed faint violet.
He had awakened a new Void Technique:
Shadow Veil Form – Early Stage.
A body technique that lets him phase between reality and void for a brief instant.
Then, with a surge of Phantom Threads, he struck directly into the man's chest—shattering his cultivation core without drawing blood.
The leader dropped to his knees—defeated.
🩸 A Betrayer Revealed
Before dying, the man laughed.
"Fool… you're not even safe among your own."
With his last breath, he tossed a jade slip to Huaian—engraved with a Qin family elder's private spiritual signature.
When Huaian scanned it with Void Flame, a message played:
"Remove him before Heaven's Bridge. He is not our blood. His presence will doom us all. —Y."
Huaian's hand tightened.
Y.
There was only one Y among the elders.
Elder Qin Yao.
🌒 LATER THAT NIGHT
By the campfire, Xiaoxiao wrapped a cloth around her bleeding palm, pretending not to wince.
"You saved me again," Huaian said quietly, tending to the fire.
She glanced at him.
"You phased through an attack. You don't need saving anymore."
He shook his head. "You stood beside me before I had anything. I'll never forget that."
She blinked. Her ears went slightly pink.
"Just… don't go marrying that icy princess before giving me a real fight."
They both laughed.
But Huaian's eyes drifted back to the jade slip—burning slowly in the fire.
"Qin Yao… this debt will be paid."